Long Drivers of Europe are thrilled to announce that this year’s RE/MAX Spanish Long Drive Championship will take place at the beautiful La Manga Club, Murcia, on

Saturday and Sunday 17th/18th June. This competition will be the prestigious opening round in the RE/MAX European Championship, a series that takes in national championships in many countries across Europe, including: England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Finland and Holland.

The top players from each national championship will qualify for the European Finals in Dublin in September. Here the winners will not only be crowned champions of Europe but, along with the other longest drivers, will also qualify for the RE/MAX World Long Drive Finals held each year in Las Vegas, USA. The prize fund for the World Finals will, this year, top a record $500,000.

The event at La Manga will be a superb spectacle and is sure to attract the top long drivers from all over Europe. The entry list will almost certainly include Adam Stacey

from England, who finished a fantastic third in the World Finals. Also expected are Joe Miller (England), RE/MAX European Champion 2005; Mikael Lindblom (Sweden)

champion of Italy, England and Finland; Marcus Edblad (Sweden) Scottish Champion: Janos Uotilla (Finland) World quarter-finalist and Paul Slater (England) who holds the World long drive record for a runway event at 884 yards!

Despite the presence of these tour players the event at La Manga is designed to be a real fun event for everyone. LDE know that all golfers love to hit a long drive more than anything and are opening up the competition to anyone who wants to try this new sport. With divisions for seniors and super-seniors, ladies, juniors and Murcia

residents, anyone who can tee up a ball will be welcome to give it their best shot.

There is no need to be intimidated by these big hitters. Long Driving is all about having fun. You do not need to find your ball or play another shot after you drive so you can give it everything you have got and let it rip!

Equipment does not have to be extra special. Although the top players use drivers the average golfer will not have heard of, all heads are 100% USGA legal and shafts, although extra stiff are measured to make sure they are under the maximum length of 50 inches. At the top, the players are fantastically fit and strong. They drive the distances they do by a combination of ability, strength and speed. Club head speeds regularly top 150 miles per hour (compared with Tiger Woods’ speed of about 110)!

LDE always seem to find new players at each event they organise.

For instance, Adam Stacey turned up at The London Golf Show in February 2005. He hit a few balls on a simulator and then travelled to the RE/MAX Scottish Championship, where he finished second. He then went on to a second in the English round and qualified for the World finals with a second place in the European finals. In front of a crowd of over 5,000 screaming spectators under floodlights in the Nevada desert he drove over 385

yards to claim third in the World and a prize of $30,000.

The format of the event is that each player gets 2 minutes 45 seconds to hit a maximum of six balls. A drive has to land in, and stay in, a grid about 45 metres wide

(about the width of a fairway) to count. The longest of these drives is then measured and is the player’s score. Players can have as many drives on the Saturday as time permits, to attempt to better their score.

Whist respecting the traditions, long driving is not about the niceties of golf. Players are encouraged to shout and scream to get themselves worked up for the effort and to

urge the ball down to huge lengths. The music will be playing and the crowd will be cheering to get every last gram of energy out of the players. Just to stand and watch the power displayed by the stars is awesome.

For those interested in the serious side of the sport there are also plans to hold long drive clinics on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 on the driving range, with some of the

World’s best giving tips and coaching to belt that little ball even further. These players are probably more aware of the science of driving than many on the regular PGA

Tour.

The real action gets underway at 4:00 on Saturday 17th with a qualifying session for all divisions. The best of these will qualify for the RE/MAX Spanish Championship at the same time on Sunday. The best from here will qualify for the RE/MAX European Finals, in Dublin.

We are very grateful to La Manga Club for giving us the use of their first hole on the South Course to run this event. Long Driving is the most fun side of golf and to be able to tee up on one of the World’s best venues will be a great thrill for us all.

We are also very grateful for the support of RE/MAX at La Manga. We know that long driving is the most spectacular form of golf and is loved by everyone who sees or

plays it. Thank you to everyone for giving us the opportunity to bring the sport to a

wider audience.

For further enquires contact:

The Old Offices, Urlay Nook Road, Eaglescliffe

Stockton-on-Tees, TS16 0LA, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1642 780011

Fax: +44 (0)1642 780012

Email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Website:www.longdrivers-eu.com

Long Drivers of Europe Ltd