TAKE FIVE: C.J. MORLEY

Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006 | 9:19 a.m.

What: RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship

Where: Palms Golf Club in Mesquite

When: Through Saturday

Admission: Free

Info: www.longdrivers.com

It wasn't at all the type of shot that could help C.J. Morley win this week's RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship in Mesquite, but it was impressive nonetheless.

The strapping 19-year-old - 6-foot-4, 245-pounds - stood on the practice range at Red Rock Country Club and took a John Daly-like swing at the golf ball.

Then he ducked.

Morley caught the ball on the upswing - which is preferable in the sport of long driving - but with the top edge of his driver. The ball went virtually straight up in the air and temporarily out of sight. Thanks to a strong headwind, Morley faced the very real possibility that the ball could return to Earth in the general vicinity of the top of his head.

After a comically prolonged delay, the ball landed with a thud on the driving range, about 10 yards from where a sheepish Morley stood, and buried itself into the soft turf.

Undaunted, Morley teed up another range ball and launched it about 365 yards - into the same headwind - to the back of the driving range.

"That'll work," he said, perhaps wishing he had saved that one for Thursday's first round in Mesquite.

It's all in the hands

Morley said the key to being a long driver is having quick hands and an explosive swing. "There are different kinds of guys out there doing long drive. There are some guys out there that are all hands and they swing real fast, and then there are some guys out there that use leverage. I'm kind of in between; I have a powerful swing but I also have quick hands."

Like father, like son

"I always wanted to hit the ball far," C.J. Morley said, "just like my dad."

Corey Morley Sr., a Las Vegas businessman and longtime long-drive competitor, once held the Guinness World Record for the longest drive in a PGA-sanctioned event, at 412 yards.

The younger Morley's longest drive in competition is 406 yards, and his longest this year is 404 yards. He qualified in the Open Division of the World Long Drive Championship with a 383-yard drive; Sean Fister won last year's World Championship with a 377-yard, 3-inch poke.

Occupational hazard

Morley said he doesn't spend an inordinate amount of time practicing between rounds during competition because of an unusual affliction common to long drivers. "If you hit too many balls, your left shoulder pops. It doesn't affect your swing, but when you take the club back, you hear a pop and it's real annoying."

In it to win it

Morley, who twice has competed in the Junior World Long Drive Championships, will make his first appearance in the Open Division when qualifying begins Thursday morning at the Palms Golf Club driving range. His father, while admitting to being biased, said he believes his son can win the $125,000 first prize. "He wouldn't be going if he didn't think he could win," the elder Morley said. "He's hit against the best in the world and competed with them, so I think he's got just as good a chance as anybody. He's hit in the junior world finals, but this is a lot bigger stage and it will be interesting to see how he handles it. I've been kind of amazed at how calm and how much fun he has had with it up to this point."

Playing the game

In addition to playing on Palo Verde High's 2004 state championship football team, Morley wrestled and played golf for the Panthers. His experience as a competitive golfer - he said he played to a 1 handicap in high school - should help him in the long-drive competition, where qualifying drives must land within a 40-yard wide grid to count.

"The grid is narrow ... and when you're hitting a ball 400 yards, you have to be a good golfer to get it in that grid. There are guys out there that can't play golf a lick and they just get out there and hit the ball, but it's real difficult for them to go through the rounds because you have to go through seven rounds and get a ball in (the grid) in every round."