By Kent Gray
James Tait has proven golf pedigree with his great uncle having twice won The (British) Amateur Championship, in 1896 and 1898. Freddie Tait would no doubt be proud of his great nephew for carrying on the family’s winning tradition at the 2018 Long Drive World Series season opener in Dubai although 120 years on, he might struggle to comprehend what young James can do to a golf ball.

With a blow of 386 yards, Tait Jnr overpowered defending Dubai champion Tim Burke by six yards in the final to claim his maiden long drive title at Jumeirah Golf Estates – just nine months after the 28-year-old Scot had taken up the discipline seriously.

Two-time world champion Joe Miller produced the biggest nudge of the night at 405 yards in the quarterfinals although the wiry Tait’s 401 yard missile in a first round elimination of the 2017 runner-up Ryan Reisbeck was warning that he’s more than a wannabe on the now 10-event LDWS circuit.

South African Jason Cook had topped qualifying with a 400 yard drive but was ousted by Tait’s 376 yard effort in the quarterfinals before Miller was given his marching orders, 378 yards to 367, in the semis.

Related pictures: South African’s 400 yard missile tops LDWS qualifying 

“Over the moon,” was Tait’s response after being asked his emotions following the final.

“Yeah I mean, to go up against some of the world’s best and only been doing it nine months, you can hear there’s a party going on right now and I’m definitely going to be joining that. I’m in shock, it’s not sunk in at all.

“I’m sure it will do probably tomorrow morning when my body is in pieces. I’m just so happy, so happy.” 

Related: Watch Dubai amateur snap driver, keep calm and carry on

Endless indoors practice in “horrible, cold, rainy, miserable”  London over winter had paid instant dividends for Tait who drew on a match-up with Burke at last year’s London LDWS event in the final. So what were you’re tactics in the decider?

“Hit it as hard as you possibly can,” said Tait, matter of factly. “You know I faced him last year in London so it was kind of in my head, it’s just another match, you’ve done it before, just use the experience and build in what you’ve done in the pre-season and I did and I got some silverware.

@jamestait89's Twitter bio simply reads: "Grip it and rip it". Indeed. @LongDriveWS @JumeirahGolfEst
Fri from 7pm pic.twitter.com/Wgf7A0FE4p

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) February 8, 2018

“I think my form this evening was great. I just want to build on that and hopefully get another couple of wins under my belt this season. I’m obviously going to compete in the worlds this year for the first time so hopefully place well there as well. I’m just going to give it my heart and see how far I can go.”

The post Tait ‘over the moon’ on Earth after claiming maiden LDWS title appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Jason Cook has thrown down the gauntlet with a 400 yard missile to top qualifying at the opening leg of the 2018 Long Drive World Series in Dubai.

The 42-year-old South African was dressed to impressed – or was that shock in pink – and duly did both at Jumeirah Golf Estates. He will be joined in the main event from 7pm by Hamilton Paul Howell and Bob Bradley who produced matching drives of 397 hards, and Daniel MacIntosh (391 yards).

Our 4 qualifiers from this morning @jason33cook @pdrizzy11 @royaltysports1 @dan.smackintosh! Seedings happening right now. Numbers coming soon ? #LDWSDubai

A post shared by Long Drive World Series (@ldws_) on Feb 9, 2018 at 3:44am PST

Cook, all 98kg and 1.85m of him, has a best drive of 461 yards in the bank and will be a factor in the finals given last year’s evidence on the JGE range. His 400 yard effort earlier today certainly put the 338 yards Dubai-based amateur Ricky Domingues managed into sharp focus although Domingues made quite the impact.

Related: Watch Dubai amateur snap driver in LDWS qualifying, nonchalantly carry on

LDWS photographer Christopher Pike captured Dominequez’s big moment and it’s hard not to be impressed by these images of Cook in full flight as well:

Photo by Christopher Pike

The post South African’s 400 yard missile tops qualifying for LDWS Dubai appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Ricky Dominguez mightn’t have qualified for the main event but he has starred in an image – with supporting video evidence – that will be hard to beat from the opening leg of the 2018 Long Drive World Series in Dubai.

The Dubai-based South African amateur needs “to invest in some new product” after his driver head parted company with one of his expensive long drive specific shafts during qualifying at the AED 94,500 (£19,000) event.

