Long Drivers of America - Golf on the edge

RESULTS

RECAP: 2009 Texas Shootout presented by Toyota of Lewisville (2009-06-03)
back to description

Wolter Wins 2009 Texas Shootout With Sixth-Ball Heroics

Carl Wolter came through in the clutch, launching a massive 397-yard moon ball, to claim the open division title at LDA's Texas Shootout Presented by Toyota of Lewisville.

Wolter's sixth-ball heroics produced a 397-380 match-play win over runner-up Allen McDougall.

Wolter collected $13,000 for the win. McDougall earned $8,000.

In semifinal matches, Wolter, the 2002 RE/MAX world champion, defeated Alex DeVilling, an LD rookie competing in his first event, 385-377. McDougall bested Tom Roskos, 390-OB.

Roskos posted the longest drive of the evening -- 410 yards -- in the 8-for-4 shootout that opened the evening's activities at Trophy Club Country Club, where a crowd estimated at 1,000 gathered to watch professional long drive's finest. Wolter was next in line with 409 yards.

Four of the eight competitors who survived elimination rounds at City Pointe Driving Range failed to find the grid in the shootout. Headed to the sidelines early in the evening were Jeff Gavin, Zac Adams, Jason Frey and Jamie Sadlowski.

Sadlowski, the reigning RE/MAX world champion, had led the power parade at City Pointe with 421 yards in Round 7 of the winner's bracket.

Semifinalists Roskos and DeVilling pocketed $4,500. It marked the fourth consecutive year Roskos cashed at the Texas tour event.

TEXAS SHOOTOUT RESULTS
8-FOR-4 Round (In Order of Hitting)

Alex DeVilling 391
Jeff Gavin OB
Allen McDougall 378
Zac Adams OB
Jason Frey OB
Tom Roskos 410
Carl Wolter 409
Jamie Sadlowski OB

SEMIS:
Allen McDougall (4) def. Tom Roskos (1), 390-OB
Carl Wolter (2) def. Alex DeVilling (3), 385-377

FINALS: Wolter (2) def. McDougall (4), 397-380

PRIZE MONEY

Carl Wolter $13,000
Allen McDougall 8,000
Tom Roskos 4,500
Alex DeVilling 4,500
Jeff Gavin 2,200
Zac Adams 2,200
Jason Frey 2,200
Jamie Sadlowski 2,200

SADLOWSKI EARNS TOP SEED FOR  TEXAS SHOOTOUT FINALS

Eight long drivers, including reigning RE/MAX world champion Jamie Sadlowski, advanced to the finals of LDA��s 2009 Texas Shootout Presented by Toyota of Lewisville during qualifying rounds at City Pointe Driving Range in Dallas on Thursday (June 4).

Sadlowski, who clocked a drive of 421 yards in Round 7, led a quartet advancing from the winner��s side of the bracket.
Joining Sadlowski in the Friday evening finale, which begins at 7 p.m. at Trophy Club CC and concludes with a match-play showdown at 9:30 p.m., were 2002 RE/MAX world champion Carl Wolter (416 yards in Round 7), Tom Roskos (406 yards) and Jason Frey (405 yards.)

Roskos uncorked the longest drive of the day -- 450 yards in Round 2. He also posted the second-best number -- 435 yards in Round 1.

Arriving at the final eight via the loser��s side of the bracket were Zac Adams and Allen McDougall, each of whom roasted 423-yard drives in Round 9. The two remaining spots were claimed by Jeff Gavin (414 yards) and Alex DeVilling (412) yards.

DeVilling, making his debut in long drive competition, created an immediate buzz.

Three of the competitors -- Sadlowski, McDougall and Roskos �C each made the top eight at LDA��s 2008 Texas Shootout. Roskos, in fact, has now advanced to the Texas Shootout finals each of the past four years.

TEXAS SHOOTOUT OPEN DIVISION TOP EIGHT QUALIFIERS:

Jamie Sadlowski         421        Rd. 7
Carl Wolter             416        Rd. 7
Tom Roskos              406        Rd. 7
Jason Frey              405        Rd. 7
Zac Adams               423        Rd. 9
Allen McDougall         423        Rd. 9
Jeff Gavin              414        Rd. 9
Alex DeVilling          412        Rd. 9

Earning exemptions to the 2009 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship: Roskos, Gavin, DeVilling.

Sawyer Claims 2009 Senior Title
Kyle Sawyer continued his rapid ascent up the ranks of professional long drivers, winning the senior division of LDA's 2009 Texas Shootout Presented by Toyota of Lewsville this morning (Wednesday) at City Pointe Driving Range in Dallas.

