An annual Tuesday tradition at the PGA Championship is the long drive competition, which awards the winner a gold money clip and a donation of $25,000 to the charity of their choice.
With big hitters all over Bethpage Black State Park this week, it was a last-minute entry into the event that ended up getting the first win of the week.
Prior to this week, Max Homa hadn’t played in a major championship as a professional, but his win two weeks ago at the Wells Fargo Championship ensured he would be teeing it up in a few the game’s biggest events.
Not wasting any time announcing himself on the scene, Homa hauled off and bombed a 318-yard drive on a cool, damp day at Bethpage Black’s par-4 16th hole.
We have a new Long Drive leader! @maxhoma23 sends this one 318 yards. ?#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/TaBSH3VbxT
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 14, 2019
The drive was 10 yards farther than a trio of runners-up that included Shane Lowry, Patrick Reed and Casey Russell.
Fact: I had never won a long drive contest at the PGA Championship until I switched to the new TS4 https://t.co/tsrtDOO8en
— max homa (@maxhoma23) May 15, 2019
The drive of the day may have belonged to Homa, but the moment of the day on the 16th tee came courtesy of 2008 PGA Champion Padraig Harrington who channeled his inner Happy Gilmore for his entry in the long drive contest.
How’d he do, @AdamSandler? ?#PGAChamp @padraig_h pic.twitter.com/WALntQIj9g
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 14, 2019
