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Kids dig long ball

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By Nate Taylor | Saturday, July 12, 2008 |

They oohed and ahhed after each swing.

More and more, the golf ball went farther, and cheers followed.

That was the reaction by more than 250 kids Tuesday that watched Brian Pavlet and Jamie Sadlowski at TCP Deere Run. The two from Pinnacle/Cobra Distance Team did a driving-range demonstration on hitting the golf ball as far and high as possible.

Pavlet and Sadlowski hit golf balls off tees, then through a watermelon, followed by a 3-inch wooden board while playing tic-tac-toe. Pavlet was glad to show the kids something new about the game of golf.

Cuz gets in

One Tuesday withdrawal, that of Tommy Armour III, paved the way into the JDC field for ninth alternate Neal “Cuz” Lancaster.

He is the quick-witted North Carolinian who frequently has made his way onto the JDC leaderboard in years past.

Lancaster led after a round last year and went on to tie for sixth, his lone top 10 in just 13 2007 starts.

With a low-ranking Tour exemption, Lancaster has managed just four starts this year, making a pair of cuts and earning $45,000. He made $128,330 here last year.

Lancaster has five top 30 finishes in 15 Q-C starts.

Alternates on plane

Two more players will join the contingent jetting to Manchester, England, on Sunday on the JDC-supplied charter.

Pat Perez and Jerry Kelly, the first and second alternates for next week’s British Open, will make the trip on the chance a pair of players already in the British field can’t make their tee times at Royal Birkdale Golf Course.

The passenger list now includes 22 players, including the yet-to-be determined highest JDC finisher not currently qualified for the Open Championship.

“This is fun for them,” he said. “I loving seeing their faces and I know they enjoy seeing a different type of golf.”

One youngster who got to participate in the event was 9-year-old Jack Albert from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was one of the participants who told Pavlet where to swing the golf ball during the tic-tac-toe competition.

“It was awesome,” Albert said. “To see them hit the ball so hard and smash that watermelon was cool. I know how hard it is to just cut a watermelon with a knife.”

As the kids watched both men swing their drivers at speeds of more than 200 mph, Sadlowski was just pleased by the involvement the kids showed.

“We really enjoyed seeing them smile because we know they have never seen a golf ball hit so hard,” he said. “The kids were great and they asked questions and wanted to know everything that we do. That makes it special.”

Nate Taylor can be contacted at (563) 383-2477 or ntaylor@qctimes.com Comment on this story at qctimes.com.