June 7, 2005

MAHANOY CITY, PA — With only a few days remaining until the 2005 Carl Spackler Open Championship, the competition level is kicking up a notch.  The On Tour Championship is more intense than ever, reports of trash talking is reaching unprecedented levels, the CSOC field has grown by 41%, and massive divots are being found on golf courses throughout America as the field attempts to hack their way into Championship form.

Nick Casale is by many accounts considered a dark horse to contend for this year?s Championship.  When asked how he prepared himself over the last year to win the coveted Golden Jacket, he replied, ?I have since moved from Long Island, home of the 7 hour round, to NJ and can now get 36 holes in the time it used to take me to play 18.?  When asked about a game plan, he said ?I have been reviewing the course layout and am participating in the practice round. I would never give away my course management secrets.?

?There are a lot of guys that are bringing the level of play way up this year,? said half of the duo ?Two Dicks ala Carte?, John Dick.  ?We?ve got my brother, Bill Dick, then there?s Bob Morris, Jay Glover, Chris Hays, Pat Marti, and Andrew Breese, and Breese was an early contender last year.?  Bill Dick interjected at that point, saying ?Yeah, and we?ve also got guys like Andy ?Strokin? It? Cohen, Andrew Dill, John Gray, and I?ve signed up another guy who we think will make Jason Ridgeway very nervous this year.  Just don?t forget this guy?s name, it?s Ravinder Bakshi.?

Ravinder ?Ravi? Bakshi is a scratch golfer from the state of California who played the relatively easy Los Robles Greens at 1 over par for 40 points, the more difficult Camarillo Springs at 1 under par for 55 points, and the demanding Spanish Hills at 2 over par for 42 points.  Bakshi averaged 46 points for his last three rounds, no easy feat as he earns just 1 point for Par, 9 points for Birdie, and 14 points for Eagle.  ?I don?t have any expectations, and I really respect what Steve Hoden accomplished last year.  I just hope that I?m as close to the top of the Leaderboard as possible on Saturday to give myself a good chance of winning.  That?s all you can do,? replied Bakshi when asked about his chances to win.

Marty Zabonik has been preparing himself by playing the prestigious Scioto Reserve Golf and Athletic Club, averaging a punishing 13.0 slope average.  ?Hey, the Carl Spackler Open isn?t played on any dog track.  Mountain Valley will be a stiff challenge for anybody?s golf game.  I wanted to make sure I was mentally prepared for it.  Forget about Pinehurst Number 2, this golf course will grab you by the throat early on and squeeze all day long.  The US Open is going to be a walk in the park compared to Carl?s tournament.?

Now we turn our attention to VP of Contests, Matt Davis.  As many followers of the On Tour Championship already know, Davis suffered an unfortunate and disastrous injury to his hand this year in a freak snow blower accident this past winter.  Many would have quit the game after a setback like this, but Davis would have none of it.  ?There?s no freakin? way that I?m missing this tournament.  Absolutely, positively, no freakin? way!  Are you kidding me?  Carl Spackler would personally come to my house in Pittsburgh and kick my ass if I withdrew, I can?t let him down.?  He then leaned over and whispered, ?Besides that, he always wants to know if he could use our pond or the pool.  I always say pond, but he insists on the pool.?  Davis continued, ?Anyway, all I know is, after one or two holes with my hand like this, I?m definitely going to be chuggin? down the Man?s Pops, no doubt about it.  And there?s nothing the doctors are going to do about it, either.?

?Davis is just incredible right now, his touch around the greens is just magnificent.  I hesitate to say this, because this is definitely something you hate to see anybody endure, but I think the injury has helped his game,? said Chairman Greg Long.  ?I just hope he?s had enough time to recuperate and make his hand stronger.  That?s not an injury you want to mess around with.  He really ought to be concerned about the transition from golf club to Man?s Pops, golf club, Man?s Pops.  He?s liable to reinjure himself if he doesn?t watch it,? added Long.

The Captain?s Club agreed to take part in an informal interview just yesterday, and to a man, they each insisted that this will be the biggest and most exciting tournament to date.  ?Yeah, you know, Rookies like Andrew Dill, John Gray, Dan Hagg, Chuck Long, Casey Nelson and Jason Simmons, they just don?t know what they?re in for,? said VP of Bag Coordination and Outfits, Mike Trojanowski.  ?No kidding.  These guys are in for the week of their lives.  If they don?t come back next year, then they simply don?t know what fun is,? added VP of Online Scoring, Greg Garrett.  ?We?ve got the tournament alone, then Mountain Valley, Spackler Casino, all the Awards, SNN, the Scramble, Sober Transportation, and Madness on the Mountain.  What more could you ask for?? asked VP of Consumption Management and current Leader of the On Tour Championship, Don Creighton.

Indeed.  What more could a golfer ask for?  A few days away from the family, golf, beer and friends, it is shaping up to be the envy of the golf world.

FAST FACTS FOR THE CARL SPACKLER OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Date: June 9, 2005 ? June 11, 2005

Purse: $324 ? Ist Place

Winner:  The beloved Golden Jacket and the 2005 Championship Trophy

TOURNAMENT HONOREE:  Mike Trojanowski from Buffalo, NY

DEFENDING CHAMPION:  Steve Hoden, 162 Points

DEFENDING CARL SPACKLER:  Mike Watkeys, 53 Points

FORMAT:  68 contestants play 54 holes, using the NOOG point system, accumulating points.  The field will be reduced to one winner and one loser after round three.  A daily Spackler tournament Leaderboard will be updated.