Carly Booth bombs it

With 400 yard bombs, Tour players and over 5000 entrants, The 2017 American Golf Long Drive Championship is breaking all records.

With five qualifiers over 400 yards, record qualifying distances in each category and an unprecedented level of competition, American Golf has confirmed the line–up of competitors who will take on the reigning champions at the final of the American Golf Long Drive Championship.

With over 5000 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 finalist John McSloy from Glasgow who sent out a 415 yard monster, just ahead of 2016 runner up Dave Evans, with 412.

389 yards is the cut off for U45 qualifiers this year, with the bottom players clinging on in a 4 way tie at a distance 6 yards further than the longest hit in last year’s final!

In the Ladies Championship there will be some real competition for reigning champion and world No.3 Rebecca McGinley, after LET Tour player Carly Booth threw her hat in the ring at last chance qualifying in London.

After proceeding through to the regional final, Carly tops the ladies leader board with 304 yards. The next 9 qualifiers, including fellow Tour player Michele Thomson are separated by just 16 yards setting up a final that is sure to be hotly contested.

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.

After watching qualifying come to a close at the Manchester Golf Show, Daniel Gathercole, Director of Marketing and Communications at American Golf commented, “The standard of qualifying this year has been incredible. To have over 5000 entrants has surpassed all our expectations and really shows the growing popularity of Long Drive since we introduced the Championship in 2015. There's been record distances in every category, we’ve got finalists who flew in from Germany to just hit 6 balls to qualify, we’ve got Tour players, teaching Pro’s, one guy off +5 and a healthy dose of club golfers who just hit a very long ball. This Championship really has brought every type of golfer together and we can’t wait to find our 3 Champions in front of Sky Sports’ cameras at Heythrop Park in August who’ll go on to represent the U.K. and American Golf at the World Championships.” 

Qualifiers in the 3 categories will battle it out at new final venue – Heythrop Park in Oxfordshire – on Friday 4^th August. Spectator entry to the final will be completely free. 

Under 45 Category

Pos. / Player / Yards

1 John McSloy 415

2 David Evans 412

3 James Fawssett 405

4 Vincent Palm 403

5 Dan Konyk 401

T6 Adam Stacey 397

T6 Alex Robertson 397

8 Matt Blair 392

T9 Adam Hussain 389

T9 Mark Thompson 389

T9 Nigel Hunt 389

T9 Timo Petrasch 389

 

Ladies Category

Pos. / Player / Yards

1 Carly Booth 304

T2 Ilona Stubley 274

T2 Sanni Kamarainen 274

4 Rebecca O'Grady 271

5 Michelle Thomson 270

T6 Bronwyn Davies 269

T6 Marie Simonsen 269

8 Vicki Johnson 268

9 Rhian Barton 267

T10 Abbi Rowlands 258

T10 Rachael McQueen 258

 

Over 45 Category

Pos. / Player / Yards

1 Sean McCormack 387

2 William Hunt-Tyrell 369

3 Paul Slater 362

4 Steve Kent 355

5 Gavin Beddow 350

T6 Charles Seo 342

T6 Iain Davidson 342

8 Ian Howard 341

9 Karl Bowker 336

10 David Willmore 334

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