Check out the dramatic moment from Jumeirah Golf Estates here:

Dubai-based amateur Ricky Dominguez making quite the impact during @LongDriveWS qualifying @JumeirahGolfEst. ? pic.twitter.com/bqn3dhsIFk

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) February 9, 2018

Dominguez barely battered an eyelid and was straight back into his work as the five-minute shot clock counted down on the JGE range. But with the wind easing, the 37-year-old scratch-handicapper’s best hit of 338 yards wasn’t long enough to make it into Friday night’s main event from 7pm where Tim Burke and two-time world champion Joe Miller are among the headline acts.

Related: American Tim Burke back to defend Dubai title

The consolation was the 20 yards he added to his best effort at last year’s inaugural Dubai LDWS event, not to mention an excellent excuse to go driver shopping.

The post VIDEO: Watch Dubai amateur Ricky Dominguez snap his driver during LDWS qualifying, carry on nonchalantly appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 37-year-old South African played in the BMW International Cup qualifier at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Thursday and signed for a not-to-be-sneezed-at 75 on the European Tour venue. Most importantly he smoked a few decent drives ahead of his second crack at the Dubai leg of the Long Drive World Series.

Dominguez will be back at JGE on Friday morning chasing one of four wildcard spots in the main LDWS event which starts at 7pm. He qualified last year via an eGolf Megastore promo but failed to advance beyond the afternoon seeding rounds with a best blow of 318 yards in the breezy conditions.

Related: ‘Blonde Bomber’ Burke back to defend title

Last year was a baptism of fire for the Nike Golf brand manager and after wandering down to the JGE driving range following his BMW round, he admits it’s going to be “daunting again”.

But he’s better prepared this year after turing up with a stock Callaway Epic (12.5 degree) Sub Zero driver head and a 48 inch, 83 gram extra stiff shaft last March – useless in the 25mph winds. The long drive specialists, two-time world champ Joe Miller among them, were wielding two degree, 48 inch weapons by comparison.

“Joe Miller gave me a couple of heads last year so now I’ve got four heads and six or eight shafts…hopefully I can get two out of those that co-operate,” Dominguez said.

“If I hit at my best like today I’m around the 340-350 yard mark, that’s kinda of where I should be. The last two weeks I’ve been getting it going so hopefully I can qualify.”

One advantage Dominguez has over any other game UAE amateurs is experience.

“I’ve got a better understanding of what I have to do. Speaking to the guys last year, they say get four or so drives in the grid, line them up and get them in, and then go crazy and see what you can do. Last year I tried to hit as many balls as I could in the five minutes which is kind of not going to work.”

Miller might advise better time management, but clearly not swinging smoothly as this video stresses:

The open qualifier begins at 10am.

The post Dubai amateur Dominguez aims to muscle up with the LDWS specialists appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The two-time world champion is one of 12 of heavy hitters confirmed for the Jumeirah Golf Estates event from 7pm. There are also four places available in the main field at an open qualifier earlier on Friday (10am) but with long drive specialists flying in from the U.S. and South Africa at their own expense, the heat will be on.

Related: ‘Blonde Bomber’ Burke back to defend title

LDWS Portugal champion Ryan Reisbeck was a Thursday qualifier in Dubai last year and went on to reach the final. It has Miller urging UAE amateurs to leave absolutely nothing in the tank – with any swing.

“My advice for all you guys trying to come out here and qualify is just, No.1, swing it as fast as you possibly can, okay,” said Miller via video message.

“No one is going to take notice of you if you fill the grid up, eight balls out of eight. All they want to see is pure speed and power so make sure you give it to ‘em, and give it to ‘em fast.”

For an example of the “fast” of which Miller speaks of, take a look at this slow-mo of his powerful swing.

Flexibility goals. Two-time world champ @JoeMillerLDC has power on tap for Friday's @LongDriveWS opener @JumeirahGolfEst. 7pm pic.twitter.com/rTim2HTWnY

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) February 8, 2018

The Dubai event is the first of 10 scheduled for 2018 and has Miller in a bullish mood.

#LDWSDubai – Players Portrait
? Joe Miller LDC ??
? Born 1984, weighs 19st / 120kgs and is 6'4 / 1.90m tall
? Longest Drive is 474 yards / 433 metres
? Clubhead speed is 150mph / 241 kmh and Ball speed is 225mph / 362 kmh#golf #dubai #longdrive #longdriver #ldws pic.twitter.com/ynimKFGSSY

— Long Drive World Series (@LongDriveWS) February 5, 2018

“I’m feeling good, I’ve got to say. I’ve been training hard over the winter period and I’m just waiting for it to get under way and find out if we’ve made some improvements over the winter period,” Miller said. “Most of all I’m [looking forward] to competing against these guys. These are the best in the world and if you ever want to know how good you are, this is where you’ve got to be.”

