The 2017 American Golf Long Drive Championship was filled with surprises, upsets, new talent and record drives.
A staggering 5,000 people took part in the third annual American Golf Long Drive Championship, but after all was said and done in the final at the spectacular Heytrop Hall, the victors were Dan Konyk (Under 45s), Ilona Stubley (Ladies) and Charles Seo (Over 45s).
Each winner now heads to the Volvik World Long Drive Championships in a few weeks time.
In the U45 category, although Max Armstrong set the pace with a 454-yard monster, the match of the day was fought out between 2016 champion Lucas Dornan and 2015 champion Dan Konyk.
Following social media sparring in the run up to the final, the competition was fierce. Both had seeded with 420 yards and it took a sudden death hit off to separate the pair before Konyk progressed, to the delight of the crowd.
Konyk then went from strength to strength, before taking down German contender Timo Petrasch in the final with a 401-yard hit.
“To win qualification for the World Championships is a great opportunity and I can’t wait to represent American Golf at the highest level,” said Konyk.
“This will be my 13th World Championships and if I can carry this form forward to the US then I’ve got a real chance of bringing the title home.”
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The Ladies competition proved just as enthralling as reigning champion and current world number three Rebecca McGinley was deposed in the quarter finals by Becki O’Grady.
O’Grady couldn’t quite continue her form in the semi finals, however, as she came up against 14-year-old wonder kid Elle Gibson, who proved a model of consistency all day, hitting 300 yards on multiple occasions with a smooth, fluid golf swing.
But the only player able to compete in consistency and numbers was Ilona Stubley, who struck a stunning 338-yard drive in seeding.
The 33-year-old Glaswegian kept pace with Gibson, with both players taking a set each in the final with drives of 300 yards. In the deciding set Gibson set a target of 299 yards. but Stubley edged that by eight yards to land the spoils.
“All day Elle was hitting great, so I knew the final would be tough,” said Stubley.”
“In the third set, I was pleased that I was hitting second as I prefer to chase down a score and knowing what I have to do to win. To win it with a drive of 307 yards was a great feeling as I was still able to hit a good distance when the pressure was on and made all the hard work leading up to the event worthwhile.”
And the over 45s category proved just as impressive as the others before it, especially given the category saw its first 400-plus yard drive when William Hunt Tyrell marked his return from retirement with 413-yard bomb in the first round.
But despite Tyrell’s best efforts, the final was won by popular Londone Charles Seo who ousted David Willmore.
Seo, who put his success down to a new training regime, explained how he had finally fulfilled a childhood ambition having agonisingly fallen short for the title in recent years.
“I’ve been playing golf for over 40 years and this really is my dream come true,” said Seo.
“I’ve always been the longest hitter between my friends and thought I would be good at long drive, but to actually win the American Golf UK Championship is an amazing feeling.
“I’ve come so close over the last three years. I lost in the final in 2015 and the semi-final in 2016 so I’ve been training hard for this year. I came up with my own special training in the swimming pool to improve my flexibility and it’s all paid off. I will just carry on working hard now and if I hit as well in the World Championships I will have a real chance.”
“This event keeps getting better but I don’t think anyone expected what we’ve seen here today,” said American Golf’s director of marketing Daniel Gathercole.
“We started the American Golf Long Drive Championships three years ago to encourage more people to get out hitting balls and having some fun.
“This year we’ve had over 5,000 people take part and this really has become the premier long drive event in Europe.
“It’s such a competitive environment but every player has shown fantastic sportsmanship and support for each other. I’m very proud of what American Golf has achieved with this Championship and hope to go even bigger with it next year.”
For more information about the event visit www.americangolf.co.uk