Tommy Gainey's sensitive stomach has ruined a few of his travels. He lost 15 pounds and had to subsist on steak fries while filming The Golf Channel's "Big Break IV" in Scotland.

He wasn't keen on the cuisine in Mexico or Puerto Rico earlier this year, either.

But Gainey won't have to worry about going hungry this week -- South Carolina fare is what he was raised on.

The Bishopville native will make his first PGA Tour start in his home state today at the Verizon Heritage, a remarkable feat considering he was knocking around the mini-tours as recently as a year ago; he won the Tarheel Tour's Oldfield Open in Okatie in March 2007.

Since then, it's been a whirlwind ride for the former assembly-line worker. He was asked back for "Big Break VII," which he won, then parlayed his experience into a tie for 19th place at PGA Tour Qualifying School and landed on the big-time tour.

"I never thought I'd get here at the age of 32," said Gainey, who is better known as "Tommy Two Gloves" because he wears golf gloves on both hands, a habit he picked up playing baseball as a kid. "I knew that getting to the PGA Tour is one of the hardest things to accomplish."

Gainey said his experience with "The Big Break" helped him get comfortable playing in front of cameras and forced him to take care with every shot -- "If you hit one bad shot on 'The Big Break' series, you're off the show. There's no question about it," he said -- but he's still waiting for his big breakthrough on the PGA Tour.

"I'd like to make a splash," Gainey said. "I'd like to get out here, play the best I can play, get secure for next year."

He has a long way to go. His biggest paycheck to date is the $50,000 prize from winning the U.S. Pro Golf Tour's Tour Championship in Atlanta in 2005, a payday that would look pretty good right about now. In six starts this season, Gainey has made three cuts and earned $30,185.

"It's been very frustrating," Gainey said. "I've hit it pretty well the start of this year. ... I've been hitting it so good, I just haven't gotten it in the hole yet. That's what's so frustrating."

Gainey's ascension to the PGA Tour is reminiscent of defending Heritage champion Boo Weekley's. Both came from working-class backgrounds and worked in factories before making their living in golf.

Weekley sprayed out chemical tanks; Gainey wrapped insulation for A.O. Smith. Weekley rarely sees a swing coach; Gainey's coach is his younger brother, Allen, who's "about a 7 or 8 handicap."

And both speak in that slow, Southern drawl that endears them to fans who tire of the tour's somewhat homogenous personalities.

"We both come from the same mold, more or less," Weekley said. "We're both kind of backwoods boys. He plays with two gloves, that's his claim to fame, and my claim to fame is a little camouflage. We both grew up playing the mini-tours, and we worked hard to get here."

Gainey hopes the similarities don't end there.

"I'm trying to kind of follow in his same footsteps in a way," Gainey said. "I'm looking to be here Sunday afternoon talking to all you guys or whoever else gets to be invited."