Dubai: Scotland’s James Tait won round one of the 10-stage Long Drive World Series (LDWS) at Dubai’s Jumeirah Golf Estates on Friday with a 386-yard drive, six yards clear of defending champion Tim Burke of America.
Twelve of the world’s best and four wildcard entries took part in the tournament, which sees competitors get three minutes to hit eight balls as far as possible in four sudden death knockout rounds for the a share of the Dh94,500 (£19,000) prize pool.
Tait beat Burke in the final but two-time world champion Joe Miller of England hit the longest drive of the evening at 405 yards in his quarter-final win over wildcard Bobby Bradley before defeat to Tait in the semi.
Having only started in the sport nine months ago, the win was Tait’s first in a long drive competition. He knocked out last year’s Dubai runner-up Ryan Reisbeck with a 401 yard drive in the first round then beat wildcard Jason Cook in the quarters with a drive of 376 yards and Miller in the semi with a drive of 378 yards to Miller’s 367.
“I am over the moon, I’m just in shock and I’m so happy,” said Tait. “I just really want to build upon this win and hopefully get another couple of wins this season. I’m going to give it my all and see how far I can go.”
Martin Westney, chief executive officer of the LDWS, added: “James represents exactly what the LDWS is about, and we congratulate him on his win. This year will be a game changer for us as we move to 10 cities globally, further building upon the growing appeal of long drive and attracting new fans — and as highlighted by James’ win — new talent as well.”
More than 20 aspiring long drivers turned up to try and qualify for one of four wildcard slots in the event. Those successful were; South Africa’s Jason Cook who hit 401 yards, Canada’s Daniel Macintosh with a distance of 391 yards and Americans Bobby Bradley and Paul Hamilton, who both hit 397.
Competitors gain points over the series as it moves on to; Mexico, South Africa, the USA, the UK, Sweden, Russia, Portugal, China and Turkey, with the overall winner being crowned LDWS champion. Each event sees 12 core players being joined by four local wildcard qualifiers.
For more information visit: www.longdriveworldseries.com