Continental Long Drive Open Announcement
More fun by a long shot
BAL.ON presents the Continental Long Drive Open at GC Burgwedel, Germany
It’s athletic golf on adrenaline, and it’s free for all: on the weekend of the 20 May 2023, some of world’s best Long Drivers will compete at the Golf Club Burgwedel in Northern Germany, aired live on Sky Sport TV. High-tech leader Continental has taken up the sponsorship, with BAL.ON presenting the show, supporting the athletes with data, and introducing our product, the BAL.ON Smart Kit.
As the younger and more aggressive cousin of the established 18-hole game, the long drive format focuses exclusively on the drive, usually in a duel of two players competing at the same time. It’s shot length, pure, and far from simple: long drive combines technical perfection with sheer power on the shot, requiring, quite literally, the utmost of drive.
Elite players duke it out on the range
The Continental Long Drive Open is part of the European Long Drive Games, attracting some of the best competitors worldwide, among them current world champion Martin Borgmeier (GER), Josh Koch (USA), record holder on the longest drive (496 yards), Sebastian Twaddell (AUS), record holder on the highest ball speed (240.8 mph), as well as the incumbent European champion, Bry Roberts (WAL). Players from 14 nations face off each other, including athletes from Japan, South Africa, and Serbia.
The Continental Long Drive Open, presented by BAL.ON, is part of the prestigious European Long Drive Games, an attraction to the world’s best long drive athletes.
Qualifications and preliminaries start on Saturday, 20.05, from 8 am till 7pm and continue on the 21.05., again from 8am, extending over most of the Sunday morning. From 2pm onwards, the top 16 players face off for the tournament win. It is then that the TV coverage starts, with Sky Sports Golf Germany airing the event for a full four hours. Experienced commentators Florian Bauer and Jonas Friedrich will take the audience through the show.
BAL.ON data feedback improves training
The BAL.ON team has equipped several athletes, among them Martin Borgmeier, with its training system, the BAL.ON Smart Kit. »For quite a while now we have seen biomechanics and data science enrich the way long drivers train. That makes our product the ideal addition for players’ training and coaching«, says Felix Lindner, founder of BAL.ON. »Our data has been a reference for pros, coaches, and competing teams early on in the development of BAL.ON. Now I’m excited to see even world class athletes using BAL.ON Smart Kits to optimize their training – and hopefully gain some decisive yards in the tournament as a consequence!«
Martin Borgmeier, current world long drive champion, relies on the BAL.ON Smart Kit to optimize his training.
Benefits carrying over to the amateur game
Jens Mundhenke, BAL.ON’s sports scientist and PGA professional, emphasizes another potential: »Despite their cultural differences, classic golf and long drive have been inspiring each other for quite a while now. Martin Borgmeier, for instance, is in constant exchange with touring golf pro Bryson DeChambeau. In the technical detail work, there is definitely a chance of cross-fertilization. The more it is about sheer shot length and shot accuracy, the cleaner your technique has to materialize. So, it’s all the better that our measurements and metrics are a close part of the scene – in the end, it’s going to help amateur golfers hit a whole lot better!«
Whether amateur golfer or long drive enthusiast, the audience can look forward to an exciting weekend full of great drives and spirited atmosphere. Entrance to the Continental Long Drive Open is free on both days of the tournament. Anyone with an interest in the BAL.ON Smart Kit can get more information on the spot and also purchase their own sample. Three stands accommodate the spectators, set up close to the athletic action, so everyone can enjoy monumental shots – and in good long drive tradition, enjoy them loud!