"That Was a Huge Mistake": Paul Azinger Recalls Kissing Boo Weekley in Ryder Cup Chaos

Mar 19, 2026, 3:00 PM CUT

The 2000 Open Championship, the 129th 000723/ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND/PHOTO MARK NEWCOMBE/THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP PAUL AZINGER THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2000 AT ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND. JULY 2000 Copyright: xMarkxNewcombex

Paul Azinger led the United States to one of its most famous Ryder Cup wins in 2008.

But the moment he remembers most isn’t about the score or the trophy. It’s about a kiss he wishes he could take back.

When he was asked about his favorite moment from the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla, Azinger didn’t talk about the win or the celebrations. Instead, he remembered planting a sweaty kiss on Boo Weekley’s cheek.

"My least favorite was when I kissed Boo on the cheek. He was sweaty. That was a huge mistake."

Bildnummer: 03956262 Datum: 18.09.2008 Copyright: imago/Icon SMI Kapitän Paul Azinger (Team USA) - Pressekonferenz - PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxONLY (Icon4394587); Vdig, quer, close, PK, Pressetermin, Teamkapitän, Ryder Cup 2008, Rydercup, PGA Tour Louisville Golf Herren Einzel Einzelbild Randmotiv Personen Image number 03956262 date 18 09 2008 Copyright imago Icon Smi Captain Paul Azinger team USA Press conference PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxONLY Vdig horizontal Close press conference Press call Team captain Ryder Cup 2008 Rydercup PGA Tour Louisville Golf men Singles Single Rand motive Human Beings

He shared that story on March 16 during a fireside chat at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida, which will host the 86th Senior PGA Championship in about a month. PGA of America’s Greg Dillard had just asked him a simple question about his favorite memory.

Well, it's safe to say that no one expected that kind of answer.

Azinger said the wild celebration at Valhalla was real. But so was everything that led up to it. "That was really just the culmination of all the effort and all the preparation that everybody put forth," he said.

Weekly was one of the strongest performers from Team USA. He earned 2.5 points, winning a singles match and the Afternoon Four-Ball tournament.

Why Paul Azinger's 2008 Blueprint Still Stands Alone

Preparation was a big part of that campaign. Azinger even wanted more control over how the course was set up because Europe had been using that to their advantage for years.

He spoke to Tony Jacklin about it, and Jacklin agreed.

Azinger came up with his “pod system.” Instead of just grouping players based on form or friendships, he focused on their personalities. With help from sports psychologist Dr. Ron Braun, he made three small groups. Each group then chose one more player to join them.

One group had Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard, and Anthony Kim, and they picked Hunter Mahan. Azinger said Mahan came in full of energy and was ready to give his all for the team.

Golf Digest’s Shane Ryan later said Azinger’s captaincy was one of the most important in team history. But Azinger didn’t fully agree. He felt people praised it a lot, but the impact didn’t last as long as they thought.

Teams have used the “pod system” since then, but he believes they didn’t follow the idea properly.

Now the next Ryder Cup will be at Adare Manor in Ireland. Europe already has the Cup; they will have the home crowd, and Luke Donald is the captain again.

That’s three big advantages even before the tournament starts. Tell us what you think in the comments below!

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Kalp Thaker