August 30, 2001

NORFOLK, VA — Kevin Long(i.e. Hevy Jo), the 2001 Honoree trying to win his first Open Championship wire-to-wire, made his first step backward last weekend in Ashville, Ohio with several double-bogeys on the front and back nines where he shot a career high 97.  His terrible round makes news only because of a penalty stroke for slow play and his slip to 4th place position on the Spackler Summer Open leaderboard where he is averaging 66.2 NOOG points per round.

Hevy Jo was penalized after taking too long time to hit his second shot on the 12th, at 437 yards the longest par-4 on the course.  He three-putted the hole.  The total round of golf was officially timed at 6 hours, 2 minutes.

Tournament director Ty Webb spoke to Hevy about the pace of his play after Saturday's front nine. "Hevy took over 96 seconds to take his shot -- 16 seconds over the limit allowed -- to hit his second shot at the 12th so I couldn't avoid handing out the penalty."

"I know it's the rule," said Hevy, who never played well during the 18-hole tournament. "But there were a lot of people around and a lot of noise.  I know I'm not very fast, but I think it was a little unfair."

Hevy Joesph will try to make one last run at the Open Championship on Sunday at The Colonial in Williamsburg, Virginia.  ?I can?t play worse than I did at Cook?s.  It just isn?t possible.?  Slick will accompany him on his journey to the Top Ten course in the state of Virginia.