Mulligan: Weaver ready for this Master's experience

Drew Weaver is a little more stress-free this winter. About this time last year, things were different for him.

Weaver, a Virginia Tech senior from High Point, was gearing up to play in the Masters, a perk from his victory in the 2007 British Amateur.

He became one of the feel-good stories of the Masters, and although he failed to make the cut, he represented himself, his family and Virginia Tech with grace and dignity in the biggest tournament of his life.

Weaver will get to relive all of that in a few weeks when he returns to the Masters as an honorary non-competing player. He will have that opportunity as long as he stays an amateur, because of his British Amateur victory.

"It's a much different feeling this year, and it's obviously less hectic," said Weaver, who has been playing No. 1 for the Hokies this year. "I'll admit I had trouble balancing everything last year, but this year, I'm really focused on school and the team and graduation."

The Hokies played at a tournament in Puerto Rico during the weekend, and they'll play in the Augusta State tournament later this season. The Augusta State tournament is on the weekend before the Masters, so Weaver will stay an extra day and be a part of the Masters festivities that Monday.

"I can only stay one day because I've got class on Wednesday, and I have to get back for it," said Weaver, who could have played in the Par-3 Tournament. "It will be nice to kind of be under the radar, and I can see some of the people I met last year."

Weaver will also get full practice privileges, which he plans to take advantage of. He doesn't know how much he'll play, but he said he will get out on the course at Augusta National.

"It was just such an incredible feeling to play in the Masters, and I think it's one of the neatest things that can happen to a golfer," Weaver said. "You are treated so great by everyone, you can't help but want to get back there again."

Weaver said he hopes to return one day as a professional, but right now his focus is on a strong finish to his college career.

"I realize I've got six or seven college tournaments left, and I'm continuing to work hard because I have some long-term goals I want to focus on," Weaver said.

He said he plans to stay an amateur long enough to make the Walker Cup team and then will look at turning pro. Before all that happens, however, he will relish the chance to relive his Masters experience.

"It's going to be fun," he said.

CCNC lands big tournament

The Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst, which boasts two of the top courses in the state, has landed next year's U.S. Girls Junior Championship.

The USGA made the announcement last week. The tournament will be July 19-24, 2010.

"It will have been 30 years since the U.S. Amateur was played on our Dogwood course, and we are very pleased to welcome back the USGA for another championship," club president John Ellis said.

Designed by Ellis Maples and Willard Byrd and opened in 1963, the Dogwood course was the site of the 1980 U.S. Amateur, which Hal Sutton won.

North Carolina has played host to 24 USGA championships and will have two other USGA championships in 2010 -- the U.S. Amateur Public Links at Bryan Park in Greensboro in July and the U.S. Women's Amateur at the renovated Charlotte Country Club in August.

Around the green

Chad Newton, a Winston-Salem native who is the head pro at Pinewood Country Club in Asheboro, has been named to the Carolina PGA Board of Directors. Newton, 33, is a 1997 graduate of East Carolina and a 1993 graduate of South Stokes. He worked at Forsyth Country Club and Bermuda Run Country Club before moving to Pinewood in 2004.

"Helping me get to this point is a direct result of the pros that I worked with earlier in my career," Newton said. "They were such an influence on me."…

R.R. Jackson, who plays about twice a week at Oak Valley, had a belated birthday present last week. A day after he turned 80, he had his third career hole-in-one, acing No. 8 from 130 yards with a 3-wood.

"It was a nice birthday present," Jackson said.

It was his second hole-in-one at Oak Valley. Two years ago he aced No. 6. One of Jackson's playing partners, Tom Loke, was there for both Oak Valley aces. Randall James, the director of golf at Oak Valley, says that Jackson is the oldest player to have recorded a hole-in-one since the course opened in 1995.

■ John Dell can be reached at 727-4081 or at jdell@wsjournal.com.