TIM BURKE NEEDED SOMETHING EXTRA in the final round of the Re/Max World Long Drive Championship. He got it, a record drive of 427 yards to defeat Joe Miller of England. The ball rocketed into the night sky at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and touched down on a yardage grid located on the racetrack infield.
Burke, 26, a former pitcher for the University of Miami, sensed when the ball left the club face that it was probably the best drive he had ever hit under that kind of pressure.
“This was the best time and the biggest moment of my life,” Burke said afterward, “and I’m thankful to be able to come here and get the job done.”
Eight contestants vied for the title and $250,000 winner’s check. It was the 39th edition of the long-drive championship, which began in 1975.