While the boys of summer, fall, winter and spring take their playoff halftime break, time to have some fun of our own.
Time for Beast Mode.
No, no carrying of the football by Marshawn Lynch.
We’re talking World Long Drive Championship.
They staged this “Rip It So Hard You Bust A Gut” contest out in Oklahoma at the Winstar World Casino. Gamble early, watch them go Beast Mode later.
Okay, to set the stage, let’s review some clubhead speeds from big hitters you recognize on the PGA Tour.
Dustin Johnson, of course, is mega-long. D.J. goes in the 122 miles-per-hour to 126 miles-per-hour range with his clubhead speed.
Tony Finau is 124-128.
Bubba Watson is 121-127.
Rory McIlroy is 120-125.
J.B. Holmes is 121-127.
PGA Champ Justin Thomas is around 117, average. Pretty good. Maybe the longest, pound-for-pound.
The men’s finalists Wednesday night in the WLD were Justin James and Mitch Grassing. Both big guys. James was pure-muscle, with a baseball background, very athletic guy. Grassing was huge, out-weighed James 265 to 205 but not as muscular. In fact, Grassing was more of the Baby Huey type of body. Just huge.
As it turned out, things were way to easy for James as Grassing went zero-for-eight in the finale. Couldn’t find the grid, his shots ended up for the most part in different zip codes in Oklahoma other than the Winstar World Casino.
James simply went to his “playing golf with the guys” driver, a 45-inch shaft, and promptly ripped one 435 yards. Maybe those extra-long drivers are over-rated. For the record, James’ clubhead speed is in the 145-150-plus miles per hour range. Ouch!
What’s amazing is how far off line most of the attempts by these guys end up. Grassing got to the finals only because he got one in play after going zero-for-seven to start his semi-final.
Okay, can’t leave without some props for the ladies.
Sandra Carlborg won easily. She blasted a drive 349 yards, crushing Heather Manfredda in the finals.
Manfredda got there with an upset win over New Zealander Phylis Meti. Meti, for the record, has a 117-mile-per-hour clubhead speed, faster than Justin Thomas.
Carlborg has a good golf swing, hits a lot of drives in the grid, making her tough to beat. She’s trained by former LPGA player Helen Alfredsson.
Yes, it was a Beast Mode night.
Lots of power, not much accuracy.
