Hollywood, California - Golf's latest Hollywood foray, "The Squeeze", centers around a gifted young golfer who crosses paths with an obsessive gambler willing to resort to whatever means necessary to win a bet. Directed by former ABC Sports golf producer/director Terry Jastrow, the film will make its television premiere on Golf Channel, Tuesday, at 8 p.m. ET (encore at 10 p.m.).
The movie is based on a true story and was written and directed by Jastrow, who produced or directed coverage of 62 major championships (U.S. Open, Open Championship, PGA Championship), and was a seven-time Emmy winner over the course of his 22-year career. For the movie, Jastrow made it a prerequisite to cast a lead character with a legitimate golf acumen in order to ensure an authentic storyline that golf-enthused viewers would take seriously. The cast features Christopher McDonald - known among golf circles for his memorable role playing Shooter McGavin in "Happy Gilmore" - who plays the cunning gambler, starring alongside Jeremy Sumpter - a scratch golfer - who plays the young golf prodigy.
Notable Industry Accolades for "The Squeeze"
"I watched 'The Squeeze' with Barbara and really enjoyed it. It's a fun movie that tells an interesting story, and the golf elements are so real you actually believe it could happen." - Jack Nicklaus, 18-time major champion
"'The Squeeze' is a wonderful golf movie because it's so authentic. It hooks you in the beginning and stays interesting and entertaining right to the end. I'm looking forward to seeing it again." - Phil Mickelson, five-time major champion
"'The Squeeze' depicts actors who are truly believable as pro quality golfers. Jastrow's true understanding of the game (with 22 years directing sports) injects reality into the scenes with a stream of golf humor that golfers will find both familiar and believable. 'The Squeeze' is indeed an enjoyable adventure into golf and big time gambling."
- Tom Watson, eight-time major champion
The film centers around Augie Baccas (Sumpter), a blossoming golf phenom from a rural town who gains the attention of the cynical gambler, Riverboat (McDonald), after winning a citywide championship by a stunning 15 shots and breaking the course record in the process. When Riverboat offers a cut of the winnings from the cross-country high stakes matches he's proposing to line up, Augie - with his family's financial and emotional strains squarely on his mind - reluctantly obliges, ignoring the cautionary advice from his longtime girlfriend Natalie (Jillian Murray). When the stakes get higher and higher, the unlikely tandem set off for Las Vegas for a $1 million match against a man with mob connections, leaving Augie with the ultimate conundrum, caught in "the squeeze" of how to escape from the hole he's dug himself into.
"The Squeeze" is Jastrow's feature film directorial debut, created from his screenplay based on a true story. Along with Jastrow, the movie was produced by George Parra, Anne Archer, Michael Doven, and Brian McCormack.
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