April 24, 2005

BUFFALO, NY — Terrible bounces, immature grass, capricious fairways and a less than red-hot putter all played their part in ruining Mike Trojanowski's opening round of the 2005 season.

But at the end of nine holes, we saw the man of old as he shook off the damaging 70 strokes on the front nine with 10 strokes less on the back.  It was a positive note on his wildly fluctuating misfortunes that seem to plague him year after year.

The 34-year-old finished 53-over par 125, twenty shots behind his average and his worst score in 4 years.  "It was not I expected out of the gate," says Troj.  "That was clearly the worst round in many years."  

The Spackler number one of 2002 anticipated a bogey onslaught, however it did not materialize and his fifth and final bogey at the 17th when he judged his approach in the wind and left it in position for a two putt -- a mixture of magnificence and mediocrity.

Afterwards, Troj talked philosophically of missed chances and terrible result -- as well as lucky -- breaks in a championship that had started on Thursday with a bogey, but then lost balls where quadruple-bogey would have been gracially excepted.

"The putts I needed to keep the momentum going or to start some momentum just didn't fall," he told a local reporter.  "But that's golf.  I got some terrible bounces and also got some great bounces too so it all evens out at the end."

The 2005 On Tour Championship has begun.  Currently 20 players have qualified for the season-long tournament.