2026 World Long Drive Championship in Reno, Nevada

This year's World Championship was a first for the city of Reno, and it was quite surprising for a few different reasons, some good, and others we will just leave be for the moment as they aren't under the control of any one person or group. I was an exempt competitor this year from my finish last season in the top 16, and I did my best to prepare. Unfortunately, I must have pushed a bit too hard leading into the event and didn't have my best performance during the competition, which factored into being eliminated in the round of 32 for only the second time in the past seven years. If that happened, I had told myself, if I ever had to requalify for worlds at this point in my career, it was time to take a step back. I don't have the passion to put in everything that is needed to compete on that level against individuals who still have that drive and hard work ethic, willing to give it their all, day in and day out to improve. So this isn't some sad retirement story. Let's just say I'll be 45 in a few years and look forward to enjoying my time in the senior division moving forward.

As for the event itself, the conditions were tough. A headwind during 99% of qualifying made things much more difficult than most had assumed it would be. Even though we were at elevation, the general strategy would have been similar to the 2025 championship, where a very high ball flight would be the best and smartest approach. Well, Reno and its strong winds had other ideas, which definitely caused some issues for many of the guys out there. I think this was one of the first years in recent memory that the top 16 ranked hitters had under 50% hitting in the final 16. That, along with minimal events in the tour schedule in the US, also made the "Tour Ranking" points somewhat difficult to judge and be true to what was truly happening, along with the emergence of some strong rookies and late bloomers making their mark in the field and showing that fire and drive that many of us once had. They came and took what they deserved.

The week itself was enjoyable even as a spectator. I can say 65°F in Reno feels close to 80°F, unlike later dates in Mesquite back in the Remax days. Those later evenings would get quite chilly, but in Reno, as long as the sun was up, we were all in T-shirts and shorts. The mornings, even though 50°F, didn't quite feel as chilly as I expected. I had packed a toque (beanie) since I saw the forecast and thought of Mesquite in the low 50s, but thankfully it was nothing like that. The sharp wind and not quite completed course renovation had the desert sands blowing (the sunburn on my lips is still healing). I got to watch so many old and new friends compete and do what they enjoy, which is why I always say Long Drive is a sport most enjoyed live and in person. Television and YouTube never truly capture the intensity of what it's like on that tee box.

The Grid itself was on a golf hole, with some undulation to say the least. Did they do the best with what they had? Yes. Are there ways to improve? Of course. But yet again, the grid did determine some breaks for some and some unfortunate bounces for others. I had been on both sides of that during my time on the tee box as well. If it had been downwind the entire time like it was most of the day during Championship Saturday, I am sure there would have been much less talk about the grid itself and more about the men and women competing. Simple explanation: into the wind, the right side of the grid narrows up due to landing and slope to the right. If you landed a ball right of center, even a straight ball could take a big bounce to the right and end up out of bounds. I can't really guesstimate what the chances of going OB were from that scenario, but let's just say it was much, much more than 50%. Once the wind died or went downwind slightly right to left, those odds almost diminished completely as it took that part of the grid almost out of play entirely, which is what you will see during the two television broadcasts on ESPN and the World Championships on Golf Channel. I know there's an assumption that everyone has the same chances, but ultimately that claim is never made by anyone who's been doing this sport for a long time or wants to hit in those conditions. When you're out there needing to hit a ball 370+ to win a set, and you hit one good just a few yards to the right of center and that ball rolls out of bounds at 400, but if you hit it just a bit less hard it might have stayed in at 375, it then makes the sport a bit more difficult. Or if you happen to carry to the bottom of the slope and the ball rolls 3 yards, versus hitting the back side of the slope because you launched a degree less and now that ball rolls 30+ yards, those aren't very realistic when it comes to a couple millimeters of contact on the face, a small gust of wind, or even just a couple hundred RPM of spin. I am saying this just to reiterate the fact that factors did play a bigger role for some than others.

The Final 4 in the Women's Division saw a great performance by Abby Marting, who was dropping ball after ball in play in her sets. Another newcomer, Kyunghyun Park, threaded the needle during her semifinal set to meet Abby in the final match. Both took down legendary female and past World Champions Phillis Meti and Kelly Rudney, respectively. In the final match, we saw Marting hold one in play just a few yards past Park to take down her first World Championship. With Abby being young and determined, she reminded me of Sandra Carlborg. This was her first, but likely, if she keeps it up, not her last. The one thing about the women's division that always stands out to me is that it's always a dogfight; no one ever just hands it over—they battle and fight for every yard out there. Hopefully, with the larger attendance this year, the women can reclaim a larger part of the sport as they so rightly deserve.

