Boo Weekley, one of golf’s great folk heroes, is finally back on top.

Weekley, 52, picked up his first career win on the PGA Tour Champions on Mother’s day, going bogey-free for 54 holes at the Insperity Invitational. His final putt would not have made a difference, as Weekley went on to win by three, but the fact it 360’d around the hole and dropped to stay blemish-free made the win extra special.

“It’s just been a long time,” said Weekley, who had previously made 63 starts on the senior tour without a win. “I’m finally starting to get healthy again and swinging the golf club good again.

“It feels good to be actually able to come out and play the way I know I can play, and compete the way I competed this week. Kept my mind straight, didn’t let myself get a little out of line or anything. Just focused on my targets, focused on my greens, focused on my putts.”

Weekley’s 15 under total at The Woodlands Country Club in Texas was enough to beat all-time great Ernie Els by three, though it was much closer than the final tallies would appear. His lead was only one on the 17th hole, where Els’ approach found the water, leading to a tournament-ending double bogey. Weekley found the putting surface and holed a long, uphill, left-to-right insurance birdie putt that gave him all the breathing room he needed with one to play.

“Unfortunately, didn’t make as many putts as I wanted to today,” said Weekley, who made three birdies and 15 pars on Sunday. “But we got lucky the good lord blessed me with a win today.”

An emotional Weekley was embraced by fiancé Susan Harp on the final green, leading to some tears. “You gotta stop… you gotta stop now,” Weekley told her.

For Weekley, this was his first win on any tour in nearly 13 years, his third and last coming on the PGA Tour at the Crown Plaza Invitational at Colonial in 2013.

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Main Image: Kenneth Richmond