American Tim Burke, who goes by the nickname “Blonde Bomber, is defending champion and looks to have his swing in synch:

Defending @LongDriveWS Dubai champ @TimBurkeGolf warming up for Friday's 2018 series opener at @JumeirahGolfEst ? pic.twitter.com/Tm7cNtVUSu

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) February 8, 2018

Englishman James Tait looks to be swinging it sweetly as well, or at least frighteningly hard anyway.

@jamestait89's Twitter bio simply reads: "Grip it and rip it". Indeed. @LongDriveWS @JumeirahGolfEst
Fri from 7pm pic.twitter.com/Wgf7A0FE4p

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) February 8, 2018

The LDWS is again being staged on the JGE driving range where the organisers have promised “bitter rivalries, big personalities, sudden-death knock outs…with pyrotechnics, DJs, walk-on music, a licensed setting, DJs, food trucks and free entry”.

Get yourself in the mood with the season bow promo here:

The post Miller’s message to LDWS wannabes: ‘Give it to ‘em, and give to ‘em fast’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 31-year-old American edged Thursday qualifier and LDWS Portugal champion Ryan Reisbeck 335 yards to 329.5 yards in the inaugural Dubai final last March and also produced the longest drive of 341 in brisk headwinds.

The ‘Blonde Bomber’ will be hoping for something in access of 400 yards on Friday if the weather plays ball on the JGE driving range where the organisers have promised “bitter rivalries, big personalities, sudden-death knock outs…with pyrotechnics, DJs, walk-on music, a licensed setting, DJs, food trucks and free entry”.

Reisbeck is also back alongside a who’s who of the long drive world. The entry list includes reigning LDWS UK champion Emil Rosberg (Sweden), two-time world champion Joe Miller (U.K.), Ilija Djurdjevic (Serbia); American’s Ryan Steenberg, Kevin Shook, Will Hogue and Maurice Allen, and Tommy Hug, James Tait and Scott Bevan (all U.K.).

The stars, along with three UAE wildcard qualifiers, will compete for a purse of the AED 94,500 (£19,000).

If you fancy testing your swing against the world’s heaviest hitters, register here or simply show up on Friday. It’ll cost you AED 996 (£200) but includes VIP tickets and access to the players’ lounge during the event, along with a lifetime of kudos from your pals if you qualify.

Enter the UAE Wildcard Qualifiers

The LDWS main event takes place from 7pm. Entry is free with VIP packages available for purchase. Fans are also welcome to attend the open qualifiers from 10am (also Feb. 9) and player seeding at 3pm.

Having launched in Dubai last March before momentum generating stops in the U.K. and Portugal last year, the 2018 LDWS has upped the ante with 10 events earmarked: Dubai (Feb.9), Mexico (March 15-19), South Africa (April 11-13),  United States (May TBC), United Kingdom (June TBC), Sweden (July TBC), Russia (Aug. TBC), Portugal (Sept. TBC), China (Oct. TBC), Turkey (Nov. TBC).

For more details visit: longdriveworldseries.com

The post ‘Blonde Bomber’ Burke back to defend Dubai LDWS title appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 32-year-old won his second World Long Drive Championships title in Thackerville, Oklahoma in October but his preparation for the bow of the rival series in Dubai has been limited to an indoor simulator and as many outdoor range sessions as the English winter would allow.

“After a winter break it’s been good to be back out hitting although the weather has been restrictive at home. Obviously the form was good at the end of 2016 so we’ll see tomorrow [Friday] evening,” Miller told Golf Digest Middle East.

Miller will peg it up alongside a whose who of the long driving world on the JGE driving range.

Two-time former world champion Tim Burke looms as the major danger although a windy week in Dubai shapes as an equaliser. Also competing are Englishman Lucas Dornan, American and reigning two-time European champion Maurice Allen, Britain’s Brad Pearmain (2016 Italian champion), Serbia’s Ilija Djurdjevic (2016 Portugal champion) Sweden’s Emil Rosberg (2016 Scandinavian champion) and current world No.2 Ryan Steenberg whom Miller toppled in the Oklahoma final last October.

Local interest will focus on Dubai amateur Ricky Domínguez who earned a start in the £50,000 event with a 351.7 yard hit in an eGolf Megastore qualifier.

SEE ALSO
Dubai amateur Dominguez qualifies for Long Drive World Series with 351.7 yard simulator smash

Miller, whose best competition nudge is 474 yards, admits there is pressure being the reigning world champion but insists he’s up for the early season challenge where he expects Burke to be a particular threat.

