Former Ryder Cup star Nicolas Colsaerts has hit a new longest recorded European Tour drive ever on route to a five under par 66 on the opening day of the Wales Open at Celtic Manor.
Colsaerts, affectionately known as ‘The Belgium-born Bomber’, hit his tee shot 447-yards at the par five 18th hole of the Twenty-Ten course that played host to the 2010 Ryder Cup.
The 31-year old took full advantage of a prevailing breeze and the hard condition of the fairway at the 575-yard (526-meter) par five 18th hole that Colsaerts was playing as his ninth.
Colsearts drive, using a 9.5 degree Callaway Big Bertha Alpha driver, was five yards longer than the prior longest ‘official’ Tour drive of 442-yards set by India’s Shiv Kapur, and also using a Callaway driver, on day three of the 2012 Madeira Islands Open.
“The hole was playing downwind and I managed to get a good bounce, and I thought it was too far right but there is a bit of speed trap down the right side of the fairway, and it must just lugged down there,” said Colsaerts.
Nicholas Colsaerts hits a new longest Tour drive of 447-yards on day one of the ISPS Wales Open. (Photo – David Lloyd/www.golffile.ie)
“I had a pitching wedge into the hole yesterday that I thought was on a better line and today this drive was a bit further past.
“It’s the longest drive I’ve hit in my career but then I’ve also hit a drive over 400-yards competing in South Africa when I was playing alongside Ernie (Els) in the Volvo Champions two years ago in Durban.
“But with this Callaway driver I have, and when all the stars are aligned, you can hit is a long way.”
The monster drive left Colsarts with just 118-yards to the flag from where he walked off with an eagle ‘three’ and the eventual clubhouse lead in the Stg 1.8m event.
And when asked the reaction of his two playing partners to his effort on 18 Colsaerts said: “It is always the same reaction and that’s a big smile of their faces.”
The longest-ever drive in pro tournament golf was recorded by now deceased American Mike Austin, who hit a drive on September 25th, 1974 of 515 yards while competing in the U.S. National Senior Open Championship at Desert Rose, Las Vegas.
Bizarrely, Austin was aged 64 at the time.
Tiger Woods once hit a drive of 425-yards but that is still 51-yards short of the all-time PGA Tour low of 476-yards accomplished by fellow American Davis Love 111.
Love 111 recorded the effort in Hawaii during the 2004 season-opening Mercedes Championship.
Current World No. 1 Rory McIlroy, who is not competing in Wales, earlier this year at the Scottish Open hit a wind-assisted drive of 436-yards on route to a then new Royal Aberdeen course record of 64 on day one of the event in Aberdeen.
