Long Drive competition back at USPGA Championship

Louis Oosthuizen won the competition at Valhalla last year

Louis Oosthuizen won last year's contest at Valhalla.

The Long Drive competition will return to the USPGA Championship for the second year running.

Players will be allowed to send a drive down the fairway on Whistling Straits' second hole, called Big Country, during the practice round on Tuesday.

The competition was won by Louis Oosthuizen at Valhalla last year, as he unleashed a 340 yard drive down the 593 yard par 5 on the Straits Course.

Valhalla marked the return of the competition after it had been absent since 1984, with Jason Day and Johan Kok finishing in second and third place respectively behind Oosthuizen.

Bubba Watson used a 3-iron last year in protest at the competition, saying afterwards "I'm there to play golf, not to hit it far."

 

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The top three longest drives will be rewarded by the PGA, with a money clip being given to the winner as a homage to the one presented to Jack Nicklaus after he won the first of two Long Drive competitions in a row in 1963.

The winners will also get charitable donations of $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000. The money will then be split equally between the players' chosen charities and the American Lake Veterans Golf Course.

Harold Wilson was the first winner of the contest in 1952 after sending his drive 329 yards at Big Spring Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

Will Medlock graduated from UEA with a degree in Film and Television before completing a Masters in Sports Journalism at St Mary's in London. Will has had work published by The Independent and the Rugby Paper.