March 10, 2010

STATE COLLEGE, PA — Ohio's golf phnom Brian Long announced in January his signing and intent to participate in his 8th straight Carl Spackler Open Championship. Long will begin preparing immediately for South Padre Island Golf Club and the required touch around the greens as soon as the snow melts.

Long comes to the Carl Spackler Open from Ohio, where he has resided for just 4 1/2 years. He boasts an impressive resume, which includes a scramble victory at Tanglewood Park back in 2004 and wonderful management of our online scoring.

"Playing in the final pairings last June was a lot of fun," says Long. "The fact that my best friend and two brothers made up those pairings was a huge bonus. You cannot put a price on playing golf with guys who are playing really well."

Long matched his career-low twice at Poplar Grove. The 17-over 89 matches his previous career-low at Tanglewood Park in June 2004. The surprise round at Tanglewood was explained when he told a reporter, "I was just under fire today!".

Long finished the Poplar Grove tournament with a career best 3rd place. The solid result moved him up into 11th best player in Spackler history. He has been looking forward to adding to his legend in Texas.

"It is great to have something to look forward to," said Long as he stuffed pizza in his mouth. "Summer and fall are nice, but there are no real goals out there. I always look forward to the November and December signing period as it allows me to get refocused on my golf game plan and hopefully first Golden Jacket."

"On paper, Brian is a top recruit in the history of our program," says Captains Club member Don Creighton. "That speaks a lot about the direction our program and importance of great people and quality contributions. We do feel fortunate to be getting someone of his caliber. His computer talents alone place Spackler on the fast track to where we want to be."

Buddy Kyle Marti signed in mid-February to participate in his 8th straight tournament. He played in the final group last June, however the pressure mounted and his golf swing folded like a lawn chair. The final round 42 points was the 59th best round in the tournament field.

Marti continues to excel with his putting. The veteran sits in 2nd place for the Golden Rod behind an absent Trent Cooper. Buddy Brian Long and Marti could very well battle it out for the 2010 Golden Rod.

"Kyle was a great fit into our field of players," said Brian Long in a written statement from the Captains Club. "We were not impressed with his hacking year after year, however we see a great desire to play golf at the highest level. He has become a student of the game and nearly won the 2007 Virtual Tournament."

Kyle enters his third straight tournament with zero course knowledge. "South Padre looks like course where wind can be a large factor," said Marti. "The annual practice round will require lots of notes and patience. This year might be all about playing conservatively and watching everyone else falls apart."

Brian Long signs as the 34th player. Kyle signs as the 35th player and will represent Pennsylvania. The 2010 Carl Spackler Open is a 54-hole handicapped tournament. There are 42 days before Round 1.