In the weeks leading up to the Crowne Plaza Invitational, the PGA Tour story lines read more like a Hollywood tabloid than a golf story. Needless to say, this weekend in Fort Worth was a welcome escape because the only thing there was to talk about was great golf played by a legitimate fan favorite.

Coming down the stretch on Sunday, we heard more “Boos” than cheers and for a good reason. Boo Weekley was on top of the leader board for the first time in five years.

Weekley is a throwback to the good old days. Neither a super-human “Terminator” nor a model of physical perfection, Weekley is stocky, jolly and pretty much your prototype country boy. And he finally got back on the stage he loves so much.

It was the 2008 Ryder Cup at Valhalla when Boo was at the height of his powers. We can all remember him galloping up the fairway on the final day and his Hulk Hogan-esque celebration when he closed out his match. He was the pied piper for the victorious U.S. team, and for that golf fans hoped that we would see him on the biggest stages on a regular basis.

As has happened to so many others in this game, Boo Weekley lost not only his way but the spark that made him the player he is. After a reasonable 2009 campaign, Weekley’s game and health started to deteriorate. A faulty shoulder plagued him for the next three seasons prompting the eternally optimistic Weekley to consider just fishing and hunting full time. Finally healthy in 2013, and with a new found spark for the game, he arrived to the first tee on Sunday with something he hasn’t felt in some time: butterflies in his stomach.

It was also nice reconnecting with just how good of a ball striker Boo Weekley is. I found myself not even looking at his swing but only focusing on the sound of the strike. That’s rare these days in my opinion. Typically it’s the lines/plane of a players swing that are focused on in the telecast, but go back and watch the repeated impact videos they played for Weekley. CBS nearly ignored his full action as well.

In addition to his ball striking, it was just as fun to watch Boo being Boo. If you review his 10 minutes after the completion of his round, it amazed me the amount of gratitude and humility he showed. He hugged everyone, from the tournament chairman to the score bearers and they returned the favor with just as much joy. There was even a moment on his way to be announced as the champion when he caught himself mid-stride because he had forgotten to thank one of the young score keepers and give them a signed golf ball. In the middle of the raucous crowd, Weekley found the youngster and delivered the gift.

In a past interview with ESPN’s Farrell Evans, Weekley outlined his simple plans for retirement with the age range falling from 43 to 45, depending on how much money he could save. Unlike the other players on the big circuit who chase majors and world domination, Boo said he just wanted enough dough to pay off his plot of land in Florida that he and his sons can fish and hunt on. It’s really just that simple for him.

The golf world needs some Tiger-free weeks like these to reacquaint itself with the other characters in the game. I love the big weeks, but the story lines are just too crowded by Tiger, Rory and Phil to allow enough time for someone like Weekley’s story to play out.

At the end of the day the PGA Tour is just golf. That’s easy to forget in today’s big-money environment, but as a fan I like to be reminded of it sometimes. It was a huge breath of fresh air.