Devil Ball Golf - Golf

Devil Ball Golf

Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:16 am EDT

Tiger vs. 12-year-old in a driving contest. Guess who won?

By Jay Busbee

If, as the old joke goes, God wishes he could play golf like Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods may wish he could play golf like twelve-year-old Mark Benevento Jr.

Wait ... what? Who or what is a Mark Benevento Jr.?

Mark is a young man who's about to be famous for all the right (i.e. non-balloon-oriented) reasons. At an event commemorating the opening of The Cliffs at High Carolina, a new Tiger-designed course in Asheville, North Carolina recently, Tiger fired his first two shots into the trees. He then looked out over the crowd and invited anyone to step up and try to outdrive him.

Most everyone in the crowd pulled that routine that you do when you don't know the answer and don't want the teacher to call on you -- looking everywhere but at Tiger, taking an intense interest in the clouds above, suddenly staring at their cell phones, and so on. But one brave soul -- that would be Mark -- stepped up and took his swing. You can see him there in the photo at right, teeing it up under the watchful eye of Tiger, who's wearing the white hat at right. NBC Philadelphia has the video of what happened next; click here to check it out.

In short, the kid fired two straight 200-yard drives, right down the fairway -- which, according to driving rules, means he won, because Tiger put his shots into the trees. The kid didn't collapse into jelly, like so many of Tiger's opponents, which makes him a good bet to at least make the cut at next year's Masters.

Oh, and Tiger? The future's calling ... and it's outdriving you. Heads up, my man.

Local boy outdrives Tiger Woods [NBC Philadelphia]
___________

For more daily golf news, opinion and strangeness, click here to bookmark Devil Ball Golf and follow us on Twitter.

Related posts:
You won't believe how Australia is welcoming Tiger Woods
Hide your cameras, Aussies, John Daly's headed Down Under
Golf, swastikas collide in pair of ugly vandalism incidents

Other popular blog posts on Yahoo! Sports:
• MLB controversy: Is Yankees’ closer cheating?
• 13-year-old basketball phenom is Internet sensation
• NBA star loses $10,000 bet, still hasn't paid up

