Posted May 15, 2014
Jared Brentz reached the 409-yard mark to win his third title during the Mesquite, Nevada, ParaLong Drive Nationals held May 9. Brentz, who has bilateral transtibial amputations, was defending his title against Brandon Jacks. Jacks became the first lower-limb amputee golfer to exceed the 400-yard barrier in the third round with a 401-yard drive on the grid at the Mesquite Sports & Event Complex.
Canadian Jesse Florkowski became the first upper-limb amputee golfer to exceed the 300-yard mark in his first drive of the day. He continued to improve throughout the double-elimination rounds until he drove a ball 333 yards to outhit fellow Canadian Bob McDermott who had a 304-yard drive in the arm championship division. McDermott has an upper- and lower-limb amputation and became the first in his category to best the 300-yard mark.
Anthony Netto won the paramobile division with a drive of 295 yards. Netto, who founded the Stand Up and Play Foundation, is paralyzed from the waist down and hits from a mobile cart he designed that allows individuals with paraplegia to swing a club and play golf. Jake O’Donnell was the champion of the one-armed paramobile division. Bill Davis became the first golfer with a visual impairment to surpass the 300-yard mark when he drove the ball 324 yards.
The ParaLong Drive Nationals included some of the top golfers with disabilities from throughout the United States and Canada, including Brad Clayton, who won the arm-assisted category; five-time North American One-Armed Golfer Association champion Vince Biser; and Alan Gentry, who became the third golfer with an upper-limb amputation to exceed 300 yards with a 310-yard hit.
