Interviewing Rory McIlroy at The Open for UTV
THE saying goes in golf ‘drive for show, putt for dough’.
But for our latest champion from Northern Ireland it’s all about the former.
Newtownards man Aaron Lennie hits the ball longer and faster than most and has recently been crowned champion of the Long Drivers European Tour event in Austria.
It was his first professional win during his third season of competition.
Twenty-six year old Lennie went to college in Florida with the aim of becoming a touring professional golfer. When that didn’t work out, he decided to try golf’s latest craze.
Long drive contests require a longer club than normal, it is super flexible and light, and has only two and a half degrees of loft – that’s the same as a traditional putter. The aim is to hit the ball as far as possible while keeping it in bounds during a round robin format that comes down to a final match play scenario.
Two time major winner Bryson DeChambeau put Long Drive contests on the map when he accepted an invitation to compete in 2021.
Long drive competitions go back to 1974 when the first official contest was won by Jim Dent. But, thanks to Bryson’s involvement, it’s being promoted all over the world, particularly on Youtube.
Working with UTV cameraman John Vennard at The Open
Lennie watched the movement take off from afar and decided to try his hand, or rather his swing at it.
His first event was in Worthing in England and from then he was hooked.
“It’s so much fun and while the club is legal and I could use it in a normal game of golf, I wouldn’t because it is built for distance not accuracy,” Lennie told me during an interview for UTV.
Lennie’s first win on tour comes as a timely boost before the World Championships in Colorado in September.
“It’s the pinnacle of the sport, what we are all striving to achieve. I’m not the fastest guy in the world but anyone can win on his day,” he added.
So what’s his longest ever drive?
“We were in Mesquite earlier in the year and I recorded 437 yards,” he relates.
When he’s not teeing it up at tournaments, Lennie is the assistant pro at Clandeboye Golf club.
The junior section love to have a go with his long driver, for some the club is longer than them! I went along to watch some of the kids hit the ball and they managed very well – better than the parents who had a go!
Lennie’s success was the icing on the cake for golf here after another hugely successful Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
If you were lucky enough to get along you will have seen the spectacular set up that the R&A put on for the final major of the year.
The world’s best were in awe of the course again and much credit must go to Course Manager Graeme Beatt and his team for the 2-3 years of hard work leading up to the event.
And, of course, Rory McIlroy being there for the weekend this time made a big difference to the atmosphere as most fans were there for his ‘Homecoming’ after he became only the sixth player in history to complete golf’s Grand Slam.
‘Rory Mania’ was in full swing as crowds packed the course each to get a glimpse of their hero.
It was a privilege to cover the event for UTV all week and in the build up from Royal Portrush.
‘When will it return?’ is the question everyone wants to know. No-one knows exactly, predictions are between seven and 10 years.
But with record ticket sales, around 200 million pounds of benefit for the local economy and an increase in shop sales on site (82 percent increase compared to the 2019 tournament here) the R&A will certainly want to return as soon as possible.
One of the best views in golf.. the bench at the 6th tee box at Royal Portrush, and, below, one of the greatest walks in golf – up to the 18th grandstand at The Open
