With the loss of Ryan Mayo and Ted Prestwood, stalwarts from their 2009 squad, The King's Court was left scrambling in the off-season to find quality players to fill their 2010 roster.
Their first priority was to address the gaping hole at the top of their roster left by Prestwood's inopportune back surgery. When top free agents such as Pinehurst's Brooks Roberts and Scott Gantt of Clemmons proved to be salary-cap killers too costly to sign, Jackie King moved to the trade route to shore up the top of the rotation, acquiring Chris Morris in a January trade that sent Kim Highfill to The Hunt Club.
That trade allowed The King's Court to focus their sights on the mid-level exception and undrafted free agent markets. Wayne Hunt, the Chief Negotiator for Player Personnel, brought in nearly a dozen players for King to workout during a two-month long recruiting period. Reportedly, that list included Tim Hulin, the a two-time winner on the TGA Tour in 2009 and former K.I. player Bobby "The Bird Man" Hilton.
In the end King narrowed his search to two players, both of whom he was able to sign to one-year deals with club options for the 2011 season, the first season under the new collective bargaining agreement in which the King Invitational will not be strapped by a salary cap. The first free agent inked by The King's Court is Mt. Airy's Gene "Hoghead" Glass.
The forty-five year old Glass comes to the King's Court after a successful career with the White Pines Golf Association where he was crowned the club's Long Drive Champion in 2008. It was the grip it and rip it attitude that first attracted King to Glass, but concerns about his conditioning caused the King's Court captain to hesitate before making his initial offer.
However, Glass showed a renewed dedication to his physical fitness, enrolling in yoga and Zumba classes at the Surry County Women's Club and beginning a training regimen that would totally change his lifestyle. The result: Glass dropped over forty pounds in the off-season and reports that he's the leanest and most flexible he's been in fifteen years.
After being assured that Glass would show up at the 2010 King Invitational rested and healthy, King made an offer that was signed and accepted within 24 hours. King released the following statement today about the signing of Glass:
"Any time you bring in a new player to an environment as competitive and stressful as The King Invitational, you want to make sure that, first and foremost they are physically and mentally capable of handling the grind. Gene tested well with the Wonderlic test and he had an impressive workout at Surry Community College. I look forward to Gene becoming a member of The King's Court and I anticipate him being a great mid-level exception pick-up."
- This will mark Gene's first appearance at The King Invitational
- Role with the King's Court - now with The Hunt Club: Hoghead the Butcher
- If Gene were Superman, his greatest power would be: Ability to toss back shots faster than a speeding bullet
- If Gene were Superman, his kryptonite would be: Krispy Kreme doughnuts
- Did you know? Gene is the shop manager at Mt. Airy Collision Center
- PGA Golfer who most resembles Gene: Duffy Waldorf
welcome to the KI Gene
ReplyDeleteWonderlic test ?? I am not rooming with him.
ReplyDelete