With a Record Winning
Drive of 427 Yards, Burke Bested Seven Other Finalists for the Championship
Belt and Winner-Take-All $250,000 Prize
LAS
VEGAS, Nev. (Oct. 30, 2013) – With a crushing drive that measured 427
yards, Tim Burke from Orlando, Fla., tonight became the longest hitter in the
world, capturing the 2013 RE/MAX WORLD LONG DRIVE CHAMPIONSHIP,
its coveted championship belt and a winner-take-all $250,000 prize.
Burke, 26, competed with eight of the longest drivers of the golf ball in the
world who faced off in front of a raucous Las Vegas Motor Speedway crowd and a
national Golf Channel audience.
“The
RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship tonight took a step in an amazing
direction,” said Art Sellinger, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of
Long Drivers of America. “The crowd, the atmosphere, the venue –
and a great Golf Channel production – all contributed to a dramatic
finish with Tim Burke’s amazing 427-yard drive to capture the
title.”
The
two-hour finale took place under the lights of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a
new venue for this season-ending competition and one built for speed. And
it was speed personified, with the eight competitors’ swings speeds
exceeding 150 miles per hour, ball speeds topping 220 miles per hour and balls
traveling the length of more than four football fields. The pumped-up
finalists hit from a custom-made platform built high into the speedway’s
grandstands on to a Championship grid on the race track infield below, creating
a dramatic visual feast for Golf Channel viewers.
Through
eight months of qualifying events that took place all over the world, it all
came down to a final match play of six drives each between Burke – the
2012 runner up – and Englishman, 2010 champion and No. 1 seed Joe
Miller. After Miller set the mark at 381 yards in the first round of
three, Burke bested it by 24 yards with his third drive. Miller stayed
alive in the final round of three, matching Burke’s 405 yards and setting
the stage for Burke’s final three chances. With the crowd going
wild, Burke’s next shot flew well by Miller’s ball, settling on the
Championship grid at a finals record 427 yards and giving Burke his first
RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship title.
“That
was the longest ball I think I ever hit under this kind of pressure,”
said Burke. “This was the best time and the biggest moment of my
life, and I’m thankful to be able to come here and get the job
done.”
The
finals standings for the semi-finals and finals were:
1.
Tim
Burke, 26, Orlando, Fla.
2.
Joe
Miller, 28, London, England
3.
Will
Hogue, 27, Collierville, Tenn.
4.
Tyler
Kellett, 33,Scottsdale, Ariz.
Not
advancing beyond the second set:
·
Aaron
Mansfield, 22, Washington, Pa.
·
Patrick
Hopper, 26, Columbia, S.C.
·
Jamie
Sadlowski, 25, St. Paul, Alberta, Canada
·
Matt
Hanger, 29, Anaheim, Calif.
Golf
Channel’s broadcast team for the first live telecast of the RE/MAX WORLD
LONG DRIVE CHAMPIONSHIP included Bob Papa, Michael Breed and Holly
Sonders. Sellinger also was on hand to provide long drive analysis.
Encore telecasts of tonight’s live telecast will air on Golf Channel on
the following dates:
·
Thursday,
Oct. 31, 4 a.m. ET
·
Monday,
Nov. 4, 12:30 a.m. ET
·
Sunday,
Dec. 1, 11:30 a.m. ET
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 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. Finalists in the competition
often have swing speeds of up to 150 miles per hour and can hit the ball more
than 400 yards, which is more than 100 yards longer than the average PGA TOUR
professional.
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.
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. Customers of
participating cable, satellite, telco and other video subscription services,
are able to enjoy 24/7 streaming of live Golf Channel content through GolfChannel.com and Golf
Channel’s mobile application, Golf Live Extra. Golf
Channel’s digital platforms are the leading golf destinations on the
Internet, delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf, as well as
services that connect the world to golf.
ABOUT
THE LVCVA: 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 LVCVA.com or LasVegas.com.
-NBC
Sports Group-
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