In the Senior Division, it was the never-quit attitude of Rob Oristaglio defeating Ryan Elhers in the final to take home his first Senior World Championship. I want to say this as it's how I view it as a competitor aging into this division here over the next few years. Every one of these hitters has a story in the Senior Division. When I started out, the Senior Division held great names such as Bobby Wilson, Pat Dempsey, Mike Gorton, and Gerry James, to mention a few. They were entertainers first, but would put on some pretty amazing ball-striking clinics while gabbing back and forth with one another. It was definitely always a highlight watching these hall of famers. For some, it's their first year in the division after a few years away from open division competition; for others, it's their first few years ever competing as they found the sport later in life. But if you ever get a chance, have a conversation, ask questions with these guys. They will undoubtedly have been through something either in the sport or even just in life in general that will likely help you become a better hitter, sure, but likely also a better person. Rob had been competing for quite some time—25 years to be exact—always in the mix, and it was this year he executed and took home his first title. I can say these guys do it for the pure joy of competition at this point, as they should. It's fun; yes, they will win a title and some money, but that wouldn't make a huge impact on their day-to-day lives. Nonetheless, these guys are out there hitting 400-yard bombs and having a great time. Honestly, I cannot wait to join them.

The Open division got a bit spicy; we had some expected matchups and then some would call upsets. Not sure of the exact order of events, but every one of those 8 men deserved their seat at the table. James Tait once again proved why he should have always been ranked in the top 10, making his third final 8 appearance in a row. Matt Nicholls, aka Matty Bombs, showed his work ethic and determination can pay off by making his first top 8. Reid Russell made his second straight top 8 and did it with what seemed like ease this year; honestly, I've never seen him hit it so consistently. Colton Casto just did what he does: high, hard, long nukes all week. Sean Johnson was also at the top of his game, as was Roni "slow is smooth, smooth is fast" Shin. Rounding out the top 8 again, for I believe the third time in like 5 years, was Bryce Verplank, a good friend and +4 handicap player; he's always a threat. Then the surprise, but not actual surprise, Nick Dileo. If you would have guessed 9 months ago Nick was going to be in the finals at worlds, many i'm sure would of bet agains't it.

These 8 put on one heck of a show round after round, with Nick and Colton facing off in the final. Now, both men are great friends of mine, so there was no way I was betting on this one. Colton had the speed and the ball flight; Nick had pure determination and grit. I happened to be watching this set with two very established athletes in their own respective fields, and one pointed out Nick and his ability in how he did everything exactly the same when he got to the tee box, almost as if he had one sole focus that he was setting up step by step. Once you see these kinds of things and have the ability to let be and forget the prior miss and focus on what’s next and ahead of you, this is no longer a rookie who is in his first year competing, let alone on the sport's biggest stage. It's an athlete doing what he trained and spent hours upon hours training to do, and is now in his element. Not taking away from Colton and his talents and hard work he has put in over the years, but Nick, albeit likely being looked at as the underdog, took his moment as Colton had the misfortune of missing his. With Nick taking the win at the end for his first world championship title, and with his work ethic and refinement of his craft, I can't predict the future, but seeing those moments, this is likely not his last.

