Thousands of competitors have been whittled down to the final ten in each category of the American Golf U.K. Long Drive Championship.
With six qualifiers hitting over 400 yards, record qualifying distances, thousands of returning American Golf long drivers and competitors from all over the world, the final of the American Golf U.K. Long Drive Championship is set to be the most competitive ever seen when American Golf and Callaway welcome the finalists to Chester Racecourse on August 2nd .
With thousands of golfers taking part over the past 3 months, qualification for the American Golf Long Drive Championship final has thrown up some incredible distances from the U.K.’s biggest hitters and beyond. Topping the pile in the Under 45 category is 2016 runner up Dave Evans from Bedford. Dave hit a new record for store qualifying with an incredible 419 yard monster, finishing just ahead of tournament newcomer Jordan Brooks from Tamworth with 412 yards. Upon learning of his #1 seeding Evans commented, “This is my third year in the finals and my seeding keeps going up! The American Golf Championship is the only long drive event I compete in and it’s great fun every year. I’ve been second and third over the past two years so I’ll be doing everything I can to go one better and take home top prize in Chester.”
In the Ladies Championship 2017 finalist, 18 yr old Olivia Rael-Brook has clearly put work in over the past year, topping the pile with 291 yards. The student from London, who plays off 6, will certainly provide stiff competition for returning champion Ilona Stubley having topped an impressive list of returning Long Drivers including No. 2 qualifier and 2017 semi-finalist, Becki O’Grady.
The Over 45’s were just as competitive with second place qualifier from 2017 William Hunt-Tyrell going one better with 367 yards to lead the pack. Only 38 yards separate the rest of the pack with familiar faces such as 206 winner Steve Kent and perennial runner up Dave Willmore making the final with 349 and 351 yards respectively.
After watching qualifying come to a close, Matt Bacon, Head of Events at American Golf couldn’t hide his excitement for the action to come, “Although we’ve seen golfers from all over the world fly in to take part this competition is all about the huge numbers of loyal American Golf customers who come back year after year to compete in store. Having Callaway as sponsor has been a huge draw this year and with them involved the mixture of talent we have has raised the bar for the competition. I can’t wait to get all of the qualifiers to Chester racecourse to compete for what is now without a doubt Europe’s most prestigious long drive title.”
Nathan Dennis, Retail Marketing Manager at Callaway Golf, the 2018 tournament sponsor, added, “It’s been fantastic seeing so many golfers trying the new Callaway Rogue Drivers to give themselves the best chance of qualifying in store and we can’t wait to greet all of the qualifiers at Chester Racecourse for what promises to be an incredible final. It’s a real pleasure for Callaway to be at the heart of helping so many people get the best out of their game and this tournament has been a perfect example of what our Jailbreak Technology can do to unlock golfer’s distance potential.”
The 2018 Under 45, Over 45 and Ladies finals will be shown on Sky Sports. Spectator entry to the final, to be held at Chester Racecourse on August 2nd, will be completely free and all are welcome. The Long Drive Championship is one part of American Golf’s drive to get more people hitting more balls and for 2018 those balls have been going a very long way!