LDA: Congratulations on winning LDA’s 2010 Desert Duel in Mesquite against a tough field and tough conditions.
Jason : Thanks for the congrats. It was a very tough field and it feels good to know all the hard work is starting to pay off. The conditions were definitely tough, but I was just glad I was able to finish the job I went out there to do.

LDA: You were battling the heat, especially in the later rounds. What did you do to keep things together?
Jason : I just tried to stay focused and take care of my body throughout the entire day. I drank lots of water and Gatorade and made sure I was taking care of my body the best way I could to help deal with the heat. From round 5 on, I was getting pretty bad cramps in my calves. Every time I would make a move on the golf ball and try to push off at impact, they would cramp up. I was having a real hard time of getting any power into the golf ball because of my cramps. There for a little bit I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to continue on to the following rounds. It was probably the worst cramps I have ever had. I was lucky enough to have a little time after round 5 and I went into the player’s tent to try and work the cramps out of my legs and get my body re-hydrated so I would be ready to go when it was time.

LDA: Runner-up at the 2009 Desert Duel to Jeff Gavin and winner this time around. Talk about 12 months between the two events: What were the highs? What were the lows?
Jason : Well it has definitely been a good 12 months for me, and I have had a lot more highs than lows. Some of the highs would be winning the 2010 Desert Launch to start off the year, winning the event in Nebraska, and then signing a few endorsement deals and shooting a commercial for a training aid. It really has been a lot of fun and a great experience over the past 12 months, that is for sure. I would say the lows for me would be missing the finals in Bart Hartsell’s LDA event in Tennessee and at the event Tom Roskos put on in Pennsylvania. When you are as competitive as I am, and hate losing as much as I do, anytime something like that happens it turns into a low.

LDA: We’d like to know a bit more about your background in athletics. What sports did you play competitively at the high school or college level?
Jason : I have been around athletics my entire life and always knew I wanted to do something that involved sports. I played football, basketball, and golf in high school in Deerfield, Kansas. I led my golf team to the state tournament three times and won multiple tournaments at the high school level. I then went on to play collegiate golf at Dodge City (Kansas) Community College and had a good couple of years while I was there. After that, I moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma to work on my golf game and finish up school at Oklahoma State. In my second year at Oklahoma State I became pretty interested in weight training. I then decided to hit the weight room, got noticed, and was asked to walk on to the OSU football team. I walked on at the linebacker position. My stats at tryouts were Weight: 263, Height: 6’1, Vertical: 30 inches, 40-yard dash: 4.61, and 225 lb Bench Press rep test: 32 reps. I was the only person to make it through that stage of walk-ons. I went through a few weeks of spring ball during the 2008-2009 school year before finding out I had eligibility issues. So I had to call it quits with college football and I re focused on golf. Then I found out about long drive, went to a local qualifier in Oklahoma City in the summer of 2009 and have not looked back since.

LDA: Where do you get your power and speed?
Jason : I get my power from being athletic and strong. I try to stay in good shape and get the most out of my body. I was a little heavier at the start of the year and felt like I was almost too big, so I changed my eating habits and training program and started to trim down and really focus on the way I was training. I have lost a little over 20 lbs and still feel pretty strong. On my speed, I like to think I make a solid, fast golf swing and find the face as squarely as I can. I am not the fastest guy out there but I really try to make solid contact. That allows me just to make my golf swing and let my strength take over.

LDA: What are your plans between now and RE/MAX WLDC finals? How do you plan to prepare?
Jason : I will be competing one more time before worlds and that will be at the Mile High Shootout in Denver in September. After that, I will get back to working on the things I have been doing all year and just making sure I stay focused on the task at hand. I will be doing lots of practicing and training to make sure I am in top form when the RE/MAX WLDC gets here. I am really looking forward to it and hoping to make it 3 for 3 in Mesquite this year.

LDA: Tell us about your day job. How do you spend your time at Karsten Creek GC? Selling shirts? Working the register? Do you have much time for practice? For playing golf? Do you give a few lessons?
Jason : The guys at Karsten are great. Everyone has taken an interest in my long drive career, so I have lots support and help at the golf course. When I am working I just handle daily operations in the golf shop and make sure things are running as smooth as possible each day. I can practice and play as much as I like, so that is really nice. The course is really demanding so I get a good test every time I tee it up. I don’t play very much when LD events are close, but in the meantime I play as much golf as I can. As for lessons, I don’t really do much teaching because we have a world-class instructor named Scott Davies. Scott does all the teaching at Karsten and even works with me from time to time.

LDA: Have you had a chance to play at Karsten Creek with any of those notable Oklahoma State golfers like Rickie Fowler or Charles Howell III? Or some of the new crop like Peter Uihlein, Morgan Hoffmann and Kevin Tway?
Jason : I do play golf with some of the guys on the team. I got to know Rickie pretty well while he was there and played with him whenever I could. That was a pretty cool experience because Rickie is a class act and probably one of the most talented golfers walking the planet right now. With the newer crop of guys I have not had the time to play with them yet, but I am sure we will get it teed up together at some point.

LDA: What activities do you enjoy away from the golf course or the driving range?
Jason : I enjoy lifting weights and training. That is really all I do away from the golf course and range. I enjoy golf way too much, so during my free time I am either playing or practicing. I really don’t do much of anything else.

LDA: Any shout-outs this time?
Jason : I would just like to give a shout-out to all of my sponsors, Adams Golf, HOF, Beyond the Links Clothing, Tour Tempo, and Bolle sunglasses. I know that without them taking care of me and making sure I have everything I need to compete at my highest level every time I tee it up I would not be filling out this POM questionnaire right now. I would really like to thank Adams Golf and Lisa Weistart for setting me up with the best long drive head in the game. The Adams products are amazing and I would be crazy to take anything else to the competition tee other than the Adams drivers. It truly is an honor to be a part of the Adams Golf team and thanks for everything that you guys do for me. I would also like to thank Robert Kent, owner at HOF for all of their hard work and long hours they spend working on my golf clubs. Anytime I need something from Robert he gets it dialed in and I have it in my hands within a few days. Thanks for taking such good care of me and allowing me to use one of the premier shafts in long drive. Last but certainly not least I would like to thank everyone at LDA for all of their hard work in making these events happen. You guys give us a great venue in Mesquite, Nevada to showcase our talents and I can’t thank you enough for that. Your work is truly appreciated.