Chad Cesarz, a Jackson, Michigan native, has been selected to partake in the Volvik World Long Drive Championship event. The World Long Drive Association is an organization that brings together golf’s longest hitters from around the globe.
JTV Sports | June 10th, 2019 | Gabriel Schray
Despite having to battle excessive wind conditions Mesquite, Nevada, six hitters became the latest names to punch their ticket into the 2019 Volvik World Long Drive Championship. This included Jackson, Michigan native Chad Cesarz. The Lumen Christi alum will take part in the next Volvik World Long Drive Championship event, which is scheduled to take place August 30th through September 4th. The two day event will be held in Thackerville, Oklahoma, at WinStar Golf Course.
“It’s pretty exciting to be able to represent Jackson on a stage like this. There are only a few names that come to mind that broke the worldwide sports barrier like this. It means a lot to me because it gets Jackson onto the map, and I’m proud of where I’m from” – Chad Cesarz
Originating in 1976, the World Long Drive Association is an organization that brings together golf’s longest hitters from around the globe. Emerging as one of golf’s most popular grass roots competitions, World Long Drive was named a finalist at the 2018 Cynopsis Sports Media Awards in the League of the Year for a Breakthrough Sport and Live Coverage of a Breakthrough Sport categories.
See footage of Chad Cesarz practicing for the World Long Drive:
The broader sports industry also has taken notice of the spectacle. This included ESPN proclaiming that long drive has “recently started to enter the mainstream of golf.” Men’s Journal noted “with the sport’s ascendant profile and ever-growing prestige,” fans should “buckle up for more high-octane action;” Golf Digest said that the World Long Drive is “on the upswing, gaining traction;” and Golf.com claiming it as “an eye-opening experience.”
Competitors are given eight balls in 3 minutes to try and achieve the longest possible drive. A “qualified drive” must land and come to rest within the grid boundaries. Minimum yardage for qualification is 300 yards.
For more local sports news and information, you can connect with JTV on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. This article was written by JTV’s Gabriel Schray. He is in his fifth year covering Jackson Area sports and news for JTV. You can connect with Gabriel on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as well.