Collegiate Times

"My four years at Tech were great for me, they were a great learning experience, and I am thankful for all the resources that were provided for me," Weaver said.

Weaver does not plan to turn pro until September, keeping him eligible for the Walker Cup, an amateur tournament Sept. 12-13 in Merion, Pa. It is the amateur version of the Ryder Cup, which pits the top golfers from Great Britain and Ireland against the United States in team match play format.

"The Walker Cup is my imminent goal, and I am off to a good start this summer on my way to that. Next year I would like to get some playing status through q-school, because that's the only way you can really play is with status," Weaver said.

"We've had guys from here play in majors, but not as amateurs, which is the special part about Drew. Just to qualify was great, because he had to play his way in rather than make it from an exemption. That gave him all the confidence in the world," Hardwick said.

Besides Weaver's great weekend, the tournament saw a compelling four rounds of golf capped off by an unpredictable final 18 holes. Ricky Barnes, at 8-under par, entered the final round with a one shot lead over Lucas Glover, and after that pair the next closest competitor was four shots back. Players on the leaderboard behind that group included former major winners Phil Mickelson, Mike Weir, and of course, Woods.

Prior to the final round, it was hard to confidently project Barnes and Glover as being able to withstand the pressure of the national championship, and the names of the players charging after them on the final day. They both managed to falter early, as Barnes bogied four straight holes on his way to a 5-over front nine, and Glover fell to 2-under as well. Glover would recover back to 4-under, but an eagle by Phil Mickelson on the par five 13th hole tied him with Glover atop the leaderboard. Mickelson's rally hit a speed bump on the ensuing holes, as he missed a devastating five-foot putt on 15 to bogey and also bogied 17 to fall out of contention.

Glover entered the final hole with a two shot lead over Barnes, with everyone else already in the clubhouse. That meant that if Barnes even made par on the hole, an accomplishment he was having difficulty doing all day, Glover would only need to bogey the hole to win the championship. Both players made the green in two, and Glover's birdie attempt fell six feet short of the hole.

Barnes lined up for his birdie putt, which if converted would have forced Glover to sink that next putt to win the championship without a playoff. Barnes' shot somehow stayed out of the hole, rolling right by the lip of the cup. That took all the pressure in the world off Glover, who now needed to make that six-footer in only two shots. He didn't need the spare, sinking the par putt to clinch the championship with a final score of 4-under 278.

But the story of the week for Hokie Nation was Weaver, and the coming out party of its young golfing star.

"It was great to prove myself on that stage," Weaver said.

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