April 27, 2002

WILLIAMSBURG, VA — A putting disaster at the Carl Spackler Open locked in all chances of Don Cook receiving the award to represent an embarrassing putting performance.  Don pulled off a quiet short game disaster that kept him surprisingly out of a few Outfits.

Cook, for one of the few times in his amateur career, needed one putt to dig himself out of last place and the non-respected Dooty Award.  The Dooty is given to the player who exhibits no ability to putt over the full 72-hole tournament.

He would have produced some thrills for the Round 2 galleries, when he drained a putt on his 34th hole of the major championship, however the gallery had left his group after a disgusting first 27 holes.  The No.14 player ended up with 89 points for the tournament and dead last in putting.

"I just had to grind it out after that four-putt on #14 and hope that it came back to me, but it was not to be," he said. "It would have been just fantastic not to win this one.  In the spirit of the Open, I will proudly return year after year with my Dooty and drink with out of respect for myself at the PWRP Welcome Party.

Playing partner Chris Lashley commented after Round 1, "It was disappointing that Don could not even get lucky.  He really sucks at putting, the greens were pretty tricky, but he just is not good or lucky. But that's the way it goes some weeks."