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Not only did Boo Weekley win over legions of fans with his memorable performance at the Ryder Cup, he also showed the golf world he knows a thing or two about the game. (Even if earlier this year he said he didn't know you could concede putts during match play.)

After his Happy Gilmore impersonation at Valhalla, which has been replayed countless times, where exactly does Weekley stand in terms of popularity on the PGA Tour? Our experts ponder that question and more as they share their opinions in this week's edition of Fact or Fiction.

FACT OR FICTION? Boo Weekley will become one of the five most popular golfers on the PGA Tour in 2009.

And that is if he is not already among the most popular.

Boo Weekley had made a pretty good name for himself over the past two years on the PGA Tour, with his country twang, quirky sayings and enough good play to stamp him as legitimate. He won two PGA Tour events and said "Yes sir" and "No sir" at every turn.

But the Ryder Cup took him to a new level. The way he embraced the tournament's format, attempted to fire up the crowd and came off on television to a bunch of fans who might not otherwise watch golf certainly endeared him to the masses. His play didn't hurt, either, as he went 2-0-1 in his three matches.

Then there were Weekley's performances at the Talladega NASCAR race and on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." You have to love the fact that he is embracing his celebrity and not running from it. The "Tonight Show" appearance was especially memorable, as, among other things, in classic Boo fashion, he told the story of how he once had to retrieve the rental car keys he had dropped in a portable toilet.

It is impossible to do the story justice, but for those who saw Weekley tell the tale, it had to make you laugh.

Boo Weekley won't become one of the five most popular golfers on the PGA Tour in 2009 for good reason: He's already there.

The intangibility of popularity makes it difficult to measure, but it's safe to say this is yet another category in which Tiger Woods is second to none. Phil Mickelson is up there, too. And despite his recent on-course travails, John Daly still resonates with fans. After that? Sergio Garcia is more popular internationally than stateside. Anthony Kim is gaining ground but is not there yet. Ditto for Camilo Villegas. Fred Couples doesn't play much anymore. Ernie Els has lost a little luster. Chris DiMarco's star has fallen.

Who's left? Thomas Brent Weekley, that's who. And as if the good ol' Southern boy wasn't already a fan fave based on a pair of wins at HarbourTown and his interview room affability, his Ryder Cup performance helped his popularity grow by leaps and bounds. From pumping up the home crowd while receiving icy stares from Lee Westwood to pulling off a Happy Gilmore ride-the-pony impersonation on the first hole at Valhalla ("Doing the Bull Dance, feeling the flow. Working, working."), he's the rare player who looks like he's having fun on the course, rather than remaining stoic, reserved and serious during competition. Let's face it: The PGA Tour is in the entertainment business, and well, sometimes it's just not all that entertaining to watch a guy with no personality hit a little white ball around the course.

Perhaps it's a catch-22 to say Weekley is one of a kind, then ask for more players just like him. But that's exactly what golf needs. For now, he continues his rise as one of the tour's biggest draws, going from Q-school to an awesome Q-rating in record time. And just in case all that doesn't have you convinced, I leave you with one simple, inarguable fact: Only popular golfers get to hang with Jay Leno.

In fact, Boo Weekley won't become one of the most popular golfers on tour next year. He already has reached that level.

Golf fans like to root for the player they can relate to. That's why John Daly, for all his many faults, always draws huge galleries.

In Weekley, golf fans see a kindred spirit, someone who doesn't take himself too seriously.

Unlike Daly, however, he doesn't disrespect the game or the tournament sponsors or the fans who paid hard-earned money to watch him play. His pre-tournament news conferences always are a hoot -- although I sincerely doubt he is as naive about golf and its history as he professes to be -- and his most endearing qualities of self-deprecation and extreme approachability are what sets him apart from other very popular players on tour.

Tiger Woods is well-liked but always is watched with a sense of awe. Weekley is seen as one of the guys, the best candidate yet to replace the downtrodden Daly as the "Player of the People" for the next five to 10 years.

Actually, he already is one of the five most popular players on tour. After Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, it really is a scramble for who's next.

A couple of years ago, I would have rounded out that top five with Fred Couples, Greg Norman and John Daly. Norman proved at the British Open he can still connect. Couples remains beloved but isn't out there enough. And even Daly stalwarts have grown tired of his train-wreck existence.

Weekley has the whole ball of wax. He is quotable in a Yogi Berra sort of way, remains accessible to both the public and the media and -- oh yeah -- he can golf a little bit.

Weekley is one of those guys who has to win only now and then to remain on the radar of golf fans. His personality simply cannot be contained on the golf course. And in a sport that has more than a few dullards who don't get their responsibilities to promote the game, Weekley stands out as the best marketing tool the tour has this side of Woods.