As this wraps up the weekend, I want to dive a bit deeper into Nick, just to bring to light his grit and determination. He had messaged me back in the early spring as we both came from training backgrounds of a similar nature. Nick did strongman, and I myself had some of my best friends who did strongman, so our ability to speak to one another was quite easy. Nick had questions, and I gave him some answers. I did this on a limited basis at first, since I wanted to see if he was going to brush them off or actually use them. Sure enough, within a few days, I got a reply about him trying this and that, and this worked, and that felt this one way, and so on. As a veteran, I don't mind helping guys out or giving advice when I know they're going to put it to good use. Anything I mentioned when asked got put into use in some way, and then it got followed up by a question. Through this, we became friends and talked shop on other things in life and so on, but I can't think of one time that Nick didn't do the work, didn't make an effort. Sure, he might have reverted back to a few things that might have or might not have worked. He tried and kept trying. It reminded me of picking the brains of those that came before me and how I was able to reach my competition best. This guy doesn't stop, and he has discipline, determination, and a process. Throw those things together with strength and athleticism, and it wasn't a big shocker to me that he pulled off what he did, impressive to say the very least, and a great guy overall as well. They do not get much nicer, that is for sure, and when a competitor's mother personally thanks you for helping out, even though I wasn't his coach by any stretch, it's those moments that remind me you can always leave a positive impact just by sharing and passing along information. Now, of course, yes, I coach and train individuals, but I also don't ask individuals who already have a coach or are being helped by others. I just offer my perspective and views on certain subjects to provide certain values some other coaches may not be able to provide, as it's quite difficult for a coach to quantify swinging 160+ mph if they have never been there themselves or the toll it can take on the system for recovery purposes. But that is also a topic I have covered previously, so we won't get into that here and now.

Now, I don't want to leave anyone out here, as everyone, for the most part, in this sport are great guys and girls. The community is what makes the sport and what makes it fun. Once someone has been eliminated, we can sit around, shake hands, give hugs, and congratulate one another with smiles, knowing it very well could be different next time around. Because, well folks, you heard me say it before, and I'll say it again: "That's Long Drive."

One thing I want to address is when players speak about the sport and competition, I have heard far too many times lately, "It's not about the money." Well, as someone who literally jumped into this sport because first place was 250k USD in 2008 and 150k in 2009 at World Championships after a massive financial crisis, I never once heard the top hitters saying it wasn't about the money, since, well, 400k can do a lot for anyone, as it did for the two-time champion in those two seasons. Saying publicly or on social media that "it's not about the money" only strengthens the point of the prize pot not getting raised to those in charge. I know, as any owner of a business, if employees said it wasn't about the money, do you think they would care to give raises? Every time I hear this online, it strikes me hard. Why wouldn't we want more money? There is a timeline to all careers, and to make the most in those years available would only be the most common-sense thing to push towards. As players and competitors, yes, we want to win, but it doesn't mean our time allocated towards this goal should be worth less. If you added the time you spent away from family, on practice, on physical care, gym hours, travel hours, things you may have missed in life, what's that worth? Take the value of the time you have spent and tell me it's not worth more over these last couple of seasons of Long Drive. Next time the topic comes up, just admit the competitors are underpaid, the prize money comes from entry fees only, and you would like to see that change. When I started in 2008, I knew of 5-figure monthly contracts from equipment companies, multiple OEMs involved along with 5 smaller manufacturers. Now we basically have 1 or 2? Multiple players on smaller equipment deals with head and/or shaft companies getting behind them. Now, do we even have one competitor making 5 figures a season who is actively competing from a single sponsorship from a Golf Industry company? Yes, times have changed, and with social media, everyone wants to be popular and give things away for almost nothing. It's a blame on not a single individual but more of just a culture as a whole looking out for themselves and their own popularity, instead of the industry or sport growing as a whole. What's the answer? It's actually quite simple: demand more. No one ever got a raise at work just 'cause! Be vocal. It seems to me like everyone is scared to bite the hand that feeds them, but when that hand is just giving you crumbs which are not actually feeding you, what's the big deal? Are we worried they will stop taking our entry fees, or are some of us okay with the best of the best not competing because that means you get to feel more relevant at where you're ranked? Be honest with yourself; you want to be popular more than you want to get paid.

The best in the world hasn't attended the Championship in 3 years (and I'm not going to mention the rankings), but he launched a video the same day as the finals and has gotten 100x the viewership (that's probably a low estimate) that WLD has had, even though they put forth a great effort with their media during the championship. Another world-class hitter has been doing similar activities of his own over the same period, as I've been part of a few of those activities, and the views on them have been well into the millions, regularly, not just once a year. Why are they no longer competing? I can say this almost certainly: it's about the money. Other reasons could possibly be a part of it, but if first place was 250k, I highly doubt they would be staying home. Yes, I understand two individuals don't make a sport, but the trickle-down effect is real.

In closing on this topic, if you think you are worth nothing more than what you have been getting, that's on you, but in my mind and from what I have seen, every competitor works hard, takes time away from family, and gives their time and body to the gym and the range. You yourself are the only one that can put a true value on what that's worth to you.

Until next time.

RG