March 23, 2009

LEWIS CENTER, OH — The 4-time senior member of the Carl Spackler Open Championship, Marty Zabonik, has signed to participate in his 5th straight event with a new zest for life and a game plan to bring Poplar Grove Golf Club to its knees.

Zabonik has struggled for years at the Carl Spackler Open, but nothing like his rookie year when he never broke 82 strokes and only came home with 2 birdies through 54 holes.

"The first year was rough," says Zabonik of his 55th position in a tournament field of 68. "The pressure of the event was overwhelming as a rookie. I choose instead to remember the bartenders at Mountain Valley, good times at Madness on the Mountain, and the tour of the Yuengling Brewery."

He collected the remains of his golf game in mid-June and lowered his alcohol consumption at golf courses. He returned with a game plan in 2006, but opened the golf tournament with a career worst 11-over 47.

"The first hole was a quadruple bogey," says rookie Eugene Faiella. "I am thinking, 'This guy is a hacker.' We moved over to the 2nd hole where he took at triple-bogey. I am thinking 'Who was this Zabonik guy?'. The website suggested he was good, but he sucked. He was on pace to shoot 135."

Marty, a.k.a. Z, did manage to curb the triple and quadruple bogeys from his scorecard. He disguised his highest 'stroke' scorecard in Spackler history by carding two birdies and seven long-putts worth 28 points.

Z tried to hide the damage and move on. He was scheduled to tee from the back nine in Round 2. He opened with an impressive birdie. "He looked really good," said Matt Davis of Zabonik's horrible start the day prior. "It was hard to believe he was hanging by a 'Neuse' the day prior." The birdie at the 10th hole was short lived. The heavy drinking commenced with Matt Davis, Joe Butkus, and Bill Bateson. Marty was birdieless and carded just two pars over the next 11 holes.

The lone birdie at the 10th hole was worth 9 points and more than half of his 16 points he scored in Round 2. The 16 points stands today as his worst point total in 12 tournament rounds.

He was paired in Round 3 with Kyle Marti, Don Creighton, and rookie Matt Boland. Matt was a hacker, but none of them represented pressure to drink beer by the 6-pack. Instead Marty focused on the golf course and roared in Round 3 as he shook the Neuse to its core. Zabonik had finally carded a number familar with the website and its members. The 3-over 75 was worth 57 points. The round had more points than he had scored in Round 1 and Round 2 added together.

Marty left the Neuse on a high. He collected the remains of his horrible opening yet again in mid-June, but this time reorganized his alcohol consumption. "It is not limiting alcohol consumption, but organizing it for peak performance," said Zabonik in the spring of 2007.

He traveled north to Michigan in June 2007 and opened terribly again posting another disasterous 9-over 45 on the back nine. "His inability to manage alcohol is killing his chances to win a Golden Jacket," said Matt Davis. "Kevin and I just drank too much for him to compete on the back nine. Zabonik needs to know his limits."

Zabonik sobered up and roared in Round 2 and Round 3. He moved up 27 spots on the Leaderboard to post 13th place in his 3rd tournament. "It is pretty clear alcohol is negatively hampering his performance," says Bill Bateson. "He scores tons of points when he is playing partners drink in moderation. If it is not the alcohol, Marty just needs 36 holes to heat up or lack of pressure late in the tournament enables his game to flourish. It is not like we have a Rick Dosky golf swing problem here."

Z scored 6 birdies, 10 bogeys, 16 pars, and just 4 double-bogeys over his last 36 holes.

Marty had erased most of his first round debacle, however his reputation for stumbling out of the gate was growing fast. The 3-stroke handicap from Ohio had opened his 3 majors with 83, 89, and 85 strokes.

The 4th event was scheduled for Indiana just last June. Zabonik started playing on Monday that week. The new game plan was to drink on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and get ready to play tournament golf on Wednesday. The Round 1 pairing with Joe Muscaro, Harold Anderson, and Rob Harvey would setup a competitve round with beer drinking far from priority.

"I really felt good coming into Rock Hollow," said Zabonik. "It was my year to shine."

Marty opened the front nine on Thursday with 2 pars and 5 bogeys, and 2 doubles worth a whopping 6 points. "He fell apart again," said a concerned Anderson. "It was hard to watch, but had to keep stealing putt points for my own scorecard."

The back nine started with a birdie, but short lived after a bogey at the 11th and triple-bogey at the 12th hole. The 15-over 87 opening round was worth just 24 points and 71st position in a field of 72.

"Technically Mike Lewis was passed out for half his round," says Kevin Long, Jr. "That is the only reason Zabonik was not in last place. He freekn sucks out of the gate."

Marty increased his point total on Friday by 50 percent. The 36 points and 60 points total was good for 67th position. "There were wake up calls everywhere," said Mike Davis, a.k.a. Gumby. "The Al Czverik Outfit was in the pairing ahead of him. His pairing was made up of the 2002 Carl Spackler Outfit receipent, 2007 Carl Spackler Outfit receipent, and 2008 Crapper Award Winner."

Gumby added, "Z has been the hottest final round player in Spackler history. There were lots of reminders around him to keep him focused. I expected big things early and often on Saturday, but never expected an explosion of points.

Marty nearly scored an all-time Spackler high with 46 points in the first 9 holes. He finished the final round with a 2-under 70 and nearly a all-time Spackler high 78 points. The 46 points was 1 point shy of Flanagan's 47 points in 2007. The 78 points was 6 points shy of Brian Flanagan's 84 points in 2007.

"It was like lightening in a bottle," said Zabonik. "Putts started dropping and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it."

Zabonik climbed the Leaderboard faster than anyone in Carl Spackler Open history. The 78-point effort rocketed him up the Leaderboard 41 spots into a tie for 26th position with Sabat, Gastesi, and Scott Miller.

"Pretty incredible," said Jeff Miller of the round. "He could become a champion if he could start a golf tournament from the middle of the Leaderboard."

Zabonik has not broke 85 strokes in the first round of play in 4 years and has never broke 83 strokes during first round play. As his reputation and legend continues to grow for stumbling out of the gate, Marty Zabonik has another opportunity this June in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Amherst and Poplar Grove might bring a fresh start for Z. He might bring a Golden Jacket performance to town, however Danny Sheridan has the line at 85 strokes. Place your bets.