May 22, 2005

POWELL, OH — It was a crisp, cool afternoon at Cooks Creek Golf Course as Marc Long majestically strode towards the tee box.  It was a true "Legend in the Making" moment, a moment where if you listened hard enough, you could hear the echoing trumpets theme from NFL Films fame, playing softly in the woods as Long planted his tee into the ground, stood up, and made an effortless and awe-inspiring practice swing.  

Unfortunately for Long, a Ben Hogan Hook has crept into his game of late, and it reared its ugly head on the first tee as he hooked the ball far into the woods and out of bounds. "For some reason lately, I've been hitting the ball left, and I just can't shake it.  It's definitely a minor problem and doesn't happen often, but it's been occurring at the most inopportune times.  With the biggest tournament coming in less than a month, I've made some appointments with my swing coach.  I'm just sick and tired of hitting the ball left," exclaimed Long, who appeared to be slightly irritated.

When asked about Long's play last Saturday, Tom Fowble had this to say about his playing partner:  "This guy has more raw talent in his little finger than I have in my entire body.  I would swear on my life that he hit a Dosky-esque 5 iron every bit of 210 yards on number 3. You just can't compete with length like that. And his approach to the game is incredible, he has a great routine for everything. Did you know that just prior to every single putt, Marc aligns the putter to his target, then lets go of the putter and dangles his arms to make sure they're in perfect position?  I look for him to give Hoden, Ridgeway and the rest of the field a run for their money next month."

Brian Long, who also played with Marc last Saturday added:  "Just knowing that Marc is somewhere on the golf course is intimidating to the other guys.  You can see everyone checking the scoreboard a lot, and you know they're wondering where Marc is and when he's going to make a move.  The game of golf now has six games to deal with: the power game, the short game, putting, the mental game, course management, and now, the Marc Long Factor.  Let me tell you just how good he is.  Marc was pretty irritated with a couple facets of his game and was disappointed with how he played last Saturday, but he still racked up 49 points.  How many guys do that week after week after week?  Only one that I know of."

This is a fantastic Cinderella Story in the making, a highly regarded rookie making his first appearance in a major championship, and is already considered one of the favorites to win.  Rumor has it that none other than Carl Spackler himself has taken a special interest in Marc?s development, and the buzz around the tour has it that Spackler has taken over as his swing coach.  From the looks of Marc?s picture in his bio, the respect is mutual.  SNN will bring you more as this incredible story unfolds.