Michael Douglas gets trashed in Snowmass

The sixth annual Trashmasters Golf Tournament kicked off Friday morning with a bang.

An aerial bomb soared high into the Roaring Fork Valley air and erupted. signaling the pro-logue of vet another year of the world's most unusual golf tour-nament

Moments after the aerial bomb exploded. Trashmasters tournament chairman and direc-tor Boone Schweitzer gave his annual speech to officially start the the event,

"Golfers, raise your right arms." he said to the 144 Golfers lined up outside the clubhouse at the Snowmass Golf Club. "Do you swear to play the trash, the whole trash and nothing but the trash? So help you golf?"

"We do." the crowd responded.

"Then let's play some trash," Schweitzer shouted. And the trash began.

The annual tournament is best known for awarding golfers for perfecting the shots that would normally cause anguish and stress, such as hit-ting trees (barkie), landing in the bunkers (sandie) or landing a shot in the water hazards (drinkie).

Collecting points is depen-dent on any golfer making par after connecting on any of the distinctive 18 trash shots,

'Trash is the name of the game." said Schweitzer. "Our slogan, 'The trash, the whole trash and nothing but the trash,' bests sums up what we do here."

Last year's winner, and three-time winner of the event. Norm Adams teed off on the first hole

Adams, however, couldn't make it back to back for a second time as he surprisingly tailed to score any trash points in the men's championship flight round after scoring 47 points cruising to victory last year.

At the day's end, it was Pat Pollen of Florida who slipped into the coveted Trashmasters champion blazer.

Pollen scored 37 points to win his first Trashmasters, while 1996 winner, Ted Troxel from Jacksonville, Fla., finished second with 33 points.

In the men's flight, Bob Cor-nish's 46 points gave him his Trashmasters victory as well, while Noel Wren finished a dis-tant second with 36 points.

In the women's flight, Adri-enne Morrison (29 points) of Snowmass Village edged Francine Cedrone (26 points) to wear the ladies winner's jacket.

David Eller scored 39 trash points to earn his first Trash-masters win in the men's senior flight.

Ken Loep finished second with 37 points.

Also on hand for his first ever Trashmasters experience was celebrity invite Oscar-win-ning actor Michael Douglas.

''This is certainly different from any round of golf I've ever played." he said after play-ing three holes. "But I'm having a good time and I'm honored that I was invited to participate."