Kyle Berkshire joined Jason Zuback and Sean Fister in becoming only the third person to win three World Long Drive Championships when he secured the 2023 title with a 398-yard drive in final held at the Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta.
The 26-year-old from Maryland hit his longest drive of the day in the quarter-finals, where a 432-yard drive straight down the middle of the grid saw him win that round against Justin James, but his 398-yard drive in the final only just squeezed past fellow American Sean Johnson’s best effort by just one yard.
Victory marked a remarkable turnaround in Berkshire’s fortunes this season, as he had yet to win a World Long Drive event in 2023 despite setting recent world records for the highest ball speed and longest drive.
“It’s hard to believe that I can call myself a three-time World Long Drive champion,” said Berkshire. “I’ve faced a lot of adversity leading up to this win so this one feels a little more special. When you lose that feeling and that kind of mojo, when you get it back it’s much more sweet.”
Asked about joining the likes of Zuback and Fister in the pantheon of long drivers, he added: “I respect those guys beyond measure and to even be close to being mentioned in the same air as them, it’s pretty humbling for me. I’m just going to keep my head down, keep training, keep taking care of my body and just keep taking swings. Hopefully, I’m around for another 15 plus years and I can rack up another couple more.”
Berkshire used Cobra’s AEROJET LS driver with 5.5° of loft to achieve his record-equalling win. The low spin model also helped Berkshire produce the longest drive of the week – a 450-yard smash with 231mph ball speed on day three.
Speaking about the work that goes into setting up Berkshire’s driver, Mike Yagley, vice president of Innovation at Cobra Puma Golf, said: “Kyle worked closely with us to build the fastest driver we have ever created. He gave us valuable insights to make a more aerodynamic clubhead and those improvements help him win the speed battle, when combined with superior forgiveness his Aerojet driver has a lethal combination for keeping the long ball on the grid.
“Ultimately, our work with him has made the Aerojet driver family more powerful and forgiving for all golfers. It’s a remarkable feat to be the longest in the game and we are thrilled to have an athlete like Kyle showcase our speed innovations.”
