Lethbridge golfer Curtis Urniezius is proving to be one of the world’s longest drivers. After winning a national long drive qualifier called the COLD Shootout in June, Urniezius is taking his talents to Thackerville, Oklahoma, for the World Long Drive Championship in October.
The way the 22-year-old crushes the ball at the driving range would inspire envy in just about anyone who likes to hit links. It’s a natural talent that Urniezius has had since childhood.
“I started out-driving my dad when I was about 12,” said Urniezius with a chuckle. “And I hit my first 400-yard drive when I was 14.”
Despite his raw power, it wasn’t until two years ago that the then-20-year-old realized he could put his long ball to good use. In 2014, Curtis went to a local SportChek store to hit balls on a simulator, when an employee took notice.
“The manager said, ‘you swing pretty fast’. I said ‘yeah’. And he’s like, ‘well do you compete? Have you ever heard of long drive’? And I’m like, ‘yeah I’ve heard of it’. And he’s like, ‘well would you ever compete?’ And that was pretty much it for me.”
Urniezius spent two years perfecting his drive before winning June’s Canadian national long drive qualifier in Barrie, Ont.
“It was so great,” Urniezius said. “Never really felt anything like that before. Very satisfying for sure.”
The road to the world championships in October is expensive. Between travel and the cost of replacing clubs, Curtis is asking for local backing.
“I would love nothing more than to support some local business and to have them help me out in the process as well would be fantastic,” said Urniezius. “Financially it is a very difficult sport.”
Though Urniezius lacks experience, he makes up for it with raw ability. His longest competition drive is 403 yards and longest outside of competition is 475 yards. With that power, he has one goal in mind when he goes to the world championship.
“To win,” Urniezius said.
If you are interested in learning more about Curtis Urniezius, you can email him at curtis_u@hotmail.com
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