History of the World Long Drive

The RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships is an annual golfing event, which has been held in the USA and Canada for the past 17 years.

The championship was successfully brought to South Africa for the first time in 1998 by RE/MAX of Southern Africa in association with Dale Hayes Golf Events.

The RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship evolved out of the National Long Drive Championship, which ran from 1975 through 1993 under the aegis of "Golf Digest." That competition launched the careers of such well-known and well-respected long drivers as Mike Dunaway, Evan "Big Cat" Williams, Wedgy Winchester, Terry Forcum and six competitors who have subsequently been elected to the LDA Hall of Fame - Sean Fister, Scott DeCandia, Mike Gorton, Michael Hooper, Art Sellinger and Bobby Wilson.

Since RE/MAX International became the title sponsor in 1995, the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship has evolved from a low-key event to the premier grass-roots golf event in the world – one that includes golfers from virtually every corner of the globe, and one whose finals are televised annually on ESPN and ESPN2.

One dramatic change in long driving during the RE/MAX era has been the longer distances posted by champions. Just as PGA Tour players drive the ball appreciably longer on average than they did a decade ago, long drivers have also kicked their games up a notch.

Whereas drives of 297 meters in the 1980s and early 1990s gave hitters a chance at making money, today's power hitters typically need to post at least 320 or 330 meters to advance in the qualifying rounds. At the RE/MAX world finals in Mesquite, long drive champions are more apt to finish closer to the 365-metre mark than the 275-metre mark.

Golfers from a dozen countries compete every October at the Long Drive finals in Mesquite, Nevada. The 2005 finals were played October 22 at The Palms Golf Club. Sean "The Beast" Fister of Little Rock, Ark., won the 2005 Open Division title with a blast of 345 meters and collected $100,000 from the record purse of $450,000.

Other 2005 champions included Stacey Shinnick of Encino, California, in the Women's Division (284m); Gerry James of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., in the Seniors Division (335m); and Steve Griffith of Hamilton, Ohio in the Super Seniors Division (292m).

South African contenders to keep your eyes on at this year’s event include: Nathaniel Barnes, Roberto Lupini and Johann du Plessis in the Open Division; Carolyn Wood, Nicole Loesch and Morganna Robbertza in the Women’s Division and Mark Springer, Koos Nel and Robin Bruce in the Senior’s Division.