Kyle Berkshire and Chloe Garner Claim 2019 World Long Drive Championship Titles
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2019-09-06
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
THACKERVILLE, Oklahoma — Kyle Berkshire won the World Long Drive Championship, beating two-time champion Tim Burke with a 406-yard drive at WinStar World Casino and Resort.
After Burke got to 374 on his eighth and final attempt in the final, Berkshire missed the grid on his first three shots before nailing the winner for his first world title and third tour victory of the season.
The top-ranked Berkshire, from Crofton, Maryland, played two seasons at the University of North Texas.
South Africa’s Chloe Garner won the women’s title, beating three-time champion Phillis Meti of New Zealand with a 347-yard drive on her fifth attempt. Meti, hitting first in the final, had a best of 344.
Berkshire opened the night with a victory over Mark Costello, hitting a 415-yarder on his seventh attempt after missing the grid on the first six drives. Berkshire also cut it close Tuesday night to reach the quarterfinals, beating Tommy Hug with a 426-yarder on his final attempt after missing the grid with his first seven.
Burke, the 2013 and 2015 champion, beat Canada’s Mitch Grassing in the quarterfinals at 414 and topped Sweden’s Emil Rosberg in the semifinals with a 397-yarder on his first attempt.
In the women’s semifinals, Garner topped Alexis Belton with a 346-yarder, and Meti beat Troy Mullins with a 337-yard drive.
Jeff Crittenden won the Masters Division for the second time in three years. The 48-year-old Crittenden, from, Greensboro, North Carolina, beat defending champion Eddie Fernandes with a 388-yard drive.