Bryson DeChambeau made big headlines last month – and was heavily criticized – for comments he made during a post-round press conference at the British Open.
After a particularly bad round of golf, DeChambeau burst out: “The driver sucks” apparently his poor performance on his equipment, not himself.
Oddly enough, following an interesting announcement DeChambeau made earlier this week that is accepting an invitation to the Professional Long Drivers Association World Championship in late September, the same gear will be fully on display.
DeChambeau seemed excited about the opportunity to compete against the world’s longest thugs and shared his thoughts on Instagram.
“I want to show the world how incredibly talented these athletes are” said DeChambeau. “I’ve worked hard to get my game up to speed so I would have a chance.”
It’s interesting to note that the competition is right before this year’s Ryder Cup, so DeChambeau will open the door to much criticism if the “Wear and tear” this stressful event influenced his Ryder Cup game.
In my opinion, I see absolutely no “above” for DeChambeau in his decision to enter the Long Drive competition, but I definitely plan to watch …
Jimmy Gillam
Tyrone-born and outstanding golfer Jimmy Gillam has been taking part in mini-tours in golf for eight years and can look back on six wins. His most recent win came at the Tallahassee Open last weekend at Hilaman Golf Course in Tallahassee, Florida.
Gillam scored rounds of 72 and 68 and ended the two-day tournament with a one-shot win. Next up for Gillam is a first stage qualifying competition for Korn Ferry, scheduled for September 1-3 in Plattsville, Ala.
A good result at this event will give Gillam a place in the next qualifying round, with the ultimate goal of securing exceptional status for the Korn Ferry Tour in the final qualifying round in Savanna, Georgia in early November.
Drive, chip and putt
Crosby Denis in Hollidaysburg has had a lot of success on local golf courses in recent years. The 12-year-old has won the Park Hills Women’s Club Championship for the past two years and is an active participant in junior events across the state.
Denis reached another milestone earlier this month when she reached the final qualifying stage of the prestigious drive, chip and putt competition.
In mid-July, Denis made it through local qualification in the Girls 12-13 Division during an event at the Seven Springs Mountain Resort and secured a place in the subregional qualifying tournament held two weeks ago at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Fayette County. Another strong performance earned Denis one of two available seats for the final qualifying event, scheduled for September 19th at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY
Out of a field of more than 10,000 original entries, only 80 junior golfers will earn spots during the final qualifying events (which will be held in 10 locations across the country). The eventual finalists will be invited to next year’s Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia, where they will compete for the best drive, chip and putt prize in their respective age group.
Good luck, Crosby!
Ken Love covers local golf for the Mirror. He can be reached at [email protected]
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