digg delicious
more

941 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. Robert O
    1. Posted by Robert O Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:40 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    when I hear the word outdrive I think 'who can hit the ball the furthest'
    to me, this is not outdriving Tiger
  2. Tom
    2. Posted by Tom Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:42 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    1st
    i love tiger
  3. Michael R
    3. Posted by Michael R Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:55 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    Oh, so he hit it like 130 yards shorter than Tiger yet he "outdrove" him? I'm so sick of unknown golf writers coming up with BS headlines just to get attention.
  4. LongTrans
    4. Posted by LongTrans Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:02 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    That was cool of Tiger to let others go up there and take a shot. This is definitely a story this kid can tell his grandkids. Great golf swing too.
  5. Smitty
    5. Posted by Smitty Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:14 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Kudos for Tiger in giving anyone the opportunity to step up onto the tee box and play with him. It's one thing to tee it up with the pros but quite another thing for common folk to get the opportunity to do that. The distance of the ball had no affect on Tiger. He could care less. He got the moment right. It was a thrill of his short lifetime for this 12 year old boy and Tiger nailed it. Once again proving that he is in a class all by himself.
  6. KevinL
    6. Posted by KevinL Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:26 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    To outdrive Tiger Woods he would have to hit the ball about 350 yards, meaining an increase of what... 75%?
  7. JP
    7. Posted by JP Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:44 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Like Michael R said, he supposedly "outdrove" him. It's great what the kid did, but come on, write it how it happened. What's next? A 8 year old outraces Jimmie Johnson....on Xbox?
  8. Wayne M
    8. Posted by Wayne M Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:45 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    @#3 I'm so sick of unknown golf writers coming up with BS headlines just to get attention.
    Man, and I thought that was sort of the purpose of a headline. Seems we have a lack of humor, don't we?
  9. David D
    9. Posted by David D Tue Oct 20, 2009 12:47 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Wow, calm down there Michael R! I totally agree with Post#5, that was a very classy moment! Of course that kid can't outdrive Tiger, but he did just make some kid's day and give him a memory he will remember for the rest of his life. Tiger isn't Lebron James or something, it's not like his ego was shattered. Tiger knows he is "the man" in the world of golf and he just gave someone else a moment to outshine him. Very impressive Tiger!
  10. GC
    10. Posted by GC Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:17 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Wonderful story. Also agree with #5 #9 #10
    Wish some people could lighten up and have a little fun here.
  11. Mark B
    11. Posted by Mark B Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:29 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Technically, In a long drive competition the winner is the person who can hit it the farthest and still be "in the fairway". It sounded like Tiger's two shots into the woods didn't bounce back into the fairway, so a drive of any length in the fairway should have won the prize. So the Kid did win... And I am sure it is a moment that he will never forget.
  12. f
    12. Posted by f Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:30 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    All of you golf freaks relax, enjoy the great article and release the tight grip on your putters and balls.
  13. S.M.
    13. Posted by S.M. Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:33 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Pure CLASS
  14. Dub
    14. Posted by Dub Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:40 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    if you wanna get technical, to win a driving contest the ball has to be in the fairway. And as it said, tiger put his in the trees and the kid put his in the fairway. he wins
  15. Wayne M
    15. Posted by Wayne M Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:56 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    It would have been funny if Tiger slammed his club down in disgust for putting two in the trees.
  16. msilverone@...
    16. Posted by msilverone@... Tue Oct 20, 2009 2:00 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    This is what is called trolling for page views. Yahoo must really be hurting.
  17. jesse
    17. Posted by jesse Tue Oct 20, 2009 2:04 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I just like how Aaron tried to correct his comment twice and it STILL isn't completely right. Who cares if someone can "outdrive" tiger once or twice. He is still taking home millions for being the best consistantly. That's what golf is about. Now if I can just get my kid to want to play more...
  18. Chubbs
    18. Posted by Chubbs Tue Oct 20, 2009 2:12 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    How set up was this crap! The kid was the co-owners son AND Tiger drove two in a row into the trees. I can't believe this was on the news. Next the dad will say his son is stuck in a balloon.
  19. Mr. Perfect
    19. Posted by Mr. Perfect Tue Oct 20, 2009 2:41 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Oh okay! What was Tiger using, his 3 iron, there's NO way that kid out drove Tiger Woods! Tiger hits 'em about 350-400, not 200 yds. That kid is good, I hit 'em about 200 when i was 12, now i'm 15 and I can hit 'em about 280 with the wind behind me! Keep practicing kid, and maybe, just maybe you'll be as good as Tiger one day!!!
  20. budman177777
    20. Posted by budman177777 Tue Oct 20, 2009 2:49 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Tiger looks hungover and looks like he couldnt give two [profane]s about being there
  21. case
    21. Posted by case Tue Oct 20, 2009 2:51 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    easy, debbie and derrick downers! if you guys know anything about 'long drive' comps or even tour stats you know a drive doesn't count unless it's in the fairway.... so actually, yes, mark did out-drive tiger because he put it in the fairway and both tiger's tee-shots ended up in the trees. honestly, i don't know how you can write anything negative about this situation or story. kudos to tiger and the kid!
  22. Mel W
    22. Posted by Mel W Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:00 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I thought the word "out drive" someone is to hit it longer than your opponent... so did Tiger use his lob wedge and the kid used his driver?
  23. Shauna
    23. Posted by Shauna Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:42 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Is this a sport?
  24. tulod@...
    24. Posted by tulod@... Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:42 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    This is no news! Pretty lame actually. WhTF cares? It was just an exhibition...ne pressure attached.
  25. Rob R
    25. Posted by Rob R Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:44 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    LeBron James has destroyed all remaining evidence of this video on Tiger's behalf.

Devil Ball Golf

Add to My Yahoo! RSS

Jay Busbee

Devil Ball is a golf blog edited by Jay Busbee. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

Contributors:
Shane Bacon, Matt Romig, Greg Vara,

Related Photo Gallery

More GOLF Photos »

Y! Sports Blogs

Devil Ball Golf Recent Readers

(provided by MyBlogLog)