A behind-the-scenes glimpse at grid painting for the World Long Drive Championship
By Mike Hebrand
Ever wonder how far you could hit a golf ball and have an accurate way to measure the distance? Originating in 1976 as part of the PGA Championship, the World Long Drive Association hosts the World Long Drive Championship, which brings together golf’s longest hitters from around the globe. Emerging as a popular, grassroots competition, the broader sports industry also has taken notice, including ESPN proclaiming that long drive has “recently started to enter the mainstream of golf,” while Men’s Journal notes, “With the sport’s ascendant profile and ever-growing prestige, [fans should] buckle up for more high-octane action.”
In 2013, the GOLF Channel, along with networks of NBC Sports, began airing the event.
The World Long Drive Championship has produced dozens of champions in the 40+ years since the competition was first staged. Winners of the annual event (with Open, Masters, and Women’s divisions) each receive a championship belt that recognizes their place atop the sport for that year.