The Volvik World Long Drive Championship hit prime time on Tuesday for the first of a two-night long-drive extravaganza. As we’ve come to know and love with these competitions, the pomp and circumstance that surround them are nearly as entertaining as seeing these guys and girls crush drivers upwards of 400 yards.
The head-to-head bracket format had drama, upsets and buzzer-beaters that are reminiscent of March Madness than the WLD. However, the most shocking moment of the night came during Wes Patterson’s Round of 16 match against Ryan Reisback when the force and speed of his follow-through caused his driver shaft to snap across his back and fly into the stands.
Here’s what GolfChannel.com had to say about the bizarre incident.
The Round of 16 at the Volvik World Long Drive Championship got off to a heart-racing start on Tuesday – at least for one fan.
In the first televised match of the night in Thackerville, Okla., Wes Patterson snapped his driver shaft. The broken, graphite projectile struck a fan in the stands; though, the fan appeared to be OK.
Patterson, who is unranked and twice defeated world No. 1 Maurice Allen to make it this far, knocked off Ryan Reisbeck thanks to a drive of 423 yards.
While Patterson’s club snapping may have been the craziest moment of the evening, the most drama-filled came from two-time WLD champion Tim Burke. Needing to beat a 415-yard drive by Stephen Kois, Burke needed a literal tape measure shot to edge him by inches.
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