Kyle Berkshire and Monica Lieving capture World Long Drive Championships
Kyle Berkshire enters World Long Drive record books in Atlanta.
Kyle Berkshire has become just the third competitor in World Long Drive history to win three or more world championships after landing the 2023 title at Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta.
It marks the third World Long Drive Championship of Berkshire's career in just six appearances.
World No.1 Berkshire captured the World Long Drive Championship belt after outdriving World No.8 Sean Johnson by the smallest of margins - 398 yards to 397 yards in the final.
Berkshire now joins Jason Zuback and Sean Fister as the only competitors to win three or more world championships.
World No.3 Justin James gave Berkshire an almighty scare in the quarter-finals.
James stuck a 393-yard drive down on the board and Berkshire failed to put any of his five attempts on the grid.
But Berkshire kept his composure and then smashed an incredible 432-yard drive, his longest of the entire day, straight down the middle to book his place into the semi-finals, where he went on to defeat World No.5 Zack Holton by five yards (398 to 393).
The WLD Championship was Berkshire's first win of 2023.
Along with Berkshire, World No.2 Monica Lieving earned her first career world championship after upsetting World No.1 Phillis Meti in the final.
Lieving, who won three of six events in 2023, started out with a 319-yard blast as she took down World No.4 Kelly Rudney in the quarter-finals.
She then comfortably defeated Alexis Belton, an Atlanta native competing in her first event in four years, in the semi-finals (349 to 302).
Atlanta resident Meti, who crushed the longest drive in the Women's Division of 382 yards during her quarter-finals victory, had no such luck in the final against Lieving.
Meti was unable to put a ball in play in the final, meaning Lieving needed just one in play to take the title, and she did just that.
Earlier in the week, Ryan Reisbeck captured the World Long Drive Senior Division championship, the first world championship of his 13-year career.
Semi-finalist James Tait hit the longest drive of the event at 452 yards.
That drive was in the quarter-finals to beat Bryce Verplank, a two-time winner this year.
For more information, please visit the World Long Drive website
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