Bronson leads Military Long Drive Championship through prelims

By Mr. Tim Hipps (FMWRC)September 8, 2010

Long driver leader
Retired Sgt. 1st Class John Merritt, seen here competing in the finals of the 2007 Military Long Drive Championship in Mesquite, Nev., had the second-longest drive among first-round qualifiers on 20 military installations in the 2010 event. Merritt p... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Army News Service, Sept. 8, 2010) -- Master Sgt. Mark Bronson is the early leader in the clubhouse after completion of local qualifiers in the 2010 Military Long Drive Championship.

Bronson's drive of 389 yards at the lofty altitude of Cheyenne Shadows Golf Course at Fort Carson, Colo., was the longest tape-measure shot among 20 installations that played host to first-round events.

At Fort Belvoir, Va., retired Sgt. 1st Class John Merritt launched the second-longest drive of the first round of qualifiers at 386 yards.

A group of four golfers loomed just five yards behind Bronson's blast with drives of 384 yards: Spc. Kyle McWilliams at Fort Bliss, Texas; Capt. Mikael Dubois at Fort Hood, Texas; Sgt. Brian Webb at Fort Jackson, S.C.; and Staff Sgt. Kelsey Steiner at Yongsan, Korea.

The Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation-backed competition presented by 7UP is open to active-duty U.S. military and family members 18 and older, including National Guard, Reserve and retirees from all services.

Seventeen qualifiers from the continental United States will compete Sept. 11 in regional competition at City Pointe Driving Range in Dallas. They will vie for six spots in the 2010 Military Long Drive Championship finals, scheduled for Nov. 3 in Mesquite, Nev.

Steiner, Staff Sgt. Bryan King (380 yards) of Wiesbaden, Germany, and Army family member Brandon Boehmer (328 yards) of Camp Zama, Japan, will advance directly to Mesquite as installation winners from outside North America.

Three-time Military Long Drive champion Ensign Ryan Hixson of the U.S. Coast Guard earned an exemption to complete the 10-man field in Mesquite, where the grand champion will win $10,000 and an exemption into the 2011 Military and RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships.

Chief Warrant Officer Rocky Alumbaugh advanced at Fort Benning, Ga., with a drive of 382 yards. Second Lt. Preston Collich prevailed with a 368-yard blast at Fort Campbell, Ky. Staff Sgt. Jacob Taylor won at Fort Bragg, N.C., with a 362-yard drive.

Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan Damon's drive of 352 yards topped the field at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. Pfc. Robert Duncan advanced with a 347-yarder at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Lt. Cdr. Thomas McLemore won at Fort Lee, Va., with a 345-yard drive.

Spc. Michael Svoboda's blast of 340 yards prevailed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Senior Airman Eric Dasher won with a 335-yard drive at Fort Lewis, Wash. Sgt. John Tedder advanced at Fort Sill, Okla., with a 327-yarder. Capt. Jeremy Williams won at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., with a 322-yard drive. Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Johnston's 311-yarder topped the field at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

The final spot in the regional competition in Texas came down to a shootout in the desert at Fort Huachuca, Ariz.

Second Lt. Nick Stortini and Capt. Adam Forrest both had drives of 323 yards at Mountain View Golf Course and resorted to a three-ball tiebreaker, which Stortini won with a 306-yard blast.

Neither Stortini nor Forrest can compete this weekend in Dallas because of duty obligations, therefore third-place finisher Lt. Col. Mike Morris will represent Fort Huachuca with a drive of 322 yards.

(Tim Hipps serves with Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command.)

Related Links:

Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation