Heading into the event this week, Weekley has three top-10 finishes in 11 events in 2008. He was in contention at The Masters last week before a final round five-over 77 led to a 20th-place finish.

“I think after last week, luckily I got hockey sticks the last day, but I take that as a bonus, to finish in the top 20 in a major for the first time, actually going and seeing Augusta and learning a little bit about the character of the golf course and then coming here,” Weekley said.

“I feel like if I can putt halfway decent on them greens, when I get here maybe I can carry that over and putt a little better here this week.”

A runner-up here in 2005 and 2006, Jim Furyk indicated there is an adjustment from the courses from last week at Augusta (7,445 yards) to the shorter Harbour Town Golf Links (6,913).

“It’s more of a challenge to adjust than people might think,” Furyk said. “You go from Augusta National, which is such a big place – a lot of area, big greens, big bunkers and all – to a golf course with small greens, narrow fairways.

“To change your game from Augusta to Hilton Head, it’s not an easy thing to do. The focus is totally different.”

Weekley will be also trying to keep a run intact this week as no defending champion has missed the cut at this event since Davis Love III in 1993.

A five-time winner at the Harbour Town Golf Links, Love III returns to the event this week.

Els, who missed the cut at The Masters, will try to turn things around this week. He has one win this season but has also missed two cuts in five overall events.

“I’m excited to play again,” Els said. “I’ve been working a little bit with (coach) Butch Harmon.

“Obviously it wasn’t great timing, starting to work with him just before the Masters. But I really kind of lost my swing a little bit after the Honda Classic and I needed to do something. I wanted to go his route.”

Also in the field are Stewart Cink and Brandt Snedeker – two players who were near the top of the leaderboard last week in Augusta.

Cink and Snedeker tied for third, four shots behind winner Trevor Immelman, who is not entered.

A Tennessee native, Snedeker had a chance to win his first major last week before a final-round 77.

“The week is obviously going to be something I remember for the rest of my life,” he said.

“It was a great week. Obviously a lot of disappointment on Sunday. I think you all kind of saw the emotions run over.

“I don’t regret anything that happened on Sunday. I don’t regret how I played. I don’t regret how I handled myself afterwards. I just felt like that’s who I am.

“I left it all out on the golf course on Sunday and I was just emotionally drained from the week. The pressure finally got to me, I guess, and I hadn’t really felt it all week and on Sunday when I got done I saw my family and let everything out.”