Championship belt and $250,000 winner-take-all prize at stake for eight finalists competing in stadium setting under the lights of Las Vegas; Golf Channel’s Ryan Burr, Lauren Thompson and Michael Breed will call the live action
ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 30, 2014) – For the men who live to hit it long, the culmination of a dream can be realized on Tuesday night, Nov. 4, when eight of the longest hitters in the world will showcase the raw power that each hopes will earn him the championship belt and the winner-take-all prize of $250,000 at the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship, airing live on Golf Channel at 10 p.m. ET.
The two-hour, live finale will originate from a competition set at the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, where the finalists will hit their drives – requiring both distance and accuracy – in excess of 400 yards from a custom-made platform on to a Championship grid surrounded by thousands of spirited fans.
“There’s a lot at stake and a ton of pressure, so watching which one of these players can fight through his nerves and emotions to capture a world championship will make for a very compelling competition,” said Keith Allo, vice president of Original Productions, Golf Channel. “Add the lights, Las Vegas, head-to-head competition and the live ‘perform or go home’ atmosphere, and this will be high-drama at its best.”
The RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship identifies the longest golfer on earth and offers sports fans a chance to witness players who generate mammoth swing speeds of 150 mph and ball speeds of 220 mph. In comparison, the highest average swing speed on the PGA TOUR last season was 124 mph generated by Bubba Watson. His fastest swing of the year was 127 mph. Long drive athletes train and prepare all year for the chance to take a swing at becoming the World Long Drive Champion. Specialized training allows long drive athletes to generate maximum ball and swing speeds, and focus solely on maximizing distance during competition. The golf equipment used in Long Drive competition conforms to regulations for all golfers set forth by the United States Golf Association.
Golf Channel anchor Ryan Burr will provide play-by-play; Michael Breed, host of The Golf Fix, will offer analysis on the driving grid; and Lauren Thompson, co-host of Morning Drive, will handle interviews. Art Sellinger, long-drive pioneer, two-time national long-drive champion and owner of the Long Drivers of America, also will be on hand to provide long drive analysis.
The longest eight golfers on Earth competing will be:
• Daniel Beckman, 30, Fresno, California
• Jeff Crittenden, 43, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Jeff Flagg, 29, Pelham, Alabama
• Matt Hanger, 30, Anaheim, California
• Joe Miller, 29, London, England
• Connor Powers, 30, Naperville, Illinois
• Jamie Sadlowski , 26, St. Paul, Alberta, Canada
• Adam Smith, 24, Tomball, Texas
Miller won the world title in 2010 and was undefeated in 2014 on the Long Drivers European Tour, where he has captured 12 titles. He finished as the runner-up at the 2013 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship to Tim Burke, who hit a world-record drive of 427 yards to win the title. Burke failed to qualify for a return trip to Las Vegas. Sadlowski, who famously broke two simulators during appearances on Golf Channel, is a two-time world champion and is making his eighth-straight appearance in the final – the longest active streak.
The head-to-head format will provide some dramatic pairings from the beginning of the show, including former World Champions Joe Miller and Jamie Sadlowski going up against each other in what could be one of the most exciting matches of the night. Players are allowed six shots in each match, played three at a time. The highest-seeded player gets to choose to hit first or second.
Match 1: Matt Hanger vs. Jeff Crittenden
Match 2: Joe Miller vs. Jamie Sadlowski
Match 3: Jeff Flagg vs. Daniel Beckman
Match 4: Adam Smith vs. Connor Powers
In October 2012, Long Drivers of America announced a new, three-year broadcast partnership with Golf Channel, which moved the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship to air live on the network after 17 years on ESPN. This annual world championship of long driving has taken place each year since 1975 and attracts competitors from all over the world. Participation in competitions has nearly tripled and prize money has increased five-fold.
ABOUT GOLF CHANNEL
Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. Golf Channel, co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and now part of the NBC Sports Group, is available in more than 120 million homes and 83 countries worldwide. Exclusive partnerships with the world’s top tours allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, as well as a programming schedule distinguished by golf’s highest-quality news, instruction and original programming. Golf Channel’s digital platforms, headed by GolfChannel.com, are the leading golf destinations on the Internet, delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf. Fans are able to enjoy 24/7 live streaming of Golf Channel content through Golf Live Extra and select programming is simulcast via SiriusXM’s PGA TOUR Radio. In addition, Golf Channel connects the world to golf through a wide array of digital services including Golf Channel Mobile; GolfNow, the world’s largest online booking platform; GolfAdvisor.com, a golf course ratings and review portal; the interactive Golf Channel Academy instructional app; and the Golf Channel Am Tour, the world’s largest amateur golf tour.
ABOUT LONG DRIVERS OF AMERICA
Long Drivers of America is a dynamic golf event company that specializes in producing events for long drive professionals. The company is owned and operated by long drive pioneer Art Sellinger. Founded in 1995 and based in Roanoke, Texas, LDA is best known for staging the annual RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship, the premier event in power golf. For more information, visit www.longdrivers.com and follow @LongDriversUSA and Facebook.com/LongDrivers.
ABOUT THE RE/MAX NETWORK
Celebrating 40 years of real estate history, RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger. These two real estate industry visionaries still lead the Denver-based global franchisor today. RE/MAX is recognized as the leading real estate franchise brand with the most productive sales force in the industry and a global reach of more than 90 countries. Nobody sells more real estate than RE/MAX. With a passion for the communities in which its agents live and work, RE/MAX is proud to have raised more than $130 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals®, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and other charities. For more information about RE/MAX, to search home listings or find an agent in your community, please visit www.remax.com.
ABOUT THE LAS VEGAS CONVENTION AND VISITORS AUTHORITY
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With more than 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 10.8 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA’s mission centers on attracting ever?increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.LasVegas.com.
Contact:
Dan Higgins
Golf Channel Communications
Dan.Higgins@GolfChannel.com
407-355-4018