Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

sports:

Golf long drive event set for Las Vegas Paiute

Jamie Sadlowski

Special to the Sun

Jamie Sadlowski is looking to win his third world title Tuesday night. The event will be televised live at 7 p.m. on Golf Channel from the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort. Admission is free, plus juniors get a free hat at the Callaway Golf Junior Golf Show starting at 5:30 p.m.

They hit the golf ball more than 400 yards off the tee with swing speeds between 143 and 150 mph. With each swing, the crowd — unlike most golf events — is encouraged by organizers to get more spirited.

On Tuesday, eight long-drivers will compete in the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, using their power to blast tee shots into the Las Vegas night.

Officials want you to be part of event, which will be televised be Golf Channel.

It’s free to the public and designed for fans to enthusiastically cheer from start to finish. The long-drivers are competing for a winner-take-all prize of $250,000.

“There’s a lot at stake and a ton of pressure, so watching to find out which one of these players can fight through his nerves to capture a championship will make for compelling competition,” said Keith Allo, vice president of the Golf Channel, in a statement.

Last year, Tim Burke’s drive of 427 yards was a championship-round record in winning the title. In a Mesquite qualifier, Joe Miller blasted multiple balls 469 yards, and Jamie Sadlowski cleared 440 yards. Burke, who didn’t qualify for this year’s finals, set another record in qualifying with a ball speed of 227.8 mph.

By comparison, the best driving distance average on the PGA Tour is

Patrick Rodgers at 318 yards. And in the 2014 PGA season, Bubba Watson had the fasted swing speed at 124 mph, or about 20 mph less than a long-driver participant.

The long-driver event is broken into three rounds. Each driver gets six shots per round.

The long-driving league started in 1975. Participation has tripled and prize money has increased five-fold, according to a press release.

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