Drive for dough

LEHI — "Drive for show, putt for dough."

Big hitters Jason Zuback and Bobby Wilson would like to throw that old golf saying right out the window. The two national long drive champions, invited to play in the Nokia Champions Challenge mainly to entertain the crowd with their booming tee shots, did more than launch a few balls into orbit in Tuesday's two-person scramble — they won the thing. And they did it by combining their big drives with some impressive wedge shots and outstanding putting.

"I knew they could play pretty good, but I didn't think they could beat all of these hall-of-famers," tournament host Johnny Miller said of the surprise winners as he presented them with the tournament trophy and $100,00 first-place check

Zuback and Wilson finished at 14-under par on the par-71 Thanksgiving Point layout, edging the legendary Jack Nicklaus and son Mike Nicklaus, and PGA Tour pros Kevin Stadler and Hank Kuehne by one shot. Two back, at 12-under par, where the teams of Miller and his son Scott Miller, Hale Irwin and Steve Irwin, and Jim Furyk and Mike Furyk.

Heading into the final two holes it was looking like 13-under was the magic number. But Zuback and Wilson reached that mark when Zuback boomed a 400-yard drive on No. 17 that almost reached the 18th tee, and then flipped a sand wedge to within two feet of the cup. Zuback then launched a 420-yard drive on No. 18, which left the team with only 60 yards to the pin. Wilson actually shanked his pitch, but Zuback landed his shot softly about five feet behind the hole. After Zuback pulled his putt, Wilson calmly rolled in the slick downhill tournament-winner.

"After seeing Jason's line I knew I had to just get over that thing and nail it. And I knew the minute I hit it that it was in," Wilson said.

The win is the biggest tournament payday for both golfers and the first time they've won a team event while competing against regular touring pros. But they were not surprised by the victory, saying the scramble format favors their aggressive style of game. The win also helps validate the claim of most long hitters that they can do more than just smash big drives.

"We're kind of beating down that stigma that we're just gorilla guys that all we can do is hit long drives and only hit one out of 10 of them straight. We can hit most of them straight, and we do have other game too," Zuback said.