“It’s hard work to get to the top so I’d like to stay here. Of course everyone wants to win and it will be tight, especially as we’re into the wind and uphill,” said Miller who clinched the world title with a 423 swat in the final against Steenberg after an earlier 439 yard effort in the semifinals.

“Everyone has a chance due to the heavy wind although Tim Burke probably stands out just a touch.”

SEE ALSO
World champ Joe Miller challenges long drive rival Lucas Dornan to a short game challenge, hilarity ensues

Tonight’s event at JGE begins at 5pm and includes the usual long drive razzmatazz including live a DJ, food trucks and pyrotechnics. Entry is free.

The post World champ Joe Miller hails new Long Drive World Series, itching for Dubai duel appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Two-time reigning world champion Miller and current UK champion Dornan sportingly accepted Golf Digest Middle East’s short game challenge on the eve of the £50,000 event at Jumeirah Golf Estates. As regular range mates and primetime rivals, plenty of banter was guaranteed. But is there any finesse to go with all that brawn?

SEE ALSO
How to launch it like Lucas Dornan

The post World champ Joe Miller challenges long drive rival Lucas Dornan to a short game duel, hilarity ensues appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Sun and Sand Sports sales manager, well-known in the golf industry for his association with Nike, won a qualifier at eGolf Megastore for one of two wildcards into the £50,000 event which is headlined by reigning two-time world champion Joe Miller.

Dominguez belted a drive of 351.7 yards in the X-Golf simulator at eGolf’s Al Wasl store to pip the brother of JGE’s director of golf, Mark Gregson Walters. Alan Walters registered a tidy 347.5 yards.

SEE ALSO
Joe Miller v Lucas Dornan – short game challenge

Dominguez is “excited about the opportunity to compete against the world’s best” and understandably a little nervous about doing so in front of long drive fans in the stands on the JGE driving from 5pm Friday.

Ricky Dominguez

“Guys like two-time and current world champion Joe Miller and former world champion Tim Burke hit the ball an absolute mile. To be standing on the same long drive grid and competing against guys like that is surreal,” Dominguez said.

“Sure, there will be some nerves. But I think after the first drive is struck the adrenaline will naturally kick in. Hopefully that’ll help me find an extra gear that I haven’t seen before.”

So, could you give the long drive pros a tickle up?

SEE ALSO
VIDEO: How to launch it like UK champion Lucas Dornan

“Well Joe [Miller] is well known for his 437 yard drive in the 2016 World Long Drive Final so that’s what I’m up against! If I can hit the grid consistently and achieve a personal best, you never know what might happen.”

eGolf Megastore founder and CEO Dean Cheesley was thrilled with the response to the #LDWS qualifier and wouldn’t be surprised to see Dominguez shine on Friday night.

EGolf Megastore founder and CEO Dean Cheesley congratulates Ricky Dominguez on his near 352 yard bomb

“You have to remember that a stipulation of the eGolf qualifier was that competitors were not permitted to warm up on our X-Golf simulator before registering their drives. If you take that into account, Ricky’s drive of 351 yards is a mighty hit,” Cheesley said.

“We asked Ricky to hang around and hit some more balls after the competition had closed and once he got warmed up… let’s just say that 390+ is not out of the equation.

“If you follow it closely, you can understand that the sport of long drive is on the verge of exploding globally. It’s been that way for a couple of years now and this new World Long Drive Series may just be the initiative that takes it to the next level.

“It’s going to be a world class event on Friday night and the team at eGolf is certainly proud to be associated with it.”

The post Dubai amateur Dominguez qualifies for Long Drive World Series with 351.7 yard simulator smash appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

ucas Dornan stumbled across long driving almost by accident. Now the fast-talking, tattooed 31-year-old is the UK champion and one of the favourites for the new Long Drive World Series which will take is global bow at Jumeirah Golf Estates on March 17.

The four-handicapper, from Wentworth in Surrey, will line up alongside eight of the world’s buffest big hitters including reigning world champion Joe Miller on JGE’s European Tour Performance Training Institute driving range. Dornan trains alongside Miller. So, who’s longest?

“My claim is he might be the longest in the world but he’s not the longest on his driving range,” Dornan says. Let the big-hitting and smack talking begin.

To be honest I was in banking so it was nothing to do with trying to become a professional long drive guy. I just wanted to get a driver that didn’t spin up so much. My pitching wedge was going over 200 yards but my driver use to only be 20 or 30 yards longer than most tour pros which I felt, with the swing speed I was going at, shouldn’t have been the case. So I went and got fitted for a driver and they didn’t have any shafts for me so I Goggled Joe Miller and his coach Lee Box and said can I come down a steal one of Joe’s drivers basically and see what I can do with it. I hit 400 yards within two hits so he said give the UK championships a go. I went through the qualifying rounds, kept winning, and ended up winning the whole thing.

