ATLANTA – For the fifth time in her illustrious career (2006, 2016, 2018, 2022, 2024), Phillis Meti is a world champion. The world No. 2 captured the World Long Drive World Championship belt at Eagles Landing Country Club outside of Atlanta on Sunday, outdriving Mai Dechathipat in the final. World Long Drive (WLD) is the ultimate, full-throttle competition to see who can outlast their opponent by hitting a golf ball the farthest.
Along with Meti, Sean Johnson won his first career event and WLD World Championship on Sunday by securing the men’s Open Division title with a 411-yard drive to beat Jack Smith in the final round by one yard.
Meti, the top-seed entering the bracket-style final day, started with a quarterfinals win over Jeanine Minnick 339 yards to 323 yards. The next round was a rematch of the 2023 WLD World Championships final; Meti outlasted 2023 world champion Monica Lieving 316 to 313 yards. Meti, originally from New Zealand, then beat Mai Dechathipat in the final round with a 310-yard blast. Dechathipat had the longest drive of Sunday’s Women’s Division competition at 354 yards in the semifinals.
The World Championship was Meti’s first win of 2024. She is the world record holder for longest drive by a woman at 414 yards.
Johnson, a former baseball player at Ole Miss, outlasted James Tait in the quarterfinals with a 422-yard drive, then beat Scottie Pearman in the semifinals with a 426-yard drive, the longest drive of the day by any competitor. The World Championship belt barely eluded Johnson last year as he finished runner-up in 2023, losing by one yard, the same margin he won by this year.
LONGEST DRIVES BY DIVISION AT WLD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Open Division
Zack Holton – 430 yards
Women’s Division
Mai Dechathipat – 357 yards
MISCELLANEOUS
Colton Casto is the new world No. 1 in the men’s Open Division after finishing tied for 9th at the World Championships.
Sean Johnson improves from world No. 6 to world No. 2 in the men’s Open Division.
Sean Johnson averaged 394 yards per drive at the World Championships.
Phillis Meti averaged 314 yards per drive at the World Championships.
For more information: visit World Long Drive’s Website, Twitter, and Instagram.
About World Long Drive
The World Long Drive Championship is the largest annual domestic professional golf event not associated with the PGA of America, the PGA Tour, or the LPGA. It was first held in 1974, and since 2000 consisted of Open, Women’s, Seniors (over-45s), and Amateur events. The World Long Drive tour is comprised of over nine events domestically and over 30 events internationally all culminating for the season finale World Long Drive Championship. World Long Drive tour and championship is owned and operated by GF Sports and Entertainment based out of New York, NY.
World Long Drive has partnered with PIVOT Agency out of the San Francisco Bay area to reintroduce the brand and sport into the corporate market leveraging partner relationships.
PIVOT Agency is a full-service sports marketing agency, built at the nexus of brands and culture, and forming alliances between consumer brands, athletes, sports, the arts, causes, business and media. Today it has grown into four (4) unique and successful divisions, encompassing Property Representation, Brand Consulting, Travel and Hospitality. PIVOT’s property division consults with top organizations in the sports and entertainment world including GF Sports & Entertainment, Pro Pickleball Association, Athletes Unlimited, Cedar Fair, OpTic Gaming, NRG, Spacestation Gaming, Illinois State University and a growing portfolio of professional and collegiate properties.
About GF Sports and Entertainment
GF Sports & Entertainment is a global events and operations company that elevates the experience of live sports, entertainment and interactive events. The company owns two of the ATP Tour’s longest running American tennis tournaments, the Dallas Open and the Atlanta Open, as well as the National Lacrosse League New York Riptide. GF Sports & Entertainment also incubates new and emerging sport concepts, this includes Wolf Pack Ninjas, which operates ninja-focused events globally and just completed the purchase of World Long Drive an international long drive tour.
GF Sports & Entertainment was founded in July 2015 by New York-based private equity firm GF Capital. For additional information, please visit www.gfsportsandentertainment.com.
Contact
Jonathan Deutsch | jonathan@tonyfaypr.com | 469.534.8525
Reeves Eddins | reeves@tonyfaypr.com | 901.647.9697
