REMAX EUROPEAN LONG DRIVE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2006
RE/MAX LONG DRIVE CHAMPIONSHIP OF EUROPE 2006
10TH SEPTEMBER 2006
HOLLYSTOWN GC, DUBLIN, IRELAND
FIREWORKS AT THE GRAND FINALE
ENGLAND'S ALLEN STORMS THROUGH
Rookie Richard Allen, in his first year of competitive long driving, would have been happy to have walked away with the title of RE/MAX English Champion. Now he is no doubt ecstatic to have blown away the finest players in Europe to capture the crown of European Champion.
It was a day when many of the established tour players found nerves and the big occasion difficult to deal with. In the Ladies division Swede Jessica Wallstrom, who had been invincible all season found that her two earlier rounds both at 281 m (306yds) amounted to nothing in the final. It was up to fellow Swede Helena Rhodin to capture the championship with a final 275m (300yds) blast, beating Jessica by 11m.
The Senior division was even more closely contested. Five times English Champion, Bob Nally, could not find the grid in the final, leaving the way open for Sweden’s Roland Rapp to just pip Roland Andersson by 2m with 275m (300yds). Both these winners will now represent Europe in the RE/MAX World finals in Las Vegas in October.
The Open division also saw some major upsets, but with the capacity field and mass eliminations there were bound to be many sad people. The semi-finals saw unexpected exits from Marcus Edblad, Alexander Lantz, Adam Stacey and Janos Uotila, all winners on tour this year. The final of eight players battling not only for the European title but for the three places in the World finals was the most tense of the season.
RE/MAX European champion of 2005 Joe Miller and rookie Stef Gresel failed to find the grid. Even Johan Tumba and Daniel Konyk struggled with the pressure, hitting 315m and 290m respectively. Second man up, Richard Allen set the target with 346m (377yds) and the two Swedes Mikael Lindblom (330m) and the always superbly powerful Patrik Andersson (343m) could not quite reach that massive distance.
These three will now go forward to the World finals, together with Stacey, Uotila and Edblad, in what looks to be the strongest squad ever put together to challenge the might of the USA players.
RESULTS
Distances in Metres
OPEN DIVISION
1st - Richard Allen (ENG) - 346
2nd - Patrik Andersson (SWE) - 343
3rd - Mikael Lindblom (SWE) - 339
SENIORS DIVISION
1st - Roland Rapp (SWE) - 275
2nd - Roland Andersson (SWE) - 270
3rd - Bob Nally (ENG) - OB
LADIES DIVISION
1st - Helena Rhodin (SWE) - 275
2nd - Jessica Wallstrom (SWE) - 264
3rd - Deirdre Brennan (IRE) - 244
Full Report to Follow ...
For Open Division Results sheet in PDF Format - HERE
For Ladies & Senior Division Results sheet in PDF Format - HERE
To RETURN to main Results Page - click HERE
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