The timing and location of this weekend's Regions Cup amateur golf tournament seems perfect for Doug Weiss, the points leader in the race for player of the year honors.

Weiss is a three-time club champion at Gordon Lakes Golf Course, the site of the Regions Cup Invitational, which begins today.

Through six of the 10 tournaments in the series, Weiss has 130 points, with 75 coming from winning the Goshen Classic. He has a 33-point lead on Yong Lee, who is also playing this weekend.

Weiss, 40, learned to play golf when he was 15 at Fort Gordon's 9-hole Center Course, which was plowed under in the early 2000s.

"Every once in a while it would be a treat, and I'd go to Gordon Lakes," Weiss said.

Once his game improved, Weiss graduated to Gordon Lakes. He played there until he went to Augusta State, where he played on the golf team from 1986-89.

It makes sense that Weiss should play well in the Regions Cup event at his old home course.

"That's what I thought last year as well," he said.

In the event's debut last year, Weiss shot 78-72--150 and tied for 10th place, 14 strokes off Josh Gregory's winning score.

Gregory isn't playing this year, but 2007 runner-up Jay Blackburn is, along with Ryan McCook (third place), Jamie Felder (fourth place) and Eric Ledford (fifth place).

Weiss, who lives in Alpharetta, Ga., and works in the cable TV industry, makes the two-hour-plus trip to play in most of the Regions Cup events. He's only missed two so far this year.

This is his first serious run at player of the year honors.

"It would be nice (to win it), but I'm not thinking about that," said Weiss, who has a condo in Augusta and hopes to move back one day. "I just like going out and playing competitive golf. It's a different environment. I enjoy the competitive golf rounds. They truly test you."

Fellow Regions Cup golfer Mark Ernyei says Weiss is about as steady as they come.

"He has a solid game; he keeps it in play and isn't a wayward ballstriker," said Ernyei, who's played practice and tournament rounds with Weiss. "He's real consistent, and that keeps him in the low 70s."

Weiss and Ernyei are among the few Regions Cup players who opt to walk the courses instead of riding (carts come with the tournament entry fee).

"Similar to myself, I think by walking, it helps Doug's tempo and rhythm," said Ernyei.

Weiss is playing some of the best golf of his life. His three career Regions Cup wins have come in the past 13 months.

"Ever since I got my eyes fixed (through LASIK surgery), I've been a better golfer over the past two or three years," Weiss said. "I'm much better than I was in college. I'm a little shorter off the tee, but I get the ball in the hole a little better than I used to."

Strong iron play has made up for any distance Weiss has lost. In the recent three-day Augusta City Amateur, where Weiss tied for fifth after three rounds of par or better, he hit 47 of 54 greens in regulation.