Bryson DeChambeau is becoming a household name and a popular pick to win at Bellerive. But the young star has already collected a victory this week: the PGA Championship Long Drive Competition.
The annual Long Drive Competition originally began in 1949, when Chick Harbert launched a 305-yard drive to win at Hermitage Country Club in Richmond, Va. But its popularity has grown in recent years, just like the length of PGA Tour pros’ drives.
This year, the contest took place on the par-4 10th hole, which plays 508 yards. One unique aspect of this competition is that players have to keep their drives in the fairway for them to count. So the shots are more true to shots made under tournament conditions.
DeChambeau smashed his shot a whopping 331 yards on Tuesday to claim the victory. That bested Peter Uihlein’s by just three yards. Tony Finau came in third with a 324-yard tee shot.
You can watch DeChambeau’s swing, and his violent follow-through, below.
Here’s the drive that put him in the lead. pic.twitter.com/WkuXNbCy98
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) August 7, 2018
Success in the PGA Championship Long Drive Competition does not guarantee success in the tournament itself, however. Louis Oosthuizen captured the title in 2014 with a 340-yard drive. Anirban Lahiri won with a 327-yard shot in 2015. Jason Kokrak and Byeong Hun An are the last two champions, winning with drives of 321 and 347 yards, respectively.
It's official! @b_dechambeau has won the 2018 #PGAChamp Long Drive Competition.
1st: DeChambeau – 331 yards
2nd: @PeterUihlein – 328 yards
3rd: @tonyfinaugolf – 324 yards pic.twitter.com/4SDJOzg8tP— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) August 7, 2018
According to the official tournament website, “The top-three finishers in the Long Drive Competition at the 100th PGA Championship will earn granted charitable donations of $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000, respectively, to their designated USA-based 501(c)(3) charities of their choice.”
