The spectacle of the Long Drive (longest ball in golf) comes for the first time to Spain thanks to the Long Drive European Tour (LDET), which will hold the SPANISH LDET CHAMPIONSHIP, one of the qualifying events of its championship, in Mijas (Malaga). The competition will take place on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th September, and will bring together the best hitters in Europe in this discipline such as Joe Miller (UK, 2010 World Champion and new European Champion 2013), Andreas Persson (SWE), Dan Konyk (UK), Eric Houballah (FRA, European Senior Champion), Jorgen Trank (SWE) or John McSloy (SCO), among others. The LDET arrives in Andalusia in the final stretch of the championship, and in a first year of the circuit in which it has reaped a great success of participation in different countries. The Spanish stop will be the ninth round of the competition, the fourth in its outdoor modality, which has already passed through Manchester (UK), Lund and Malmoe (Sweden) and Celadna (Czech Republic).
The SPANISH LDET CHAMPIONSHIP in Mijas will be decisive 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, Miller and McSloy-, who will be ready to show their great talent. They will not have it easy, because there are other hitters like Alex Boltenstern, Dan Konyk or Jorgen Trank, who are above 1,000 points and can surprise. All of them have great records of between 326 and 376 yards in their hits.
A luxury setting
Mijas Golf International (pictured) is one of the most popular golf courses on the Costa del Sol. Los Lagos will be the venue for the competition, a 52-hectare course, with wide fairways bordered by numerous lakes. It is a course that has been completely rebuilt only a year ago, maintaining the original design of the American Robert Trent Jones. The hole chosen for the competition was number 13, as it has the length (535-520-465y) and the necessary incentives for the development of the game. Official Sponsors of LDET: www.europeanlongdrivers.com © LONG DRIVERS EUROPEAN TOUR
Tournament operation
On Friday afternoon, the 6th, the players will have the opportunity to take measurements of the competition terrain, as the 13th hole has some added difficulties such as the narrowness of it, and the trees and bunkers strategically located in the fall of the drive. It will be the moment for training and for them to get to know the novelties of different golf brands that will offer them a special fitting day. It should not be forgotten that the equipment is of great importance for the elite golf professionals, and even more so for those who are dedicated to the long drive.
Saturday September 7th will be the big day of the SPANISH LDET CHAMPIONSHIP. At 11 o’clock the show will begin with the competition of amateur players, to which any golf lover who has the ambition to test his drive can sign up. And, later, the professional players will face each other through a competition system like the Champions League in soccer.
There will be four rounds in different groups in which each player will hit six balls, and the distance of the longest ball within the limits of the course will always count. From this preliminary phase, the qualified hitters will compete in the round of 16, quarterfinals (8), semifinals (4) and/or final (2) of the tournament. The competition is conceived as a show, so the public, players and accredited media will be able to enjoy a great atmosphere and live music (DJ’s). There will be bar service for spectators (with terrace, gin and tonic and vodka tasting, soft drinks and snacks). Admission for the general public is free.
The best players in Europe
The players on the circuit are professional golfers who have hundreds of hours under their belts hitting thousands of balls, and who work tenaciously in search of the fastest and most perfect shot. Sweden’s Andreas Persson currently leads the LDET ranking with 2,300 points. Persson is having a great season and, despite the competition he has, he doesn’t want the title to slip through their fingers. “A long driver is much faster than a normal golfer. And usually we are also good golfers with 5-10 hcp. I have a +0.5 hcp”, tells us the Swede, who is hitting close to 400 yards, a spectacular distance within the reach of very few.
British Joe Miller is second in the LDET ranking. Miller is a world champion and one of the top hitters on the circuit. He has won the last three tournaments on the European tour and is ready to take the title this season. His list of honors includes the 2012 RE/MAX WLDC Finals Mesquite. “I train three to four hours a day, six days a week. I take it very seriously and enjoy the challenge of preparing and improving my long drive,” Miller explains.
Northern Europe is a great breeding ground for the Long Drive, and John McSloy is a good example of this. The Scottish player has been in virtually every tournament final on the circuit and is a puncher in capital letters: his balls shoot out at over 200 mph. “I always have an obsessive determination to improve my technique and body along with a commitment to never give up,” says McSloy.
Alexander Boltenstern (Sweden), Jorgen Trank (Sweden), Dan Konyk (UK) or Eric Houballah (France), are also some of the names of the circuit. You can find more information about all the players and check the ranking on our website: www.europeanlongdrivers.com.
Succulent prizes and gifts
Apart from scoring points based on the classification of each tournament, the LDET is the only circuit in the world of this type of golf that awards monetary prizes to its professionals in each competition. In Mijas, the first four will have cash prizes (€1500, €750, €500 and €250, respectively) and will also be eligible to get other gifts such as a Samsung Galaxy Tab2 7.0 courtesy of SAMSUNG, the longest ball of the day; a complete set of LOUDMOUTH clothing; and packs of Five MySP Long Drive Golf (pro) for the first three, among many other prizes. The overall winner of the Long Drive European Tour will win a substantial prize of 10,000 euros.
Players in the amateur category will also be eligible for different prizes such as a Hotel Package, courtesy of OBSIDO HOTELS, or a Five MySP Long Drive Golf pack (pro), among other gifts.
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