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 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.

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.”

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