July 26, 2005

GALLOWAY, OH — Mark Wray recently became one of the latest additions to the On Tour Championship, as he qualified for the tour back on June 30 with a round of 94 at Bent Tree golf course, good for 24 points.  Wray will be the first to tell you that his golf game is an enigma.  This 5?-10??, 210 pound, 9-handicapper from Galloway, Ohio flashes exquisite brilliance at times, only to fall crashing down to earth later in the round, sometimes on the very next hole.

Take his most recent scorecard for example.  Wray went 5-over par with a quadruple-bogey, eagle, double-bogey, bogey, par start for his first five holes.  Wray finished the front nine at 7-over, good for 26 points, then completed the back nine at 8-over, good for 13 points and a total of 49 points for the round.  As I write this article, Wray occupies the 23rd spot for the On Tour Championship at 38.4 points per round.

When asked about his feast or famine start after the round, Wray offered a sheepish grin and replied, ?That?s what?s so great about my game, how consistent it is?not!? which immediately endeared him to the media throng packed into the Thorn Apple conference room.  ?I?m sorry guys, I have to get going, I have some practicing to do, then I have a flight out for the next tour stop later this afternoon,? added Wray, ending the press conference.

?He?s very polished in front of the media, but he?s got some interesting quirks,? said a frequent playing partner, speaking on the condition of anonymity.  ?Out of the blue, when you least expect it, he?ll do something like completely undo his pants on the tee box, take them halfway off, and rearrange his shirt,? he said.

?Another thing he does is he?ll try to steal your beer when he thinks you?re not looking.  I confronted him about it and he says, with a smile on his face, ?An unattended beer is tantamount to alcohol abuse.? He?s the kind of guy who can say stuff like that and get away with it, so we had a good laugh over that one, but I?ll definitely keep my eye on my beer around him.  I think he?ll fit in with the rest of the guys out here just fine.?

Indeed, it looks as though Mark Wray has the kind of golf game and proper attitude toward alcohol that will win over many friends on the On Tour Championship, as well as a great many fans.  Wray is scheduled to play Rolling Meadows on Thursday, July 28, so be sure to get there early and beat the rest of the large gallery expected to be there, clamoring to see the latest promising discovery in golf.