My swing speeds are up there with the top two in the world so I know that is the main factor with long driving, is about having the speed. Now I’ve just got to try and learn the swing better and hone that a little bit more.

I’ve been practicing with Joe, we’re pretty much the same training camp, and I know where I stand next to him and he’s gone and won the worlds so I’m pretty confident with what I can achieve in the sport just by going on the barometer next to him. Hopefully if I keep doing the training and the weights , the gym work, No.1 in the world won’t be too far away proving the progression carries on.

Hopefully if I keep doing the training, the gym work, No.1 in the world won’t be too far away.

The new Long Drive World Series is massive. Lots of money being pumped into it, they’re taking the best players from around the world for the first time and bringing them altogether. We’re going to see really who is the best in the world because the world championships, a lot of the guys couldn’t attend or hadn’t played events that would have qualified them because they not based in America, so its hard for a lot of guys to get involved. So this is now putting the best players from around the world and pitting them up against each other in ideal locations like Dubai. The next one is at Royal Ascot in London…so we’re going to very cool locations and taking worldwide..

Its great for the sport and hopefully the concept will really take off because it’s obviously a much shorter format [than 18 hole golf] and more athletic. So it’s being pushed down the route of sports side of things rather than the old man taking seven hours to do a round of golf. We’re trying to change the image of the game.

SEE ALSO:
VIDEO: Launch it like Lucas Dornan 

I’m 6ft 1in. My ball speed ranges between 200 and 220, obviously depending on the strike. Club head speed, looking at about 145 to 150 mph. I’m up there as one of the fastest out there and with the new shorter clubs the 150 mark is going to be really tough to get too because with the longer 50” drivers we use to use you could obviously get it going a little bit easier. Now they’re shorter.

Do you know what, I’ve hit balls never got injured, i’ve done loads of weights, silly weights, way more than I should be lifting, never got injured and I thought I’d try and improve my flexibility with some stretching and I’ve over stretched it [his left shoulder]. I got in position and kept stretching, stretching, stretching it as much as possible thinking that’s the key to getting more flexibility and apparently it wasn’t. So I’ve damaged my tendon and they wanted to have a steroid injection to get rid of the inflammation but we get tested, so you can’t be doing anything like that. I’m just going to turn up to the competition cold really and give it a go and see how we get on.  I’ve just got to work my way into this competition like Tiger Woods at the moment and hope for the best.

The British Champs were in Manchester. to be honest it was bad conditions, into wind, into rain, into a field, so no run out. The semis I hit 383 yards and I think finals, my last ball because I had to get it in… 368 . But I think if that’s in normal conditions they’re 400 yard drives. It was just that the conditions were really poor.

I didn’t go to the world champs just because my visa came a week before and the cut off was two weeks before. Literally I was on the range practicing with Joe before he went out there and we had a little set and I beat him so my claim is he might be the longest in the world but he’s not the longest on his driving range.

Joe [Miller] lives in Hertford so we’re about 30 minutes away from each other and we use the same coach so its nice to have that sort of competition and a bit of banter with each other. If you follow us on social media we’ll be bashing each other most times.

There’s a few things to hitting it long but it comes down to speed. It’s like if you can do the 100 metres …you are either fast or you’re slow and it’s the same with how fast you can generate this club head speed. We’re trying to get it going as fast as we can and once you’ve got that, you’ve just got to work on your club path and angle of attack and things like that. But without the speed, it’s pointless. If you’re going slow, you can’t get over 135-140 mph, you’re not going to be any good at long drive.

Outside of competition, 550 yards…I’ve driven a par 5 before.

My longest competition hit is 427 [yards], recorded that in Portugal at a European tour event. Unfortunately the grid, after 400 tailed off left so you couldn’t keep it in the grid. 427 was the only one that registered but outside of competition, 550 yards…I’ve driven a par 5 before. It depends on the conditions, if you’ve got good conditions you can get it out there.

I’m in the gym two, three hours a day – all power lifting, speed work, explosive stuff. Just trying to enhance our fast twitch fibres and muscle density. You don’t want to be too balky because it makes you slow so you want to keep your weight as low as possible while increasing your strength as much as possible. Powerlifting, box jumps, ball slams, you name it and then drinking, eating protein based just trying to keep that muscle on while trying to keep the fat off.

Photograph by Kristina Nabieva

The post Lucas Dornan…427 yards and counting appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.