The 3rd annual American Golf Long Drive Championship comes to its climax on Friday August 4th at Oxfordshire’s stunning Heythrop Park Golf Club.
Spectators can expect 400 yard bombs and a few surprises as European Long Drive Champions, Tour players and brand new talent battle it out for the coveted titles. Entry to the event, which runs throughout the day, is free and the first 100 through the door will be treated to a drink courtesy of American Golf.
This year promises to be the most hotly contested so far. The defending champions really will have their work cut out as records tumbled in qualifying. EVERY qualifier in the U45 category has hit longer than the winning drive in 2016. Scotland’s John McSloy tops the leaderboard with a phenomenal 415-yard drive, but 5 of the U45s were hot on his heels hitting over 400 yards in qualifying, placing them in real contention.
Winners of the German, Estonian and Danish Long Drive European Tour events will be teeing up – for the first time - against competitors from Europe who travelled to the UK just to hit 6 balls in qualifying. Vincent Palm from Koblensk and Munich’s Timo Petrasch are both capable of hitting more than 420 yards – enough to win last year’s World Championship.
Two times American Golf Long Drive Champion and 3rd in the World, Rebecca McGinley, will be back to defend her title, but with fellow Tour players in contention, she must pull out her A game to take the title for the 3rd year in a row. The top ten ladies are separated by less than 20 yards, so whatever happens this will be a tight one to watch.
The Over 45 qualifiers weren’t left behind in the record breaking statistics with Sean McCormack from Dunblane registering 387 yards, ahead of William Hunt-Tyrell’s 369. Pro Golfer’s and past finalists pepper the qualifying field with five qualifiers registering 350+ and beaten 2016 finalist David Willmore creeping in at number 10 with 334 yards.
Over 5,000 people entered the competition this year, drawing entries from some of the very best hitters across Europe as well as the UK & Ireland. The American Golf Long Drive Championship is the only European qualifying event for the 2017 Volvik World Championships. The winners in each of the U45, Over 45 and Ladies categories will automatically qualify for the final which will take place in Oklahoma from Aug. 31st-Sept. 6th.
DATE: Friday, 4th August
LOCATION: Heythrop Park Golf Club
ENTRY: FREE
TIMINGS: 9.00 – 12.00 – Seeding & Elimination Rounds
12.00 – 14.00 – Quarter Finals
15.00 – 17.00 – Semi-Finals
17.30 – 19.30 – Finals
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