February 9, 2004

WINSTON-SALEM, NC — The Carl Spackler Open Championship is the fastest growing tournament in the world, according to the independent accounting firm Andersen Consulting. The CSOC, held at the well manicured Tanglewood Park this year, is only in its fourth year of existence, but already boasts a 27% increase in qualified participants from last year.

There are 44 players traveling to the Winston-Salem location, up from 32 the year before, 18 in 2002 and from 9 in its first year of inception, reflecting huge increases from the each year. The tournament is averaging 11.5 additional commitments per year.  By using this average as the model, it?s possible the Spacker Open could more than double its current tally of 44 players by the year 2009 to 100+ players.

If Carl Spackler was excited with the news, he certainly wasn?t about to let anyone know. "I?m pleased with the results as they meet my high expectations. I knew that this tournament would be popular because it's fun, cheap and everyone sees that. We have made some progress, but that shouldn?t lull anyone into a false sense of security, because we?ve got a long way to go, baby. I simply will not tolerate any complacency around here, and I?ve made that message loud and clear, even to players like Matt Davis. Everyone should be concerned about the growth and the importance to the tournament."

Spackler was right. According to the Spackler News Network, the field is broken down into the following groups: there is the full complement of 9 (20.4% of the field) Captains Club members, a record 18 (40.9%) members and a near record 17 (38.6%) rookies registered for the tournament. There are 110 players registered with the website, but only 44 players are going to the 2004 Major. This clearly shows the potential for years to come.

The Carl Spackler Open will envade Winston-Salem in early June 2004.  As players continue to communicate their individual preferences, the Captains Club is working to ensure this year's major championship will be the best yet.