If you put the term “Golf’s longest driver” into Google, you would expect to see J.B. Holmes or Bubba Watson come up in the results. However, you may also see the name of Arlington Golf Pro Michael Furrh cropping up. Furrh recently set a world record with a 146 yard drive. Not impressed? Well, the driver he used was 14 foot 2.5 inches long.
A professional at The Rolling Hills Country Club, Furrh is also known for his ability to hit a ball 260 yards off a 6 foot tee whilst standing on a ladder. And sometimes, purely for novelty effect, Furrh has even been known to play 18 holes with a regular bag of clubs.
Although, it would be interesting to see Furrh try to negotiate a course with 14 of these clubs and the bag that would be needed to carry them in. It would probably resemble a Lilliputian playing with the clubs he borrowed from Gulliver. And a golf cart would definitely be needed.
After once surviving a lightning strike, Lee Trevino famously advised golfers to grab their one iron in a thunder storm because “Even God can’t hit the one iron.” Furrh’s massive driver would probably prove a lot more difficult for a deity to master. And as it more closely resembles a lightning rod than a golf club, it’s probably advisable to stand well away from it when the skies darken.
So, while the use of long putters is being consigned to the history books, Furrh is entering the history books for his use of ridiculously long drivers. With this exposure, Furrh is hoping to raise a lot of money for charity. So, for those of you shaking your heads and muttering about tradition and the sanctity of the game of golf, remember, it’s for a good cause.