Competing in his first LDA tour event, Sawyer defeated LDA Hall of Fame member Bobby Wilson in the match-play finals, 339-0B. Sawyer, a Bossier City, Louisiana, resident, won the Dallas regional at City Pointe last September in his first-ever LD competition, then subsequently posted a top-eight finish at the 2008 RE/MAX world finals. He returned to Dallas with the same entourage (wife Renee' and son Chase) and cashed in the good vibes engendered by being back at City Pointe.

(2009 Texas Shootout Senior Champion - Kyle Sawyer)

Wilson, taking dead aim at a record 12th LDA title, posted the longest drive of the morning (354 yards) in the semifinals. But a rare out-of-play final set for the Waco native, who won the Texas Shootout senior division title in 2006, sealed his fate.

Semifinals:
Bobby Wilson (1), North Little Rock, Arkansas, def. Jackie Sholar (4), Gracey, Kentucky, 354-325

Kyle Sawyer (3), Bossier City, Louisiana, def. Sean Fister (2), Little Rock, Arkansas, 347-0B

Finals:
Sawyer (3) def. Wilson (1), 339-OB

Prize Money:
Sawyer, $4,000
Wilson, $2,000
Fister, $1,125
Scholar $1,125

Exemption to the 2009 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship: James Mattingly, Frisco, Texas

NOTE: OPEN DIVISION ELIMINATION ROUNDS BEGIN 9 AM THURSDAY (6/4) AT CITY POINTE DRIVING RANGE. MATCH-PLAY FINALS FRIDAY NIGHT (6/5) AT TROPHY CLUB COUNTRY CLUB.

2008 - FRIDAY NIGHT RECAP

Seeded fourth for the match-play ﬁnals, Mitch McDowell ﬁgured that as long as he was going to cash his ﬁrst check at an Long Drivers of America tour event he might as well make it a big one.

So he did. And it was.

By defeating second-seed Kevin Bullard in the ﬁnals of LDA's RE/MAX of Texas Shootout, McDowell, a 24-year-old Scottsdale resident, grabbed the lion's share of the $55,000 total purse -- $12K.

He also tucked away an exemption to the 2008 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship ﬁnals next fall, where he and 127 other open division competitors will go full throttle for a record $250,000 ﬁrst prize.

All in all, not a bad night's work at Trophy Club Country Club in front of a full and enthusiastic house that pumped up the volume.

McDowell edged Bullard, who received $8K in parting gifts, by a 371/24 to 370/2 margin. The outcome was in keeping with an evening of close calls for the champion:

In his opening match, McDowell nudged aside Tom Roskos, 382/34 to 381/19. Then, keeping the suspense ratcheted up at a high level, he prevailed in the semiﬁnals over Jeff Crittenden, 388/10 to 387/3.

In the ﬁnals, McDowell, hitting ﬁrst, quickly posted a number that Big Cotton seriously threatened but couldn't quite catch.

Dustin Merrill registered the evening's longest drive -- an even four bills -- in a quarterﬁnals win against Jamie
Sadlowski. Neither player found the grid with his opening salvo, which brought LDA's rarely seen three-ball
tiebreaker into play.

Earlier, before the players took the tee, tournament ofﬁcials announced McDowell, Crittenden, Roskos and top-seeded Trevor Consavage had been granted exemptions to the 2008 RE/MAX WLDC ﬁnals.

The rest was icing on the cake - especially in McDowell's case.

2008 SENIOR DIVISION RECAP

At the rate Frank Miller keeps adding to his long-drive trophy collection, he'll soon be forced
to remodel the den at his home in Covina, California.

Miller captured the senior division at LDA's 2008 RE/MAX of Texas Shootout Presented
By Toyota of Lewisville at City Pointe Driving Range in Dallas on May 7.

Tack on wins at the 2007 Texas Shootout, the 2007 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship and the 2008 Desert Launch and you're talking about a Miller four-pack. The hardware is piling up.

Miller defeated Bobby Wilson in the match- play finals, 298-284. Strong headwinds associated with storm cells dancing around the D/FW area, plus a rain-softened grid, curtailed numbers posted by all the competitors.

Miller had the long drive of the day -- 329 yards in his semifinal win over Lance Reader.

John McMahon, who lost the other semifinal match to Wilson, earned the Texas Shootout exemption to the 2008 RE/MAX world finals.

