The 2024 World Long Drive World Championships started Thursday in Atlanta. The competition features two divisions of golfers vying for money and bragging rights.
Eagles Landing Country Club in Stockbridge, Georgia, is the site for this year’s title, with a men’s open division – 96 competitors – and the women’s division – 22 – duking it out over four days.
The open division’s best competitor this season is Colton Casto with three victories, including back-to-back coming into the championships. Meanwhile, Mai Dechathipat has two wins in the women’s divison, the lone woman to win more than once, including the most recent stop.
Coming into the championships, the longest drive this season in the open division is 463 yards by Justin James. The longest drive in the women’s division is 387 yards by Dechathipat.
The prize money in Atlanta this week was adjusted Thursday evening, upping both the open division to $40,000 and the women’s division to $15,000. There’s additional prize money up for grabs this week. On Sunday, the three longest drives that go beyond 400 yards, into an area dubbed the Newton Landing Zone, will be awarded an additional cash bonus.
Saturday’s rounds will be live on ESPN+. The women’s final will be on Golf Channel on Monday and the open final will be on Golf Channel on Tuesday.