Divisions Changed, Exemptions Announced
ROANOKE, TEXAS – Worldwide qualifying for the 2007 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship begins February 9-11 at the Palms GC in Mesquite, Nevada, with the second annual Diamond in the Desert Classic (DDC).
Top DDC finishers will earn exemptions to the 2007 RE/MAX world finals, which return to Mesquite on October 22-27 for the championship run.
The RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship is open to professional and amateur golfers alike. Competition takes place in five adult divisions: open, senior (45-52), super seniors (53-60), grand champions (61-up) and women.
The grand champions division is being introduced in 2007, while the age limits have been modified for both the senior division and super seniors.
Roanoke-based Long Drivers of America (LDA) organizes and conducts the annual RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship, which features qualifying events in 30-plus nations worldwide.
Local entry fees for each qualifying try are $40 for open and senior competitors, $30 for super seniors, grand champions and women.
Entering its 13th year with RE/MAX International as title sponsor, the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship is the premier event in power golf. It grew out of the U.S. National Long Drive Championship, which was conducted in the mid-1970s by Golf Digest magazine.
LDA also announced today that 2007 exemptions have been awarded to the following long drive competitors:
Open Division – Brian Pavlet, Kevin Blenkhorn
Senior Division – Ted Fostey, Frank Miller
Super Seniors – Bobby Furnatter
Grand Champions – Rick Barry
Women – Lisa Vlooswyk
Previously exempt to the 2007 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship finals, based on their past performance at LDA-sanctioned events, are 39 competitors. They include:
Open Division (16)
Kevin Bullard
Clayton Burger
Mike Dobbyn
John Downey
Sean Fister
Derek Hines
Patrick Hopper
Eric Lastowka
Danny Luirette
Allen McDougall
David Mobley
Tom Roskos
Adam Stacey
Baden Waiwai
Carl Wolter
Jason Zuback
Senior Division (10)
Dan Boever
Scott DeCandia
Pat Dempsey
Joe Hajduch
Gerry James
Eric Jones
Doug Penneman
Gary Ramirez
Bobby Wilson
Kevin Wolfe
Super Seniors (5)
Mike Gorton
Steve Griffith
Bill Droege
Michael Hooper
Doug Miller
Grand Champions (1)
Fred Hooter
Women (7)
Nancy Abiecunas
Lee Brandon
Sally Dee
Jackelyn Diekemper
Pam Garrity
Phillis Meti
Stacey Shinnick
LDA officials indicated the number of competitors in each division at the 2007 RE/MAX WLDC finals will be:
Open – 128
Senior – 64
Super Seniors – 32
Grand Champions – 32
Women – 32
The 2007 RE/MAX WLDC purse will be announced later this year. Defending 2006 RE/MAX world long drive champions are Jason Zuback (who won his record fifth open title); Gerry James (who won his second straight senior title); Doug Miller (super seniors) and Phillis Meti (women).
For complete information on 2007 RE/MAX WLDC qualifying sites and dates, visit www.longdrivers.com.
Contact:
Russ Pate
(214) 349-3603
Steve Wiley
(888) 233-4654