Round 5 in the winner's bracket produced perhaps the day's most memorable moment.

Miller drove 320 yards to secure the #1 seed, while the other three hitters -- Wilson, McMahon and Michael Sykes -- finished within a foot of each other.

The grid crew called back the distances: Sykes, 300/18; Wilson 300/14; McMahon 300/11.5. LDA's six-inch rule brought about a three-ball playoff between Sykes and Wilson, which the latter won 311-0B to secure the #2 seed. McMahon missed the playoff by .5 of an inch.

Eliminated in round 7 and just missing the match-play semifinals were Sykes and Sean "The Beast" Fister. Gerry James and Tom Garber went out in round 6.

RESULTS:
Semiﬁnals:
Frank Miller, Covina, Calif. (1) def. Lance Reader, Gilbert, Ariz. (4), 329-OB
Bobby Wilson, Little Rock, Ark. (2) def. John McMahon, Aurora, Ohio (3), 301-297

Finals:
Miller (1) def. Wilson (2), 298-284

EARNINGS:
Miller $5,000
Wilson 3,000
McMahon 1,500
Reader 1,500

2008 RE/MAX WLDC Exemption:
McMahon

2007 FRIDAY NIGHT RECAP:

In a celebrity long drive contest preceding the finals, Dallas Cowboy Matt Baker defeated teammate Anthony Fasano in the hilarious match-play finals.

LDA presented the Autism Society of America a check of $5,000 in Baker's name.

Other notable participants competing in this exciting event included Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo and Terrance Newman, former Oakland Raider star Jeff Gossett, and channel 8 sports anchor Joe Trahan.

The atmosphere throughout the entire night was a personal interaction among celebrities, long drive professionals, and families. Professionals and celebrities alike freely signed autographs and visited among the crowd throughout the event.

Matt Baker, 339
Anthony Fasano, 324
Tony Romo, 312
Terrance Newman, 299
Joe Trahan, 299
Jeff Gossett, 271

Finals:
Baker def. Fasano, 323-285

GROTH CLAIMS 2007 SHOOTOUT TITLE

The stands were full at Trophy Club Country Club with a LDA Tour record attendance of more than 800 spectators as Fred Groth nipped Steve Monroe 366 yards to 365 yards in the finals of LDA's 2007 RE/MAX of Texas Shootout presented by Toyota of Lewisville.

Groth barely escaped the strength of the Predator, the nickname of Monroe, by a mere one yard to capture the crown.

Groth, who lives in El Segundo, California and is considered one of the most accurate, consistent hitters in long drive, earned $12,000 for his first LDA Tour title.

Monroe, from Clearwater, Florida and featured in the May issue of Golf Tips Magazine, pocketed $8,000.

Tom Roskos of Sharon, Pennsylvania finished third, while Dallas resident Nyle Pruitt took fourth.

Groth def. Matt Eichholtz, Dacula, GA, 359-357;
Roskos def. Jerimie Montgomery, Plain City, UT, 369-368;
Monroe def. Pat Maloney, Overland Park, KS, 354-OB;
Pruitt def. Kevin Bullard, Cedartown, GA, 333-OB
Groth def. Roskos, 375-354 Monroe def. Pruitt, 361-349
Groth def. Monroe, 366-365

Groth, $12,000
Monroe, $8,000
Roskos, $4,500
Pruitt, $4,500
Montgomery, $2,250
Eicholtz, $2,250
Maloney, $2,250
Bullard, $2,250

MILLER CARVES OUT SENIOR WIN

Frank Miller carved out a win in the senior division finals at LDA's RE/MAX of Texas Shootout Presented by Toyota of Lewisville on Wednesday May, 9 at City Pointe Golf Center in Dallas.

Miller defeated two-time reigning RE/MAX senior world long drive champion Gerry James, 332 yards-329 yards, in the match-play finals in an exhilarating display of power.

Miller earned $5,000 for the win, his first at an LDA Tour event. The 1990 U.S. National Long Drive champion, Miller had finished as runner-up at the 2006 Texas Shootout. James collected $3,000. Miller had the longest drive of the day on the rain-soaked grid 352 yards in the first round. James' best of the day came in the semifinals, 346 yards.

Frank Miller, Covina, CA, def. Mike Gorton, Lafayette, CO, 336-330;

Gerry James, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, def. Bobby Wilson, N. Little Rock, AR, 346-335;

Miller def. James, 332-329. Miller, $5,000 James, $3,000 Wilson, $1,500 Gorton, $1,500