Mention of the world's leading player brought a gently dismissive, almost embarrassed response. "Tiger Woods wouldn't really be in the same league as me," said Willie Hunt-Tyrrell. "Don't get me wrong, he's undoubtedly a better golfer, but he can't hit the ball as far."

And what about John Daly, who led the driving distance on the USPGA Tour last year with an average smash of 301.4 yards? "Well, the same would apply to him."

As local heroes go, they don't come more clean-cut than Hunt-Tyrrell, who was born and reared in Arklow, where he runs a building contracting business. Standing 6ft 4ins and weighing 16st 11lbs, he has made the Royal and Ancient game an athletic pursuit, to spectacular effect.

With an extraordinary carry of 353.35 yards (yes, carry), he set a new Irish long-driving record in April of this year, on the 10th fairway of Arklow GC, where he's a member. "The previous record was 311 yards of carry and I broke it at 7.0 in the evening, with the temperature at six degrees," he said. "We had spotters to certify exactly where the ball landed."

And for good measure, in a manner of speaking, the effort was endorsed by JP Byrne and Partners Ltd, consulting engineers and project managers in Arklow.

Six months down the road he is currently in far-off Nevada, where he will be attempting over the four days from tomorrow to win a world title which would effectively make him a millionaire.

Success would mean forfeiting his amateur status, but 30-year-old Hunt-Tyrrell is prepared to make that sacrifice in pursuit of his dream. Indeed he could one day achieve the legendary status of Walter Zuback, who likened himself to a cartoon super-hero after winning the world title for a fourth successive year in 1999.

A diminutive 5ft 10ins, in contrast to the tall Hunty-Tyrell, Zuback went from full-time pharmacist in the modest town of Drayton Valley in Canada, to sporting celebrity through of his long-driving prowess.

This status was secured in 1998 by a winning effort of 361 yards, nine yards clear of his closest challenger.

But what about Tiger Woods? "Look, he'd be hitting about 330 yards; I'm hitting 370-plus," said the Arklow five-handicapper. "I think the furthest Tiger ever registered was about 370 and that was flat-out, in hot conditions. I drove the fifth hole (360 yards) here at Arklow last weekend." He went on: "I don't think physically he can hit the ball any further, because he's twisting his hips in too far and knocking his body out of alignment. That's what I'd see."

Hunt-Tyrrell then demonstrated his interpretation of the method employed by the world number one. And in the course of the practice swing he removed a divot of the finest Wicklow turf, sufficiently large to renovate an average par-three tee at the end of a busy day's play.

Then came a few warm-up shots, prompting memories of the 1997 US Masters when, having played alongside Woods for the first time, Nick Faldo was moved to enthuse about "serious shoulder speed". And Hunt-Tyrrell is remarkably orthodox, from his neutral grip to a backswing which takes the club only slightly past the horizontal, nowhere near the extremes of Daly.

Dramatic clubhead speed is achieved by his height, which gives him a large arc and athleticism which allows him to create a full shoulder turn while keeping his left heel firmly planted on the ground. Then there are what he describes as his quick-twitch muscles. "According to experts who have tested me, the density of my muscle fibre is the highest you can get," he said.

Having started golf at Arklow GC as a 12-year-old, he was playing off a senior handicap of five three years later. "I was always a long hitter," he said. "In fact at 15 I could drive the ball over 350 yards."

He continued: "My father, who loves all sport, started me off at golf, even though he doesn't play the game. And he also trained me in the discus and shot-putt, which I turned to later in my teens. What he always emphasised most was the importance of a power position, whether you were hitting a golf ball or throwing the discus."

Having turned to athletics, Hunt-Tyrrell enjoyed success at under-18, under-19 and under-23 levels, as a member of the local St Benedict's club in Arklow. In fact he won a total of 30 all-Ireland medals and three international medals at the discus and shot.

But he eventually returned to golf as a 24-year-old and on rejoining Arklow golf club, was soon playing off five once more. And by this stage, his awesome power became a major talking-point in the clubhouse, which was hardly surprising, given that he drove every hole on the course, with the exception of the three par fives.

Eventually, after playing in a corporate outing at Woodenbridge last year, he began to think about his power-hitting in competitive terms. "They had the usual longest drive as part of the day's fun and I won it by about 50 yards," he said.

That led him to the finals of the Irish Remax Long-Driving Championship at Druids Glen last autumn, but he couldn't compete, not having gone through the qualifying process.

An Austrian professional by the name of Walter Greenburger won the Irish title at Druids Glen and went on to represent this country in last year's international finals in the US. "That's when I thought, 'I'm going to do this'," said Hunt-Tyrrell.

"So I went to Fore Golf in Naas, where Don and Derek Murray prepared my equipment."

The result was a fearsome-looking weapon with an ultra-stiff (XXX rating) - effectively rigid as far as you and I would be concerned - 50-inch Penley graphite shaft and a head with a five-degree loft. (He has since changed to an XXX Harrison shaft and travelled to Nevada with six driver-heads, varying in loft from three to 7 1/2 degrees).

He visited Enniscorthy golf club professional Martin Sludds for tuition and by May of this year he was ready for the Irish qualifiers at Kilkenny golf club.

He got through with the greatest of ease, after hitting a drive of 356 yards into a gentle breeze.

That led him to the national finals at Slieve Russell last month, and Greenburger was there to defend his title. Hunt-Tyrrell won with a drive of 360 yards, carry and roll.

Explaining his technique, he said: "Don't mind what they say about drawing the ball. The longest shot is the one that's hit without spin, dead-straight." And, quite correctly, he considers himself fortunate to have this as his natural shot, given that the late Henry Cotton is said to have had that facility; the only leading professional with it.

So, what will he face in Las Vegas? "There's a grid 40 yards wide, which starts 250 yards from the tee," he replied. "You get six balls which you hit consecutively, in only one direction. And you've got a time limit of five minutes."

He went on: "The longest hit in the world championships was 376 yards by Zuback in 1999, but I'm hitting between 365 and 370 here in practice, so I think I can get close to 400 over there. After all, I've been doing this for little more than a year and I'm improving all the time."

There's a guaranteed prize of $10,000 for finalists and a top prize of $80,000 for the winner. But that's small beer compared with the huge endorsements which shaft, club and ball manufacturers are prepared to offer the world's biggest hitter.

Down beyond the first green at Arklow, the sea was glistening under a bright, autumn sun. Having looked out over the deserted links from the elevated eighth tee, Hunt-Tyrrell set himself up for one of his specials.

The back was coiled and then released to the crack of club on ball. The sphere took off in the direction of the first fairway and went on and on before disappearing from view.

The big man smiled and thought of a place where, in the words of the American poet Robert Service, "only the strong shall thrive". And of a golfing jackpot.