Call me a hopeless hacker, but when comes to golf envy, it’s not the perfect putts or cherished chips that get me. It’s the long ball. Long drive contests are speckled throughout the spring and summer golf calendar, and one local competitor is in the swing of things, trying to make his name among the big hitters.
30 year-old Methuen, MA native Jeff Briggs is one of the top long drivers in the world. He has competed and flourished in a number of competitions and his distance prowess started early.
“I played at Merrimack Golf Course and worked for (Merrimack Golf Course owners) the Kattar family,” says Briggs, who now lives in Florida. I began playing at 9 years old. I’d find golf balls, and the Kattar’s would let me play 9 holes for free. When I was old enough, they told me I could be a cart boy.”
As Jeff matured, it was clear that his golf career would include a bit more than cart retrieval. “I was hitting balls 50 yards farther than the good members. When I got to 19 and 20 years old, my Dad could see that I had this weird talent for hitting the ball far and straight.”
Jeff’s parents are Len and Caren Briggs. The Briggs still live in Methuen and remain members at Merrimack. Jeff Briggs was a high school standout for Karen Richardson’s highly successful Methuen golf team, class of 1997.
At 22, Briggs competed in the Pinnacle Challenge Long Drive competition. “I lost by only 4 yards to the world’s top player, Brian Pavlet,” he explains. “I’m a scratch golfer, but I only play once a month. I still shoot par. When I was a kid, I watched my Dad hit the ball and, of course, I wanted to hit it farther.”
The Super Bowl of long drive competitions is the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship where 20,000 golfers from 49 countries compete. Briggs experienced what it takes to qualify in 2006. He states, “The Preliminary Competition was at Delray Beach Country Club in Florida. Then, it was off to Jupiter, Florida for qualifiers. 100 people competed and the top 3 move on. You have to drive the ball within a 50-yard grid. I hit it 382 yards and qualified.”
From there, it was off to Las Vegas for the RE/MAX event where Briggs had a Methuen good luck charm. “My dad met me out there,” explains Briggs. “I didn’t make it past the first round, but it was a great experience. I actually turned down an offer from Big Bang to sponsor me. I didn’t like the way they treated me.”
Briggs’s relatively average size would seem to put him at a disadvantage in the powerful world of long drive. “Most guys who do this are 6’4” or 6’5” and 250 pounds,” says Briggs, whose personal best drive traveled 405 yards.
“I’m about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds. They laugh when I tell them I’m competing, but I know how to time the ball, how not swing too hard and connect better. You have to have flexibility to play golf. I do a lot of stretching and go to the gym regularly. I’ve held my own against the top 3 long drivers in the world.”
With each competition, Briggs learns more about his potential and performance, case in point, a 2007 scramble competition. He relates, “I had hurt my shoulder, but it was only $40 to enter. You could hit 6 balls. My second ball went 366 yards. I decide to stay with that shot and moved on in competition.
“The finals were in Florida. They took 3 guys out of 30. I was leading the competition all day. It came down to the last 8 guys out of 30 with the top 4 moving on. I was knocked out by the number 6 player in the world. They call him the “Animal.” He is 6’6” and 250 pounds.”
Like many competitors in a variety of sports, economics and sponsorship are key factors in success. “You have to pay for your own flight and lodgings,” explains Briggs. “That is what’s clearly holding me back from competing more. It costs $300 for a good club, and then you have travel, hotels and gas. The expenses are pretty steep.”
It was his family’s love of golf that got Briggs started on his road to long drive success, and it is family that drives him to continue competing. “I grew up in the golf world. My grandfather, Tony Pelliccione, wanted me to show everyone how far I can hit it. He was my biggest fan. I compete as a tribute to him.”
Syndicated columnist John Molori hosts the “J-Team Radio Show” at AM 1120 WBNW and jteamradio.com. Email John at MoloriMedia@aol.com.
About John Molori
Columnist John Molori writes for numerous publications and appears regularly on several radio stations.
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