The Long Drive show (longest golf ball) arrives for the first time in Spain thanks to the Long Drivers European Tour (LDET), which held SPANISH LDET CHAMPIONSHIP, one of the events, in Mijas (Málaga). The competition will take place on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th of September, and will bring the best hitters from Europe in this discipline such as Joe Miller (UK, 2010 World Champion and 2013 European Champion), Andreas Persson (SWE), Dan Konyk (UK), Eric Houballah (FRA, European Senior Champion), Jorgen Trank (SWE) and John McSloy (SCO), among others.
The LDET comes to Andalusia in the final stretch of the championship. The first year of the circuit has enjoyed great participation success in different countries. Spain will host the ninth round of the competition, the fourth in outdoor mode, which has already passed through Manchester (United Kingdom), Lund and Malmö (Sweden) and Celadna (Czech Republic).
The Mijas SPANISH LDET CHAMPIONSHIP will be crucial to decide this season’s champion, as the ranking is tighter and more exciting than ever, with three players in the top three positions -Persson, McSloy and Miller, who will come prepared to prove their great talent.
They will face tough competition, because there are other hitters like Alex Boltenstern, Dan Konyk or Jorgen Trank, who are above 1,000 points and may display good performances. They all have great records between 326 and 376 yards in their stuck.
A luxurious setting
The Mijas Golf International is one of the most popular golf courses on the Costa del Sol. Los Lagos will host the competition; it is a 52 hectares field with wide streets lined up with numerous lakes. This is a field that has been fully rebuilt only a year ago, maintaining the original design by American Robert Trent Jones. The chosen hole for the competition was the number 13 because of the length (535-520-465y) and the incentives for the development of the game.
Tournament Operation
On Friday 6th, players will have the opportunity to start the competition, as the hole 13 has some additional difficulties such as its narrowness, and trees and bunkers strategically placed drive in the fall. It will be time for training and to learn about the news from different golf brands who offer a special fitting day. Needless to say, equipment is very important for elite golf professionals, and more so for those who engage in long drive.
On Saturday 7th, will be the day of SPANISH LDET CHAMPIONSHIP. The show will start at 11.00 AM with the amateurs competition, who can join and register any golf lovers who haves the ambition to test their drive. After that, the tournament will see professional players through a system of competition like the football’s European Champions League. There will be four rounds in groups in which each player will hit six balls, always counting the distance of the longest ball within the boundaries. In this early stage, hitters will contest the second round qualifiers to (16), quarter (8) semifinal (4) and/or the end (2) of the tournament.
The competition is designed as a show, so that the public, players and accredited media can enjoy a great atmosphere and live music (DJ’s). Bar service will be available to the public (with terrace, and tasting of gin and tonics, vodka, soda drinks and snacks). Admission for the general public is free.
Europe’s Best Players
Tour players are professional golfers that have hundreds of hours under their belt hitting thousands of balls, and working tenaciously for the perfect beat. Swede Andreas Persson leads right now LDET ranking with 2,300 points. Persson is having a great season and, despite competition, he does not want to lose the title. “A long driver is much faster than a regular golfer. And usually, we are also good golfers with 5-10 hcp. I have a +0.5 hcp”, says the Swede, who is hitting close to 400 yards, a spectacular distance available only to a very few.
The British Joe Miller is second in the ranking LDET. Miller is World Champion and one of the most outstanding hitters of the circuit. He has won the last three tournaments of the European tour and is willing to take the title this season. He has reached the RE/MAX Finals Mesquite WLDC 2010. “I’m training three to four hours a day, six days a week. I take it very seriously and I enjoy the challenge to prepare and improve my long drive”, explains Miller. Northern Europe is a great rank for the Long Drive, and John McSloy is a good example of this. The Scottish player has been in almost every final of tournaments and he is a hitter with added value: he is able to shoot at a speed over 200 mph. “I have always obsessive determination to improve my technique and my body along with the commitment to never give up”, said McSloy.
Alexander Boltenstern (Sweden), Jorgen Trank (Sweden), Dan Konyk(United Kingdom) and Eric Houballah (France), are also some of the names on the circuit. You can find more information on all the players and see the ranking on our website: www.europeanlongdrivers.com.
Photo: Raquel Mateos