2ND ANNUAL SEAN FISTER CLASSIC
- LITTLE ROCK, AR, August 20, 2006 — Energized by a crowd that was alternately hushed and cheering, Kevin Bullard was able to launch a tee shot 379 yards to win Monday"s Sean Fister Classic. Bullard took home $20,000 in the Long Drive Competition, the largest prize in any long driving contest outside the World Championship. Despite the looming threat of thunderstorms and lightning on the horizon, this year"s event was an even bigger hit with players, fans and three worthy charities.
The Sean Fister Classic, presented by JLG Industries and sponsored by Dunlop Sports, is a charity golf Pro-Am and long driving challenge in its second year that raised nearly $50,000 last year. This year"s beneficiaries -- The Miracle League, The First Tee of Arkansas and The Make-a-Wish Foundation - will be receiving closer to $60,000.
Three-time and reigning World Champion Sean "The Beast" Fister clearly was elated with the second year of his eponymous tournament and its winner. "There couldn"t have been a better winner than Kevin. He"s a solid guy, a quality individual, a person of character and integrity. When a guy like that wins, it"s good for the sport."
Fister chose not compete in the event, instead focusing his efforts on fundraising and providing a tournament for his peers. "My goal with this event was two-fold: to contribute to kids" charities, which is a cause near and dear to my heart; and to offer long drivers another major to compete in. The sponsors, JLG Industries and Dunlop Sports, really helped us to put on a first-class event. And, I"ve been lucky to have a core group to help me do this, particularly Mike Miller, my tournament co-chair. We"ve succeeded due to the strength of our team. I could not have done this on my own, that"s for damn sure!"
Bobby Wilson, of Little Rock, finished second with a 375-yard drive. Fifty-year-old Wilson was loudly cheered by the hometown crowd, as well as by his fellow long drivers. About 300 fans and press at the invitation-only event packed the veranda at Chenal Country Club and enthusiastic support of long drivers for their peers was audible.
The long drive professionals used standard 45"-length golf clubs in the competition, still providing impressive distances over 370 yards. This allowed ordinary golfers to compare their drives with how far the long driving pros hit.
Bullard used a Taylor Made R7 425 to win the long drive challenge, and all competitors used a Dunlop Revelation Distance golf ball. Bullard felt "blessed" to make it to the finals. "All the guys are so athletic, so competitive and so capable of winning at any time. I look up to a lot of them and it really, truly was an honor to be in the finals. But," he added, "my ultimate goals was to stand on top."
Bullard fervently praised the Sean Fister Classic as "the best long drive event I"ve ever been to, excluding the World Championship, and I"ve probably been to about thirty events." He went on to explain this competition stood out by being "very classy, very professional, very well-organized. And it"s for a great cause, three children"s charities." Bullard mentioned he has two sons of his own. "The event was a home run and not just because I won."
Final standings were as follows:
Long Driver Distance (yds) Prize
Kevin Bullard 379 $20,000
Bobby Wilson 375 9000
Dave Gureckis 372 6000
Scott Smith 369 4000
Steve Magan 369 4000
Mike Wiebe 361 3000
Mike Moulton 358 2500
Brian Coday 357 1750
Brian Pavlet 354 1500
Jeff Swihart 353 1250
Greg Wellong 349 1000
Brett Cleverdon 343 1000
For more information about the event or to arrange interviews, please call Sean Fister, Tournament Host (501) 529-2646 or Samantha Hartley at (501) 626-8820.
20.08.2006 - 12:39 Source: 24-7pressrelease.com | Read: 409 X
