May 2, 2008

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — Mean Jean Dore will aim high this June after filing his paperwork. He signed in late-February and intends to play golf at the 2008 Carl Spackler Open Championship in Peru, IN. Dore signs as the 5th player to represent the state of Virginia and 68th overall.

"I have not played well this year," said Dore. "I am hoping to get things back on track very soon."

Jean Dore is the 9th best player in Spackler history with his worst finish as a rookie in 2005.

"I always get three questions," Don Creighton, tournament director of the prestigious Carl Spackler Open, said Tuesday. "Is Tiger coming? Is Bill Murray coming? Is Jean Dore coming? As strong a field as we had, people still thought it was important to have him."

The tournament business office certainly does not need any help selling tickets. It has 39 of the top 47 players in the world for it's 8th event. What does Mean Jean bring to Rock Hollow?

Those who joined his circus year's ago could say they watched him hit a milestone with his 3rd career round when we opened with a 33-over 69 on the Pine nine at Mountain Valley.

Give him credit. He counted every shot and signed for the correct score. There ought to be FedEx Cup bonus points for that.

"I know he had a tough tournament at Mountain Valley," Creighton said. "I did not see any of the shots. Dore is not shooting this ridiculous high scores on purpose, best anyone can tell. But I was still glad to have him in the field. Jean is loved by the people. And we all have a responsibility to put people on the golf course that the paying public wants to see. Does his star remain bright? He's good for the gate, good for the crowd, good for concessions."

There should not be a question whether Dore deserves so many sponsor exemptions.

Even though it seems like a fading memory, he did capture a part of the 4-man Scramble title in unforgettable style just minutes before Madness on the Mountain.

His golf does not stand out nearly as much as his two trips to anger management counseling, outrageous tales of gambling losses, trashed hotel rooms and softball suspensions.

No doubt, he brings flavor to a vanilla sport.

And that's not all.

"One thing I know he will bring fans," said Rick Dosky, CFO for Spackler. "Mean Jean has been so good to the Carl Spackler Open. He has asked to do clinics. He comes to the skyboxes to shake hands with our clients. We feel like we owe it to Jean to let him in the tournament. And it is self-serving. Fans love him. They come out to watch. We did not even flinch when the check arrived."

Last year in Michigan, Dore opened the final round in a tie for 9th position. It was short lived after he could not get things going, but there was promise.

"Anywhere he goes, he brings one of the biggest galleries," tournament Chairman Greg Long said. "If we were running a business and trying to make as much money as we possibly could, we would start with an exemption to Tiger, Carl, and Jean Dore."

The 2008 Carl Spackler Open Championship begins on June 4 with the optional practice round. The tee times for tournament play begin at 10:00AM on Thursday, 8:00AM on Friday, and 8:00AM on Saturday. There are 72 golfers ready to take part in the summer classic.