Toronto, Canada: Sept 29, 2004
Steve Nickerson Qualifies for the 2004 Re/Max World Long Drive Championship

"This is a real feel good story" says Ashton Golf Vice President Dennis Martini.

Steve Nickerson is a long drive professional and head pro at Eagle Creek Resort in Findlay, Illinois. Last year Steve competed at his second Re/Max World Long Drive Championship. After one of his rounds he headed back to his hotel to take a break from the hot desert sun. Unfortunately on the way he suffered a sever heart attack while driving in his car. He managed to get to a local hospital and luckily he was okay. He knew at that point that he would have to focus his attention to the two most important things in his life - his health and his family. Golf would have to take a back seat, perhaps forever.

After months of off season rehabilitation, exercise and diet, Steve felt he was getting back into competition shape. Unfortunately sponsors and a lot of his fellow competitors didn’t think so. He approached many different sponsors in the spring of 2004. " I love long drive and was not ready to give it up." says Nickerson. "I still felt that I had it in me to do well but no one else did. Cliff at Ashton and Jody at Accuflex were the only ones who would take a chance on me. I attribute my success this year to hard work, having the support of a loving family and having two great sponsors"

Steve joins a select group of elite long drivers on the Ashton Long Drive Team who have qualified for the 2004 Re/Max World Long Drive Championship. "I am happy to announce that over 90% of our Ashton team members qualified for this year’s finals. A staggering number, considering we are such a new company" Says Martini. "Our theory from the beginning was to assemble a team based on quality not quantity and I think we have done that. We are hoping for big things at next months finals."

Best of luck to Steve and the rest of the Ashton team in Mesquite.