Faster than Rory, further than Bryson – life on golf’s ‘party’ side

Six golf balls, a music-blaring shot clock, and a belt made in WWE style are all that.

No, it’s not a scene from the newest Happy Gilmore movie, but Long Drive golf, a competitive game.

As the name of the game would suggest, it’s all about hitting the longest drive possible, and Aaron Lennie of Northern Ireland is one of the best in Europe.

No water hazards, no wedges, or putts. Driving distance off the tee is the only thing that matters.

How far along are those drives? However, Bryson DeChambeau won the driving distance category at the recent Royal Portrush Open Championship, which was a full football pitch below Lennie’s personal best of 437 yards.

Rory McIlroy is one of the best golfers in the world at more than 185 mph in terms of ball speed, but Lennie can go as far as 200 mph. That is as quick as a Formula 1 vehicle.

Six balls down a long grid with an out-of-bounds area either side have two and a half minutes to play.

There is plenty of drama, a party in the stands, and some showboating as they compete on group or knockout stages.

Lennie, who recently won his first professional tournament in Austria, described it as “like a party atmosphere, a completely different scene from golf.”

“I’m not sure if people will like this, but it kind of has a LIV vibe.” There is a lot of energy, noise, and music playing. It is fast-paced, which some people find lacking in golf.

DeChambeau, the two-time major champion, has a significant part to play in the sport’s growing popularity.

The American entered the World Long Drive Championship in 2022 without repressing his comfort zone, placing second out of the 128 competitors who started the competition.

According to Lennie, “My generation has greatly benefited from Bryson’s actions.”

It was “kind of at rock bottom” when he dipped his toes in the Long Drive scene.

After a failed attempt to join golf’s elite, Lennie made a comeback with Long Drive golf.

The 26-year-old, who attended college in the United States, stated that he wanted to continue playing the sport and that his first Long Drive competition would be held in 2022.

Lennie said, “I got the bug for it and just wanted to go even further.”

You want to be able to rotate very quickly and exert a lot of force from the ground, according to the author.

Lennie works as an assistant professional at County Down’s Clandeboye Golf Club while keeping his Long Drive commitments.

He won his first professional competition on the European tour in Austria in September and qualified for his first World Championship in September despite only starting the sport three years ago.

He said, “It felt good and it was a monkey off my back.”

“I’m hoping it marks the beginning of a few more to come,” he said.

Lennie practices indoors the majority of the time because of the distances that professional Long Drive players can travel.

He can modify his swings, review his swings, and follow each of his drives in accordance with his technique.

We simply want the ball to travel quickly and far in some sessions. It’s a whole new practice session when it comes to hitting it straight.

There is a lot of ego in the game, I don’t believe anyone can deny that, but there is science involved with every detail to ensure the ball is moving as far as it can.