Two-time World Long Drive champion Kyle Berkshire made history with an unbelievable 579-yard drive.
At Rochelle Ranch in Wyoming, he broke the longest-drive world record. Berkshire is no stranger to setting records, but this was the record to break.
“Had a ton of fun pushing the limits at Rochelle Ranch Golf Club and hitting the longest recorded drive in golf history,” Berkshire wrote on his Instagram. “It was a battle, with Mother Nature giving us some issues in the form of rain and cold weather (55-57 degrees), but with a 17-22 mph tailwind off the right and 6700 feet of elevation, I was able to hit a perfectly optimized 233 mph rocket that carried 512 yards and ran out to nearly 580 yards .”
The Guinness Book of World Records doesn’t recognize long drives outside competitions. However, this length does break the long-standing mark. The official record is currently held by Mike Austin from the 1974 U.S. National Seniors Open Championship in Las Vegas.
At 64-years-old, Austin bombed a 515-yard drive. He used a persimmon driver and balata ball and was of course aided by a 27-mph wind at his back.
Berkshire’s longest drive in competition is 480 yards.
He and his team documented the attempt on his “The Bombers Club” YouTube channel. Berkshire mentioned two other drives that he wanted to surpass. Scott Smith hit a 539-yard drive in 2005 at a long drive competition, and in 2007, Mike Dobbin hit one 551 yards. That number was the one he beat with his 579-yard bomb.
“551 is the longest that there is veracity for that was hit on a golf course with golf course conditions,” Berkshire said. “I’m talking about drives where it makes contact with a surface that is not cement. That is agrarian, cultivated surface that is not foreign to the sport of golf.”
It only took Berkshire around 20 balls to achieve the record. He hit the ball in a perfect spot, making history at 579.6 yards. However, he isn’t stopping there, as Berkshire’s goal is 600 yards. He will try to make that happen in the spring at Rochelle Ranch.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
