August 2, 2001

WARREN, PA — Pennsylvania?s Matt Davis has insisted he will be ready to perform at the highest level when he makes his 2nd CSO appearance next year, despite his worrying slump in form.

Last year's Spackler No. 2, languishing 12th in the Summer Open, is set to play the 2001 Blueberry two-man this Thursday and Friday in Russell, PA.

But Pokey believes his problems are purely mental and is now expecting the tide to turn.

"All my game is geared to warming up for the 2002 Spackler," said Pokey on Wednesday before leaving home for Warren, PA.

"The two-man is not a tournament you want to go into playing particularly poorly. If you get there without your game, you're not going to find it at Blueberry Hill.

"If you put your game on a level of one to 10 and you get there only five, it will be dragged down to three by all the pressure on you," he said.

"So you need to go there on a level of 10 if you can. That's what I'm working to."

Pokey, 31, admitted he needs to pull out of his dive in form quickly.

He agrees his season has never really gotten started because of taking a break at the start of it for the construction of his Pittsburgh home, making golf take a back seat.

"Taking a break was great because it enabled me to sit back and look at what I'd done over four years. But I also got into a comfort zone and it's been difficult to get focused this year," he said.

"My dad and coach Dick sat me down on Sunday and explained that the difference between me playing well than at the moment is more mental than anything else, and finally I have to agree with him.

"When you're playing well and you make an early bogey you think you can get it back right away with a birdie but when you're not playing well you tend to think 'here we go again.' Every dropped shot hurts twice as much.

"I've been my own worst enemy.

"Now I've recognized all this, I have half a chance of turning things around. It's not going to work unless I want it to, though. I want it to."