Monte Scheinblum
Encyclopedia
Monte Scheinblum is an American professional golfer
, and the son of former Major League Baseball
All Star outfielder Richie Scheinblum
. While he competed on the Nike Tour, he became known especially for his long driving, where success is achieved by a golfer hitting a golf ball the farthest. In 1992 he won the National Long Driving Championship in the United States, and was the world long driving champion.
.
As a child he spent two years of his boyhood in Japan, where his father played baseball for the Hiroshima Carp. He then lived in Orange County, California
, where he attended Villa Park High School
. Scheinblum turned to professional golf after an injury to his pitching elbow in his freshman year of being a power pitcher in high school ended his dream of playing major league baseball as his father had.
. He also played in one PGA Tour
event, the 1996 Michelob Championship at Kingsmill
, missing the cut.
Scheinblum has had his greatest success in long drive competitions. In 1991, he was the runner-up in the U.S. National Long Driving Championship with a drive of 319 yards. The following year, in Boca Raton, Florida
, he won the event with a drive of 329 yards, 13 inches, into a 20 mile-per-hour wind. Mike Gorton, the 1987 champion, took second with a drive of 307 yards, 22 inches. That year he was also the world long driving champion. In October 1993, he narrowly failed to defend his national title, finishing second to Brian Pavlett with a drive of 324 yards, 30 inches. Pavlett had hit his first three balls out of bounds before going past Scheinblum with a drive of 336 yards, 6 inches.
In September 1994, Scheinblum won a long drive tournament in Provo, Utah
with a drive of 333 yards (304.5 m).
Writer Jaime Diaz noted in an article in Sports Illustrated
entitled "Short On Fame; Though they outdistance the Tour's mightiest ball strikers, Long Drivers live in obscurity", that inspiring fans to turn out to see a long-drive competition can be challenging. Scheinblum, making an analogy to baseball players who hit baseballs a long way, noted in a 1995 interview with Sports Illustrated that long drivers with forceful swings can appear as a freak show to skeptics, and be seen as being similar to Dave Kingman
:
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
, and the son of former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
All Star outfielder Richie Scheinblum
Richie Scheinblum
Richard Alan "Richie" Scheinblum is a former professional All Star Major League Baseball player.He played for the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, California Angels, and St. Louis Cardinals...
. While he competed on the Nike Tour, he became known especially for his long driving, where success is achieved by a golfer hitting a golf ball the farthest. In 1992 he won the National Long Driving Championship in the United States, and was the world long driving champion.
Early life
Scheinblum, who is Jewish, is the son of former Major League Baseball All Star outfielder Richie Scheinblum. His father played in the 1972 All Star Game while he was with the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
.
As a child he spent two years of his boyhood in Japan, where his father played baseball for the Hiroshima Carp. He then lived in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, where he attended Villa Park High School
Villa Park High School
Villa Park High School is a suburban public high school in Villa Park, California. The school was built in 1964 and is one of four comprehensive high schools in the Orange Unified School District. The campus serves students residing in Villa Park and portions of the cities of Orange and...
. Scheinblum turned to professional golf after an injury to his pitching elbow in his freshman year of being a power pitcher in high school ended his dream of playing major league baseball as his father had.
Golf
A 6' 2", 190-pound athlete, Scheinblum is an accomplished golfer. Between 1993 and 1996 he competed on the second tier Nike Tour (now Nationwide Tour), where his best finish was a tie for fifth in the 1994 Monterrey OpenMonterrey Open (Nationwide Tour event)
The Monterrey Open was a golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour from 1993 to 2001. It was played at the Club Campestre in San Pedro Garza García, a suburb of Monterrey, Mexico.The purse in 2001 was US$450,000, with $81,000 going to the winner.-Winners:...
. He also played in one PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
event, the 1996 Michelob Championship at Kingsmill
Michelob Championship at Kingsmill
The Michelob Championship at Kingsmill was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1968 to 2002. It was played at Kingsmill Golf Club outside of Williamsburg, Virginia, from 1981 to 2002...
, missing the cut.
Scheinblum has had his greatest success in long drive competitions. In 1991, he was the runner-up in the U.S. National Long Driving Championship with a drive of 319 yards. The following year, in Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...
, he won the event with a drive of 329 yards, 13 inches, into a 20 mile-per-hour wind. Mike Gorton, the 1987 champion, took second with a drive of 307 yards, 22 inches. That year he was also the world long driving champion. In October 1993, he narrowly failed to defend his national title, finishing second to Brian Pavlett with a drive of 324 yards, 30 inches. Pavlett had hit his first three balls out of bounds before going past Scheinblum with a drive of 336 yards, 6 inches.
In September 1994, Scheinblum won a long drive tournament in Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
with a drive of 333 yards (304.5 m).
Writer Jaime Diaz noted in an article in Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
entitled "Short On Fame; Though they outdistance the Tour's mightiest ball strikers, Long Drivers live in obscurity", that inspiring fans to turn out to see a long-drive competition can be challenging. Scheinblum, making an analogy to baseball players who hit baseballs a long way, noted in a 1995 interview with Sports Illustrated that long drivers with forceful swings can appear as a freak show to skeptics, and be seen as being similar to Dave Kingman
Dave Kingman
David Arthur Kingman , nicknamed "Kong" and "Sky King", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder, first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter. The towering 6' 6" Kingman was one of the most feared sluggers of the 1970s and 1980s...
:
Even though he hit more than 400 home runs, a bunch of them humongous shots, Kingman's never going to make it into the Hall of Fame. To most people he was this giant guy with a wild swing, and all he did was either hit home runs or strike out.
External links
- Scheinblum blog
- Scheinblum website
- "Scheinblum Thinks Nike Players are Above Par", Philadelphia Daily NewsPhiladelphia Daily NewsThe Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The newspaper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Daily News began publishing on March 31, 1925, under...
, June 12, 1995