Danny Luirette is one of the hottest players on the LDA (Long Drivers Association) Tour right now, and he didn’t do anything over the weekend to weaken that distinction.
Saving one of his best shots for last, Luirette unleashed a drive that covered 388 yds., 7 inches, and won the Tennessee Long Drive Shootout Monday evening at Graysburg Hills Golf Course.
It was the best shot of the weekend for the large group of professional long drivers who were in town all weekend for the fourth annual event, sponsored by Laughlin Memorial Hospital.
The leading money winner on the LDA Tour this season, Luirette took home $8,000 for his win. The total purse for the event, incuding pro-am money, totaled $29,575. Luirette, who lives in Bakersfield, Calif., made his second trip to Greeneville worthwhile. He made the final six in the Shootout last year.
“I just tried to hit it as hard as I could and hope it worked out,” Luirette said after it was over. “I felt good going into the finals. I was comfortable over the ball. I love to compete against these guys because we have a great rivalry.”
One of the smaller pros on the tour, Luirette generates a clubhead speed of around 145 mph. He was won two LDA Tour events this season and the key in this sport is, he says, “just hit it hard and hope.”
Luirette was one of the most consistent hitters throughout the finals, finding the grid more often than not on the No. 1 fairway of the Knobs Course at Graysburg Hills.
“I’m not one of the biggest guys out here, but I can fill up the grid,” he said of his consistency. “I think that’s a key, to be consistent in keeping the ball in play.”
While most of the professionals compete in long drive events as a part-time job, Luirette now competes in long drive as his full-time gig.
“Right now I am because things are going so well,” he laughed.
All the professionals competed in a Pro-Am during the morning and early afternoon hours Monday before the finals of the Tennessee Long Drive began. Pros had qualified on Sunday and only the top 16 had advanced to Monday’s final round.
Those 16 players competed in groups of four, with the top two out of each group moving on. The eight players left then had consolation rounds fo get the field to 12 players. Those 12 then hit against each other with the six best moving on to the Shootout.
In addition to Luirette, the Shootout consisted of last year’s champ, David Mobley of Charlotte, N.C.; Vince Howell of Brentwood, Calif.; Scott Smith of Cincinnati, Ohio; David Gureckis of West Bridgewater, Mass.; and Tim Hanley of Gaylord, Mich.
Mobley was the first to hit in the Shootout and had problems finding the grid, finally getting one to stay in bounds at 365 yds. Then came Howell, who won the Pro-Am earlier in the day by firing a round of 63 at Graysburg, and he took the lead with a blast that covered 374 yds.
Smith was next up, and his best drive rolled dead at 364 yds. Guereckis followed that with a drive that covered 372 yds., just short of Howell’s leading blast at the time.
Luirette was next up and found the grid on four of six balls, with the best one coming on the fifth ball that covered the 388 yds., 7 inches. The best Hanley could muster was 367 yds., and Luirette was receiving congratulations from his fellow competitors as the champion.
Howell was second and took home $4400, Guereckis was third and received $3400, Hanley was fourth and got $2400, Mobley took home a $1900 check for fifth, and Smith got $1650 for sixth place.
During the Pro-Am earlier in the day, long drive contests were held to determine finalists for the amateur long drive competition. In the regular division, Tyson Maples blasted one 309 yds. to get the win, while in the Seniors Division, Butch Embler’s drive of 257 yds. was a winner.
The team of JanPac took first low gross in the Pro-Am Tournament, while Radio Greeneville won first low net. Tim Sayler won the putting contest. Closest to the hole honors went to Bill Riley, Greg Hunter, Tim Sayler and Archie Landon. Daniel Johnson won the longest putt.
