Temecula’s Billy Kilgore is headed to Nevada, and even he might be surprised.
Kilgore, 26, has qualified in the Open Division for the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship, Sept. 22 – 27, in Mesquite, Nev.
The local pro golf instructor is up and coming in the long drive field. He's only been a long driver for two years, and his longest drive to date has been 480 yards, according to his rep Debra Kleinman.
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Kilgore qualified for the Championships by hitting the three longest balls of the day at the Regional Championships in Mesquite last month, outdriving 80 other players by 24 yards with 419-, 401- and 401-yard drives consecutively, Kleinman said.
If he wins the championship title, Kilgore, who is now a pro long driver, will claim $250,000 in prize money.
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“He's a natural talent and has the drive and ambition to be the long drive champion,” Kleinman said.
At the Championship located in the Mesquite Sports and Events Complex, Kilgore will be hitting against 192 other competitors. By Sept. 27, only 16 competitors will remain. They will compete against each other that day and the final eight will hit at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 30 to determine the World Long Drive Champion for 2013.
The Oct. 30 event is scheduled to be televised by ESPN.
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