India’s Shiv Kapur is believed to have recorded the third longest drive in tournament golf and possibly the longest in European Tour history after launching a 442-yard drive during the third round of the Maderia Islands Open.
Kapur used a Callaway RAZR ‘Hawk’ driver to bring the downhill par four, 13th hole to its knees and leaving the popular New Delhi born golfer just 11 yards to the front of the green.
- John ‘Ronnie’ Roberts proudly holding Shiv Kapur’s record-setting driver. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
And unlike many priort ‘wind assisted’ drives, Kapur recorded the feat in benign and very hot conditions.
“There’s simply no wind today and in this hot weather, and also as we are so high up on the island, the ball is just going so far,” he said.
“Of course, I’ve hit plenty of drives well over 300-yards but this is the first time I’ve ever launced a drive 442-yards.
“The ball just came off the clubface so good and seemed to go forever and just stopping about a dozen yards short of the flagstick.”
A Tour official later confirmed Kapur’s drive to be a new long and beating the former mark set by Sweden’s Jarmo Sandelin.
Scotland’s Gary Orr, who played alongside Kapur, remarked: “I just couldn’t how far ball travelled and when you look at Shiv, who’s a really nice guy, he’s certainly not in the mould of Alvaro Quiros or Nicolas Colsaerts.”
Unfortunately, Kapur failed to convert his super drive in walking off with a par in a round of 68 to move to 10-under par.
Top Tour caddy, John ‘Ronnie’ Roberts later proudly posed with Kapur’s record-setting driver.
Only a day earlier Argentina’s Rafa Echenique had smashed a drive of 423-yards at the similar downhill par five 11th.
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 31-yards short of the all-time PGA Tour low of 476-yards accomplished by 2012 USA Ryder Cup captain, Davis Love 111.
Love 111 recorded the effort in Hawaii during the 2004 season-opening Mercedes Championship and on a similar mountainous layout as Madeira and is recorded as the world’s second longest drive in pro tour golf.
