Jeff Maggert nails target from 135 yards at Mississippi Gulf Resort

 

BILOXI – Across the pool, over U.S. 90, through a pair of palm trees and onto a target 135 yards away. That's all Jeff Maggert had to do. No problem, right? The reigning Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic champion made it look easy, nailing his first shot off of the 16 square foot target, a long distance from the pool deck at Harrah's Gulf Coast.

 

Had it not been for strong gusting winds, Maggert may have hit all 10 of his attempts. Instead, he made three, which earned Habitat for Humanity a $5,000 donation from sponsor C Spire.

 

After the first shot, the challenge seemed to increase in difficulty as several shots just missed the mark on the 25-year PGA Tour veteran.

 

"It was about an 80 percent swing and I was just trying to let the wind drift it over," Maggert said of the 10 mph winds. "I hit some practice shots this morning and didn't have much luck so it was nice to hit the first one to take some of the pressure off."

 

About 100 guests eventually gathered around the elevated stand to watch Maggert's stunt.

 

"I want to see a target. Whoa – it is way out there," one spectator said, peering through the crowd and across the highway.

 

One of Maggert's shots hit off the metal frame of the target, causing the crowd to "oooh" as the sound from the metallic reverberations reached the deck. Had Maggert been able to drop the ball into a 3-foot hole in the middle of the target, another $5,000 would have been donated to Habitat for Humanity.

 

Overall, Maggert enjoyed the competition, laughing off his 30 percent success rate.

 

"If we could have moved the green a little to the left..." he joked.

 

Maggert and the rest of the MGRC field will tee off at Fallen Oak on Friday morning at 10 a.m.

 

As the reigning champion, Maggert's ready to get back out on the course and take another swing at the title.

 

"The golf course is fantastic," he said. "They spent some money this year and redid some of the bunkers and it turned out great. It's in great condition. The greens are just fabulous. It's a tough golf course. You have to hit the ball well. Hospitality here on the Gulf Coast has been awesome. Just here having a lot of fun."

 

You can see a video report on Maggert's skillful shotmaking below:

 

This article was written by Patrick Ochs from The Sun Herald and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.