2022 Ultimate Long Drive World Championship

The 2022 ULD World Championship was held at Premier Sports Campus in Bradenton Florida. The event ran from Thursday October 27th through Sunday October 30th.

Participants

After 4 days of hitting, 250 entries from 16 countries representing the top long drivers in the world were taken down to 44 2022 ULD World Champions across all divisions. Divisions include age and ability categories from 7 & under to 70+ including Amateurs, Professionals, Military, and Adaptive.

Results

The 2022 Ultimate Long Drive World Championship produced world champions from Canada (13), Japan (3), Mexico (1), South Africa (1), New Zealand (1), and the USA (25). The competition was stellar! There were multiple country versus country finals that included national champions against national champions…just the way a world championship should play out. There were veteran long drivers and first-year rookies going head-to-head in finals. There are many great stories emanating from this tournament such as:

  1. With just over a year of experience, Isaiah Joyner wins the XLD Open Men’s belt in a great match against the 2021 XLD Open men’s World Champion, Jim Waldren.
  2. Rookie, Anna Drahos met veteran world champion, Phillis Meti in the XLD Open Women’s final in a great match.
  3. 2018 WLD Champion, Maurice Allen and Japanese Champion, Naoto Misumi had one of the best matches of the event in the XLD Men 35+ division. Misumi took the belt in that division then Allen came back and took the belt in the XLD Men 40+ Division.
  4. There were 43 female participants across all divisions. This is a record number of females in a long drive event.
  5. 2022 Mexico National Champion and 2021 ALD 45+ Champ, Jorge Aguado went up against USA 2021 45+ Champ, Roy Studley in a great showdown that Studley won.

XLD (Xtreme Long Drive®) Professional Divisions

Open Men –  Isaiah Joyner USA

Open Women – Phillis Meti – New Zealand

XLD 35+ Men – Naoto Misumi – Japan

XLD 35+ Women – Kelly Rudney – Canada

XLD 40+ Men – Maurice Allen – USA

XLD 40+ Women – Fareen Samji – Canada

XLD 45+ Men – David Mobley – USA

XLD 45+ Women – Kelly Rudney – Canada

XLD 50+ Men – Mike Bauman – USA

XLD 50+ Women – Michelle Sheptak – USA

XLD 55+ Men – David Mobley – USA

XLD 60+ Men – Jeff Nuchols – USA

XLD 60+ Women – Lee Brandon – USA

XLD 65+ Men – Daniel Fornier – Canada

XLD 70+ Men – David Brinker – USA

ALD (Amateur Long Drive™) Amateur Divisions

Open Military – Jason Yarborough – USA

Open Adaptive – Henry O’Grady – USA

Open Adaptive – Charles Naspinski – USA

Open Adaptive – Thomas Maneeley – USA

Open Adaptive – Dana Shealey – USA

Open Adaptive – Chris Garner – Canada

Open Adaptive – Roger Sack – USA

ALD Open Men – Gerald Helstowski – USA

ALD Open Women – Ethel Ruthenburg – South Africa

ALD 35+ Men – Allen Peake – USA

ALD 35+ Women – Lori Biencowe – Canada

ALD 45+ Men – Roy Studley – USA

ALD 45+ Women – Melissa Steck – USA

ALD 50+ Men – Kenji Nashida – Japan

ALD 50+ Women – Erika Rodrigues – Mexico

ALD 55+ Men – Aklira Komori – Japan

ALD 55+ – Women – Barbara Moody – Canada

ALD 60+ – Women Lori Danecke – Canada

ALD 65+ Men – Jeffrey Brown – USA

ALD 70+ Men – David Brinker – USA

Junior Boys – Kauner Kay – USA

Junior Girls – Chloe Jacques – Canada

13U Boys – Alessandro Baiocco – Canada

11U Girls – Emma Kessner – USA

11U Boys – Ryder Smith – Canada

9U Boys – Dylan Spinnato – USA

9U Girls – Maggie Delov – Canada

7U Boys – Tom Delov – Canada

7U Girls – Ava Wilkinson – USA