The inaugural Long Drive World Series swings into action at Jumeirah Golf Estate (JGE) on Friday. We caught up with Joe Miller, the reigning Long Drive world champion, ahead of the series’ Dubai debut.
Explaining the format
The Long Drive World Series is a new concept, with Dubai the first of four events to be held this year. All eight international champions will compete in the same event for the first time, together with two UAE wildcards, who were decided at JGE on Thursday. Competitors in Long Drive, which took root in the United States, use drivers suited to the format, but they must conform to the rules of golf. Friday’s event at JGE begins at 5pm and is free to enter, with contestants competing for a prize fund of £50,000 (Dh223,000).
Making a champion
Miller is a two-time world champion, winning his first crown in 2010 before finally landing his second last year. A talented junior golfer from England, he first took up Long Drive in 2003, while his training includes lots of gym work, weekly golf lessons and as much time on the range as the weather in the UK permits. Playing off a plus-3 handicap, Miller can generate club-head speed of around 150mph, ball speed of 225mph, with an angle of attack 10 degrees on the up to get the ball flying. At the world championships in October, his winning drive was 423 yards (he hit 439 yards in the semi-finals).
The fan experience
“They need to expect a very good time, expect something a little bit different to your average golf event,” Miller said. “Long driving itself is very different to a golf event — there’s a lot of atmosphere and excitement. We’re just more of everything: more fun, more laughs, they’ve got the DJs there, the pyrotechnics, so it’s going to be a great show. It’ll be a bit of an exhibition as well as a Long Drive event. It’s going to be absolutely huge, so we need people to come down, people to see it and to join in with us. Because you need to crowd participation as well. It’s not just all about us. You need everyone having a good time.”
Playing for pride
“A lot of the guys know each other and we’ve got some new faces here as well,” Miller said. “We’ve opened it up also for people to qualify, so we’re trying to find some new long drivers too. The rivalry between the guys is very strong; we’re all good friends off the range, but when it comes down to crunch time we’ve got a real burning desire to win. It adds to the competition. You get some great matches, which adds to the excitement of the event. We’re all got our personal vendettas. Yes, it’s about having a good time, but there’s scores to be settled along the way and hopefully we see some action.”
Playing the wildcard
“Hopefully out of that comes someone who’s new to the sport, who loves it and who has the ability to hang with the big guys,” Miller said. “That’s what we’re looking for: people to come in off the streets, off the golf clubs, and start putting up some big numbers and get involved in the sport. We’re trying to promote it not just to the diehard fans and people who participate in it already. It’s more to spread the word for Long Drive. We need to get more people involved, let them experience what it’s all about.”
Helping grow the game
“Now that the Golf Channel owns the World Long Drive Championship, and with these guys over here doing their thing with the World Long Drive Series, I hope it will add more to golf becoming more popular, a bit more fast-placed and a bit more accessible. It adds to the sport massively. I think 99 per cent of golfers all want to hit the ball a longer way, myself included — we’re all trying to find more distance. Once people understand it, once they come out and experience it, that’s when it’ll grow even more. And that’s all we’re trying to do: bring Long Drive to the masses.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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