March 25, 2010

LAGUNA VISTA, TX — The Captains Club announced the 'Red Tee Lottery' will return for it's 8th straight year at South Padre Island Golf Club. Pat Boland, owner of the sweepstakes, held a press conference to discuss the format for 2010.

The Red Tee Lottery and Distribution is a system devised to promote player strategy, add entertainment, advance pace of play, and help tighten the Tournament Leaderboard. The annual Red Tee Lottery begins on Wednesday Night on South Padre Island and finishes during the Friday morning tournament player meeting.

"We are driving excellence into our prestigious tournament," says Pat Boland, Vice President of Red Tee Lottery and Participant Cancellations. "For the rookies involved, each player is permitted to play one designated hole from the Women Tees or Red Tees. The hole on Thursday is determined by Lottery. The holes on Saturday and Sunday are determined by designated hole difficulty rankings using Pat Boland personal opinion.

The 9 hardest holes will have 5 tickets each in the lottery. The three hardest holes will have 6 tickets each.

The 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 12th, 13th, 15th, and 17th holes are omitted from the lottery.

The 1st hole, a 288-yard par 4, has the largest advantage in the lottery system. The 2nd hole, a 301-yard par 4, has the second largest advantage.

"We will be using 14 holes once we establish the worst golfers on Friday," says Boland. "The last thing we need is Jason Ridgeway hitting 3-iron at the 222-yard par 4 5th hole. If he hacks up Round 1 worse than 51 golfers, I am very confortable with giving him the 5th hole on Saturday morning."

Saturday's red tee selections are not determined by a lottery system, but a distribution to 51 golfers. The Tournament Leaderboard will be flipped upside down with the 5th hole going to golfers listed 51st, 50th, and 49th on the Tournament Leaderboard.

The 4th hole, a 460-yard par 4 on the Laguna Madre, will be distributed to the 48th, 47th, and 46th golfers on the Leaderboard.

The 3rd, 12th, and 15th holes are omitted from player distribution in Rounds 2 and 3.

"We will be basically handing out points to the most struggling golfers," said Boland. "When you are wearing an outfit or two, you really do not have an excuse."

The top four golfers on the Leaderboard will receive the 364-yard par 4 16th hole on both Saturday and Sunday. The 16th hole is a dogleg left around a small lake.

Pat Boland is expected to have a hat with 51 numbers at the Welcome Party on Thursday night. "I really love the Red Tee Lottery and Distribution," said Pat Boland. "This is my chance each year to contribute to a great event."

The Red Tee Lottery was introduced back in June 2003 at Thunder Hill. The popularity grew and remains today as a desired part of the 54-hole tournament.

"Some of the guys may forget their designated hole," Boland added. "Slick ignores his Red Tee. Slick took at quintuple bogey in 2007 while playing the 1st hole at the Grande, which was really funny to watch. He hacked up his red tees Indiana and just stopped using them. I love the added pressure to capitalize on a clear advantage. The pressure always contributes to a mental breakdown to someone's vacation."

The hole-by-hole red tee anaylsis is paper research. Boland could make late changes after his Thursday practice round, but is one of three participants with South Padre Island Golf Club experience.

"The very short holes from the red tees became a concern in 2005," added Boland. "Once we have the first round in the books, it is all fair game. Losing the tournament is most pathetic when losers get tremendous advantages over the field."

Pat Boland will provide the 26 scorecards with red tees clearly marked for each golfer. Each participant is responsible to ensure their scorecard is marked by Boland before teeing off the first hole each day.

"Pat Boland was a friend," says fellow member Jason Watson. "He became a great friend with this lottery. It is one of very few pars each year." Watson is one of three participants with South Padre Island Golf Club experience.

The 2010 Carl Spackler Open Championship begins on April 15 in Laguna Vista, TX. South Padre Island Golf Club with stunning beauty was selected as the venue to host the major championship. There are 51 or 52 participants scheduled for the 10th birthday party.