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Wind blows it in long drive championships Drew Fleming photo By Kris Henry EAGLE POINT � Controlling a 380-yard tee shot in a 40-yard wide grid is a daunting task, but controlling Mother Nature is downright impossible. That struggle with outside forces played out Saturday afternoon in the RE/MAX World Long Drive District 4 Championships at Eagle Point Golf Course. Wind sifting through the 18th fairway to the 10th tee took a dramatic turn halfway through the final round, leaving some of the world�s top drivers baffled by their misfortune. World record holder Gerry James of Irvine, Calif., opened the effort in futility in the 11th of 20 spots. Instead of a slight crosswind that greeted the first 10 golfers, James stared down a stiff headwind. Not surprisingly, Mother Nature won that confrontation. "I got up there and just killed three balls," said James. "That was just a joke. I hit three balls very, very, very hard, and I got 326 yards." For someone who set the world mark at a mind-boggling 473 yards last year in Denver, hearing "326 yards" after tearing the cover off the ball simply doesn�t sit well. "I could not believe it," said the 39-year-old. "In my wildest imagination, I never felt that I would get a break like this here. You don�t expect stuff like this to happen." Local favorite James Lewis of Medford followed James in the 12th slot with a drive to 319 yards. "When I stepped up, I felt like somebody turned the fans on," said the defending district champion. "That ball I hit 319 was more like 390." The bad break for Lewis and Co. was a good break for Thomas Celone and Vince Howell. Hitting second and fifth, respectively, helped them nab the two automatic berths in the open division to the world championship finals Oct. 18-21 in Mesquite, Nev. John Slawinski easily outdistanced the senior field at 317 yards to earn the 46-year-old a spot in the world finals. Celone�s first drive in the six-shot district finals outdistanced all others. He got a big bounce and his tee shot came to rest at 372 yards, 2 feet, 3 inches. "I didn�t think that was going to hold up," the 36-year-old paint contractor said. "There were some big hitters behind me, and I knew there were at least seven guys who could go by me. I was very fortunate with the weather, and I feel very lucky." Howell, 35, chalked up the second-best mark of the day when his fourth tee shot carried to about 363 yards. He sat anxiously as the next 15 competitors tried in vain to knock him from the No. 2 spot. "I�ve had to wait all day for this talented field and I can�t believe it�s over," said an emotional Howell. "These guys are world-class hitters, and I�m just lucky to be able to advance." Neither Celone nor Howell believed they had a chance to earn one of the two finals spots, and both credited the wind for turning the competition around. "I�ve been to district seven times and this is my first time on the good end of Mother Nature," said Howell. "Mother Nature dictates long drive, and this is a true example of that. When you get on the bad end, it�s so tough. You just knock your head because you work so hard and there�s nothing you can do about it." Probably the most pronounced differences in driving distance came from Greg Walker and Brian Coday. Walker was the cream of the crop in the preliminary round, belting a drive 383 yards. Walker said he struck the ball better in the finals, but still had to settle for a wind-battered 315 yards. "As soon as Gerry (James) clobbered one and it went 326 yards, I knew it was over," said Walker. "Then it was just have fun and work on getting the balls in the grid. You just have to laugh it off and go home." Coday busted a shot to 370 yards in the prelims, but, as the 20th hitter in the finals, managed only 326 yards. Those who didn�t qualify for the world finals can still try to do so Sept. 30 in the Southern California District at Pomona and in the Northern California District Oct. 7 at Pleasanton. "I�ll have to look at this as a blessing in disguise," James said. "It gives me a little more competition and puts a little more fire in my belly." RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship District 4 Open Division Shootout 1, Thomas Celone, Reno, Nev., 372 yards, 2 feet, 3 inches; 2, Vince Howell, Stockton, Calif., 363-1-2; 3, Brad Pemberton, 330-0-3; 4, Thomas Peppard, Sausalito, Calif., 327-1-10; 5, Gerry James, Irvine, Calif., 326-2-8; 6, Brian Coday, San Jose, Calif., 326-0-5; 7, Robert Kaindl, Mill Creek, Wash., 325-1-8; 8, James Lewis, Medford, 319-1-11; 9, Greg Walker, Antioch, Calif., 315; 10, Tomislav Kralj, Dublin, Calif., 310; 11, Kevin Osborne, Seattle, Wash., 301; 12, Brad Habenicht, Seattle, Wash., 300; 13, Jeffrey Gentile, Mountain Home, Idaho, 297; 14, Brian Taylor, Kirkland, Wash., 296-2-11; 15, Ryan Crowe, Portland, 293; 16, Quinn Irvine, Vancouver, Wash., 287; 17, Mike Reever, Ontario, 270; 18, (tie) Darren Case, Tacoma, Wash., and Bruce Evans, Bellevue, Wash., and Chris Hinkley, Richland, Wash., no grid. District 4 Senior Division Shootout 1, John Slawinski, 317 yards, 6 feet; 2, Pat Akins, 309; 3, Arnie Kvarnberg, 300; 4, Jonnie Bergstrom, 267; 5, Kevin Goetz, 230. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA