Joe returns to the ECPGA Championship as the two-time defending champion, a fact he reminds everyone about with remarkable consistency. A devoted Los Angeles Dodgers fan and world-class trash talker, Joe plays with confidence, swagger, and just enough skill to make the talking unavoidable.

Whether he’s draining putts or chirping after someone else blades a wedge across the green, he somehow manages to stay in the middle of every moment. Love him or hate him, the road to the ECPGA title currently goes through Joe. Which is unfortunate for everyone else, because his ego already barely fits in the cart.

Paul represents the Midwest division of the ECPGA, making the trip from Nebraska with a steady golf game, an unhealthy commitment to chips and salsa, and unfinished business. A former ECPGA champion, Paul enters this year’s tournament looking to return to glory and prove he still has what it takes to bring the title back home. He may not always have the distance off the tee, but when his swing is locked in, he’s one of the steadiest players in the field and fully capable of grinding out a low round.

Unfortunately, water hazards continue to haunt him like an unpaid debt, and it’s become almost tradition for at least one golf ball per round to disappear into a lake somewhere. A passionate Kansas City Chiefs fan, Paul also has a tendency to let bad breaks and well-timed trash talk get deep into his head, which can turn a great round sideways in a hurry. Still, when Paul is on, he’s absolutely dangerous, and everyone in the field knows it.

Eric is still chasing his first ECPGA Championship, a fact that has fueled years of determination, frustration, and the occasional complete collapse on the back nine. Known for having the highest ceiling in the field, Eric is capable of catching absolute fire at any moment and putting together stretches of golf that make everyone wonder if this is finally his year. When the driver is working, he can launch the ball over the mountains and past just about anybody in the group.

The problem is that his rounds often exist somewhere between brilliance and total chaos, with birdie chances quickly turning into emergency damage control after one bad swing. Still, every year Eric shows up believing the breakthrough is coming, and deep down everyone else knows that if he ever manages to put two full rounds together, the tournament could be over fast.