CHICAGO – Two months of the fiercest Golden Tee competition in memory ended last week, when Illinois Lottery crowned Marc Muklewicz as champion of the Golden Tee Closestto- the-Pin Challenge. Muklewicz fended off 15 other Chicagoland finalists to take home the tournament title, $5,000 and his own “Golden Tee Unplugged 2008” arcade game.

“My nickname is ‘The Mouth,’ so I’m always a little amped up at tournaments,” Muklewicz said, “but last night was really special. At least 10 of the players are acquaintances of mine, so it was great to be in the mix.”

Amid the atmosphere of camaraderie, two female competitors made it to the semi-finals of the tournament, despite men making up fourteen of the final sixteen spots – a rarity in Golden Tee competitions.

Muklewicz became a serious Golden Tee player in 2003, after leaving the Army. Currently, he makes a living off the game, routinely playing 40 rounds in a day in addition to several weekly tournaments. His Wednesday-night win gives Muklewicz momentum as he looks toward tournaments in Virginia, Indianapolis and Chicago, before traveling to Las Vegas in September, where the United States national team member will chase his dream of becoming the Golden Tee world champion.

In January, Illinois Lottery introduced its Golden Tee Instant Ticket, which gives players the chance to instantly win up to $25,000 or their very own Golden Tee machine. To celebrate the new ticket, Illinois Lottery announced the Golden Tee Closest-to-the-Pin Challenge, to be decided by 16 local tournament winners facing off for the ultimate prize.

The 16 qualifying contestants met at the Cubby Bear North in Lincolnshire, Ill. to decide the best of the best. In the end, Muklewicz emerged victorious by distancing himself from his peers, all of whom had the opportunity to test their mettle against Steven Sobe, three-time Golden Tee National Champion, in a “Beat the Pro” contest.

“The final competition was the perfect ending to a phenomenal series of events,” said Jodie Winnett, acting superintendent of the Illinois Lottery. “Our sponsorship with Incredible Technologies has allowed us to reach out to Golden Tee players, one of the most devoted and passionate group of gaming enthusiasts.”