Tag Archives: Mijas Golf Internacional

Long Drive, Tournaments

Long Drive – Joe Miller wins Spain LDET Championship, with Adrián Sánchez third

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September 7, 2014 – The English Joe Miller has won the seventh Long Drive European Tour (LDET) tournament, played at the 13th hole of Los Lagos in Mijas Golf International, after beating his compatriot Dan Konyk by 2-0, in a tournament where several hitters exceeded the barrier of 400 yards. Miller was on the verge of falling in the semifinals after the Spanish Adrián Sánchez put him in trouble at the semifinals.

The Spain LDET Championship started with extremely hot weather. Competing in Group 1 were the pros Jamie Kinnell (Sco) and Timo Petrasch (Ger), and the Spanish amateur players Antonio Moreno and Sergio González. After hitting six balls, Petrasch qualified directly to quarters with a mark of 342 yards. In the pairing, Sergio González (316y) and Jamie Kinnel (311y) went to matchplays.

In Group 2 were the pros Dan Konyk (Eng) and Mauro Benaglio (Swi), and the amateur players Marc Apfelbaum and Jesús Garrido. The English Dan Konyk was the best of this group with a shot of 358 yards. The other players who qualified were: Benaglio (341y) and Garrido (311y).

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The highlight in Group 3 was the Spanish Miguel Pérez and the Scottish John McSloy (No2). McSloy showed his power and struck all his own records with an incredible hit of 386y, that led him directly to quarters. Other players who went to the next round were Miguel Pérez (326y) and Javier Romera (Spa, 325y).

The wind started to blow and the tournament’s qualifying rounds resumed with Group 4, where Joe Miller (Eng), the current No1 LDET ranking, went into action. No doubt, as usual he went directly to quarter finals with a bomb of 390 yards, his second best score. The best hits of the other players in this group were: Adrián Sánchez (Spa, 355y) and Fabien Trillard (Fra, 347y).

Spanish amateur players have shown their power too. Some of them reached distances beyond 300 yards. Javier Romera won the second edition of the Spanish Long Drive Amateur LDET Championship. Romera beated Jesús Garrido in the final thanks to a shot of 332 yards.

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After matchplays, the quarter finals pairings were: Timo Petrasch (314y) vs Adrián Sánchez (381y); Joe Miller (401y) vs Fabien Trillard (344y); Dan Konyk (380y) vs Miguel Pérez (357y); and John McSloy (402y) vs Mauro Benaglio (347y).

In the semifinals the audience enjoyed a great show with two high voltage duels. After releasing the first six balls out of the grid in the first set, Adrian Sánchez struggled with Joe Miller in a second set that was decided by inches: Sánchez (394,3y) and Miller (394,5y). The Spanish player was unable to force the third set, but he finished third after beating John McSloy in the consolation final. McSloy fell in his semifinal against Konyk, who also reached the 401y.

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In the final of the 7th stop of the Tour, Joe Miller and Dan Konyk also achieved above the 400y. In the first set, Konyk shot all the balls outside the grid. And in the second one, Miller did not forgive Dan and defeated his fellow with an incredible howitzer of 412 yards, the longest ball of the day.

The next LDET’s stop of the season will be hosted by Domaine du Barbossi in Cannes (France). The France LDET Championship 17th & 18th October will take place.

Pictures: Raquel Mateos.

Long Drive, Tournaments

Long Drive – The LDET bombers take Mijas Golf International course

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September 4, 2014 – The Long Drive show returns to Spain thanks to the Long Drivers European Tour (LDET), to celebrate the seventh season tournament that will be hold tomorrow Friday 5th and Saturday 6th of September. The best European hitters are back at Mijas Golf Internacional course (Malaga, Spain), where the second edition of the Spanish Amateur Long Drive LDET Championship will also be played.

The most spectacular golf tour arrives to Spain in the final stretch of its second season, during which LDET has reaped successes in all new countries. This 2014, the bombers have exhibited their drivers in new scenarios: Belgium, Germany, UK, Slovenia and Italy. There are only two more events and the Spain LDET Championship could be a litmus test for winning the title of the Long Drive European Champion.

In the race for the title there is a name that stands out above all: Joe Miller. The English player remains intractable after winning five of the six tournaments –in Czech Republic he was absent due to personal reasons-. Miller made big hits this season and he was almost about to blow the mark of 400 yards, with 397,4y in Germany.

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The hitter has not released the top of the ranking(#1 / 5,000 points) and he has nine straight victories in the LDET Tour (including the 4 of last season). Joe Miller has been also World Champion RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship 2010. The Scottish player John McSloy is in great form and he stands second in the ranking. And Dewald Lubbe, from South Africa, is the only player that has a tournament in his pocket, due to Miller’s absence in the Czech round.

Representing the Spanish long drive there is Miguel Pérez, a 20 years old player born in Malaga, who has participated in two tournaments: In the German stop, he reached the 1/8 final; and in the Italian one he arrived to the Quarterfinals facing Joe Miller.

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Miguel is the thirteenth in the rankingand this is his third tournament. He says that he faces the challenge “with many more nerves than the previous two tournaments. I am a member of Mijas Golf and my friends will come to see me and I have more pressure. I think my evolution was good and I hope to do much better next year,” he adds.

On the tee, we will also see another Spanish player: Adrián Sánchez (23 years old). He is another of the young talents of the Spanish long drive, who already participated in the final tournament of the last season LDET held in Torremirona.

The Long Drive Tour is also traveling around Europe looking for new talents in this specific sport. Therefore, the competition takes place also in each country with local players. The current Spanish Amateur Long Drive LDET Championis Jesus Garrido, who is coming back to participate in Mijas and will try to defend his title.