FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 8th, 2017

WORLD LONG DRIVE ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES “CLASH IN THE CANYON” EVENT, AIRING TUESDAY, JUNE 6 ON GOLF CHANNEL

In Partnership with Golf Mesquite Nevada, Clash in the Canyon
Will Be First of 3 World Long Drive Events on Golf Channel in 2017  

ORLANDO, Fla. (March 8, 2017) – The World Long Drive Association (WLDA) has announced a new event in partnership with Golf Mesquite Nevada – The Clash in the Canyon – being staged June 3-6 at the Mesquite Regional Sports and Event Complex in Mesquite, Nevada, and culminating on Tuesday, June 6 on Golf Channel. The event will be the first of three Long Drive events airing live and in primetime on Golf Channel in 2017, the first time ever that multiple Long Drive events will air live on television in the same year:

Clash in the Canyon (Tuesday, June 6) – 8 p.m. ET
Mile High Showdown (Tuesday, July 25) – 7 p.m. ET
World Long Drive Championship (Tuesday-Wednesday, Sept. 5-6) – 9 p.m. ET

A familiar setting in the Long Drive community, Mesquite previously hosted the World Long Drive Championship and a number of qualifying events dating back to 1997, including the World Championship being staged at the Mesquite Regional Sports and Event Complex from 2008-2012. This will mark the first time that a Long Drive event from Mesquite will air live on television, and also will be the first time ever that the Women’s Division will air live on TV.

“Mesquite is a location that for many years has maintained a deep connection to Long Drive, so it’s fitting that the creation of this new event in partnership with Golf Mesquite Nevada will return the sport to such a familiar place in its history,” said Phil Piazza, senior vice president, programming for Golf Channel. “The new event also will present the current group of emerging personalities in the sport with an opportunity to compete in the same market as the generation of Long Drivers having laid the foundation before them, and showcase their skills in a live setting from Mesquite for the first time ever.”

2017 WORLD LONG DRIVE ASSOCIATION SCHEDULE:

DATE EVENT LOCATION
March 24-27 Endless Summer Invitational Huntington Beach, Calif.
April 21-23 East Coast Classic West Columbia, S.C.
May 18-20 WinStar Midwest Slam Thackerville, Okla.
June 3-6 Clash in the Canyon (*Golf Channel*) Mesquite, Nev.
June 23-25 Bluff City Shootout Memphis, Tenn.
July 6-8 Rockwell Blast West Bountiful, Utah
July 22-25 Mile High Showdown (*Golf Channel*) Denver, Colo.
Aug. 4-6 Catawba Classic Hickory, N.C.
Aug. 31-Sept. 6 World Long Drive Championship (*Golf Channel*) Thackerville, Okla.

The Clash in the Canyon will feature a 32-man field competing in the Open Division based on the Official World Long Drive rankings, along with a Women’s Division field of 16 competitors. The Open Division will compete for a $50,000 purse, with a first place prize of $20,000, while the Women’s Division will be vying for a $7,000 first place prize with a $15,000 overall purse. Qualifying rounds will narrow the field to eight men and four women advancing to take part in the televised portion of the competition on Golf Channel.

As part of the event, the WLDA also will stage local and regional qualifying for the Open Division on Saturday-Sunday, June 3-4 (registration now open), which will award four exemptions into the 2017 World Long Drive Championship (Aug. 31-Sept. 6) field later this year. Also taking place on Sunday, June 4, will be a Masters Division (ages 45+) competition featuring a $15,000 purse and $7,000 first place prize. The field of 16 Masters Division invitees will include several individuals who have greatly contributed to the success and sustainability of the sport over the past few decades.

The 2017 Open Division schedule consists of eight qualifying events, with four competitors from each event advancing to the World Championship, which will feature a 96-man field competing for a $270,000 purse. The Women’s Division at the World Championship will feature a field of 32 competitors vying for a purse of $40,000. The World Championship will return to WinStar World Casino & Resort (Thackerville, Okla.) for a third consecutive year, following a multi-year extension as the World Championship host site.

ABOUT WORLD LONG DRIVE ASSOCIATION

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, sanctioned Long Drive events are open to amateur and professional golfers. With an Open Division, Women’s Division and Masters Division (Ages 45+), the sport appeals to golfers of all ages, whether you’re a competitor or spectator. The 2017 WLDA season consists of events across the United States and around the world, culminating with the World Long Drive Championship, Aug. 31-Sept. 6, from WinStar World Casino & Resort (Thackerville, Okla.,) where competitors will convene under the lights for the world title on Golf Channel. The adrenaline-infused Championship has been described as “golf’s greatest spectacle,” with competitors routinely hitting drives in excess of 400 yards.

ABOUT GOLF CHANNEL

Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. Serving the most-affluent audience in all of television, Golf Channel – co-founded by Arnold Palmer in 1995 and now part of NBC Sports Group – is available in more than 200 million homes in 84 countries and 11 languages around the world. Golf Channel features more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, including tournament action from the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, The Open, Olympics, and Ryder Cup, as well as high-quality news, instruction and original programming. Golf Channel Digital delivers unmatched coverage of the world of golf. Fans are able to enjoy 24/7 live streaming of Golf Channel content through Golf Channel Mobile and the NBC Sports App, both powered by Playmaker Media. In addition, Golf Channel connects the world to golf through a wide array of digital and lifestyle services including Golf Channel Mobile, a comprehensive app covering golf’s latest headlines, scores and analysis; GolfNow, the world’s largest online tee time booking platform and golf course technology partner, which includes the GolfNow Mobile App, featuring on-course GPS tracking, in-round scoring and game tracking; GolfAdvisor.com, the world’s largest golf course ratings and review resource for golfers, by golfers; a North American network of Golf Channel Academy instructional facilities; and Golf Channel Am Tour, the world’s largest amateur golf tour.

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