This Week in Golf - April 17th through April 20th

Posted: Mon Apr 14 2:56 PM

***** This Week in Golf - April 17th through April 20th *****

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - PGA TOUR - VERIZON HERITAGE, Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina - Looking at a pair of late bogeys, Boo Weekley instead escaped 17 and 18 with chip-in pars to win a Monday finish at last year's Verizon Heritage.

Weekley claimed his first PGA Tour victory at 14-under 270, winning by just one shot over Ernie Els, who missed a hole-out eagle by only a foot at the last hole.

World No. 3 Els is the highest-ranked player in this year's field. Stewart Cink, Brandt Snedeker and Steve Flesch, who all finished inside the top five at the Masters on Sunday, are also set to play.

The Golf Channel will have three hours of coverage on the first two days, with CBS taking over for a three-hour broadcast on both weekend days. Next week is the Byron Nelson Championship, where last season Scott Verplank claimed his first win in six years.

EUROPEAN TOUR

VOLVO CHINA OPEN, Beijing CBD International Golf Club, Beijing, China - The European Tour returns to Asia this week for the first of two straight events in China.

Markus Brier won last year's event by five shots, closing with back-to-back 67s in the last two rounds. Scott Hend, Graeme McDowell and Andrew McLardy tied for second place.

There have been five playoffs in the last seven events on the European Tour international schedule.

The Golf Channel has coverage of all four rounds this week. Next week is the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai, where Raphael Jacquelin won last year.

LPGA TOUR

GINN OPEN, Ginn Reunion Resort, Reunion, Florida - Last year, Brittany Lincicome completed what has become a rare feat on the LPGA Tour: She beat Lorena Ochoa to win the Ginn Open.

Ochoa, who has won four of her five starts this season, did herself in with a final-round 77, while Lincicome shot a steady 72 to win by a stroke. Both players are in this year's field.

The Golf Channel has coverage of the first two days, with CBS taking over for the weekend. Next week is the Stanford International Pro-Am, a new event.

CHAMPIONS TOUR

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE PRO-AM, TPC Tampa Bay, Lutz, Florida - Last year, Hall of Famer Tom Watson claimed his first career victory -- of any kind -- in the state of Florida.

Watson, who hadn't won in 93 previous events in Florida on the PGA and Champions Tours, closed with a 70 to beat Andy Bean and Jay Haas by one shot.

The Golf Channel will cover the first round, handing off to NBC for the weekend. Next week is the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, where Haas beat Tom Kite in a playoff to successfully defend his title.

NATIONWIDE TOUR

ATHENS REGIONAL FOUNDATION CLASSIC, Jennings Mill Country Club, Athens, Georgia - Martin Laird won this tournament last year, closing with a 69 in the final round to hold off Jeremy Anderson and Justin Bolli by a shot.

Anderson is playing the PGA Tour and won't be back to defend his title. No Nationwide Tour player has ever repeated at a tournament.

Next week is the Henrico County Open, where Nick Flanagan claimed the first of his three 2007 wins in a four-way playoff.

CANADIAN TOUR

STOCKTON SPORTS COMMISSION CLASSIC, Brookside Country Club, Stockton, California - The Canadian Tour remains outside Canada for its second event of the season.

Wes Heffernan went 66-65-67 over the last three rounds to win this event by a shot last season. It was Heffernan's second tour win, though he went on to win again in 2007 at the Riviera Nayarit Classic.

Next week is the Corona Mazatlan Mexican PGA, where Byron Smith won last year.