Road to Military Long Drive Championship opens in San Diego

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Aug. 6, 2009) Aca,!" Local qualifying competitions in the 2009 Military Long Drive Championship presented by 7Up began today at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego.

The second tee is set for Aug. 8 at Fort Jackson, S.C., and Heidelberg, Germany. Golfers at Fort Belvoir, Va., and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, will join the swing on Aug. 9 followed by a round of qualifiers scheduled for Aug. 15 at Fort McPherson, Ga.; Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and Camp Zama, Japan.

Local champions will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Mesquite, Nev., where they will be among 20 finalists vying for the Military Long Drive Championship and $10,000 on Oct. 28.

Local runners-up will receive a $200 gift certificate from their pro shop. Third-place finishers will receive a $100 certificate. The entry fee is $10 for six golf balls.

In the inaugural year of the Military Long Drive Championship in 2007, five military golfers competed in the finals at Mesquite. In 2008, the competition was opened to military family members and six competitors advanced to the finals.

This year, the size of the original finals field has been quadrupled for a trip to the desert oasis golf resort town. From the moment competitors land in nearby Las Vegas, they will receive the green-carpet treatment of a lifetime while vying for military long drive bragging rights.

Former Army sergeant and military spouse Brandon Boehmer, who finished second in the 2008 Military Long Drive Championship, canAca,!a,,ct wait to earn another trip to Mesquite.

Aca,!A"It gives you an opportunity to go out there and win some money, get some sponsors, and meet good people, too,Aca,!A? Boehmer said. Aca,!A"IAca,!a,,cve met a ton of good people out here. And if you win these little scrambles, they give you like $1,000 clubs. I feel like a king.

Aca,!A"I said the first day, Aca,!EoeI donAca,!a,,ct even need to win this event. Shoot, you get here and [the sponsors] give you $600 worth of stuff the second you walk in,Aca,!a,,c he added.

Aca,!A"IAca,!a,,cm from the country. If you go to tournaments out there, you get a hot dog and a Coke Aca,!" and a smile and a cigar, if you want one. Out here, they gave me clubs, they gave me this, gave me that: a free flight over here, a stay in a nice hotel,Aca,!A? Boehmer said. Aca,!A"It was awesome. The whole thing was great from start to finish.Aca,!A?

Two-time Military Long Drive champion Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Hixson seems to have the event wired from start to finish.

Aca,!A"ItAca,!a,,cs a little nerve-racking your first time here,Aca,!A? he said. Aca,!A"Once youAca,!a,,cve been through it and know the process, itAca,!a,,cs a good time.

Aca,!A"ItAca,!a,,cs a great time to go out there and interact with the sponsors,Aca,!A? Hixson said of playing in pro-am tournaments as a prelude to the big event. Aca,!A"ThatAca,!a,,cs what itAca,!a,,cs all about. Without the sponsors, we wouldnAca,!a,,ct be here. I feel kind of obligated to do that, just out of respect for them. We appreciate what theyAca,!a,,cre doing for us and itAca,!a,,cs just a little bit of giving back to interact and put a personality with us so they can get to know us a little bit.Aca,!A?

Boehmer played golf without much success as a youngster and took up the sport of long driving just 40 days before stepping onto the grand stage in Mesquite.

Aca,!A"I golfed with our club pro a couple of times and he told me I had a hell of a swingAca,!A? said Boehmer, who works with Army Youth Sports programs at Camp Zama, Japan.

He was ready to tee it up again in Mesquite before he left last autumn.

Aca,!A"My workout partners back home are already ready to go,Aca,!A? Boehmer said after finishing runner-up to Hixson. Aca,!A"They called me three times and I hadnAca,!a,,ct gotten from the driving range to the ESPN tent over there.

Aca,!A"What did you do'Aca,!A? they asked.

Aca,!A"Finished second,Aca,!A? Boehmer replied.

Aca,!A"Got to hit the weights harder,Aca,!A? the voice shot back.

Boehmer assured everyone within earshot Aca,!A"when I come back here next year, yAca,!a,,call wonAca,!a,,ct be able to recognize me.Aca,!A?

Army Staff Sgt. Bryan King reached the finals in each of the first two years of the military competition.

Aca,!A"The Army always has some of the best people in anything in the world Aca,!" you can put it right up there with people that are great at it or have the potential to be great,Aca,!A? King said. Aca,!A"I think more people are getting aware of this event. I know people in my unit were asking me if I was competing again this year, and they were keeping up with my competitions, so I know the word is getting out.Aca,!A?

Air Force Reserve Staff Sgt. Carl Taylor, who qualified at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and a regional event at Fort Carson, Colo., had a rough night in the 2008 finals. He did not keep a single ball on the grid with his mighty 12 drives.

The morning after, as golfers and long drivers boarded carts for a Pro-Am Scramble at the Oasis Golf Club, Long Drivers of America CEO Art Sellinger joked with Taylor that he Aca,!A"created a new zip code for Mesquite: 0-4-12.Aca,!A?

Taylor could only laugh it off.

Aca,!A"Last night, I just kind of let it go and started making jokes about it,Aca,!A? he said. Aca,!A"I went 0-for-6, and then finished 0-for-12. I told myself that I was here last year and I was nervous; and I wanted to come this year and get it done. It just didnAca,!a,,ct happen.

Aca,!A"I didnAca,!a,,ct hit me until this morning when I woke up at about 4 oAca,!a,,cclock. Then it hit me. I worked all year to get here and then blew it, but I had fun while I was here. Everybody took care of us. It was an awesome experience. IAca,!a,,cm coming back next year.

Aca,!A"MWR did it up right,Aca,!A? he concluded. Aca,!A"They treated us like kings. It was even better than the first time. It was awesome.Aca,!A?

After all, Aca,!A"MWR is all about Families, not just Soldiers,Aca,!A? added King, who is accustomed to being treated like a King. Aca,!A"I wouldnAca,!a,,ct be surprised if some of the top open-division guys have a military dependent card.Aca,!A?

The Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command-backed Military Long Drive Championship is open to all active-duty military and family members 18 and older, including National Guard, Reserve and retirees from all services.

King dreams of eventually seeing a long-drive competition added to the Armed Forces Sports calendar. For now, a week in Mesquite with the Long Drivers of America will suffice.

This time, however, every local winner earns a trip to Mesquite.

Schedule of Qualifiers

Aug. 6: NAS North Island, Calif.

Aug. 8: Fort Jackson, S.C.

Aug. 8: Heidelberg, Germany

Aug. 9: Fort Belvoir, Va.

Aug. 9: Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

Aug. 15: Fort McPherson, Ga.

Aug. 15: Fort Carson, Colo.

Aug. 15: Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

Aug. 15: Camp Zama, Japan

Aug. 21 : Fort Bliss, Texas

Aug. 22: Fort Hood, Texas

Aug. 22: Fort Campbell, Ky.

Aug. 22: Fort Dix, N.J.

Aug. 22: Yongsan, Korea

Aug. 24: Fort Benning, Ga.

Aug. 24: Fort Sill, Okla.

Aug. 28: Fort Lewis, Wash.

Sept. 4: Fort Huachuca, Ariz.

Sept. 12: Fort Lee, Va.

Sept. 19: Fort Bragg, N.C.

Related Links:

U.S. Army MWR Golf

Long Drivers