Abby Marting: Inside a World Long Drive Comeback Story
Abby Marting is ranked No. 9 in the women's division of World Long Drive, a Pinnacle Ambassador, and, by her own count, had just spent 12 days in 12 different cities when she sat down for the latest episode of the Road to Reno podcast. With the 2026 World Long Drive Championship set for October 15-17 at Wildcreek Golf Course in Reno, Nevada, here's a look at the story behind one of the most active competitors in the sport.
From Dubuque to Drake
Abby grew up in Dubuque, Iowa, in a family where golf was the common thread. Her grandfather raised seven kids around the game, and six of them went on to play Division I golf. Abby's own competitive streak showed up early: at six years old, she tied for a kids' tournament title, won the playoff, and walked away with a trophy nearly as big as she was.
She went on to play golf at Drake University while studying international business, marketing, and Spanish, then earned an MBA in business analytics. The plan was a career in the marketing side of the apparel industry.
A Setback, and a Comeback
At 20, a serious shoulder injury pulled Abby away from the game for roughly a year and a half to two years, and she was told she had played golf for the last time. For someone who saw herself as "the golf girl," it was a hard stretch. After surgery and a long recovery, she hit her first full drives back on a Trackman launch monitor and was convinced the machine was broken when it read 270, then 275, then 282 yards. The numbers were real, and chasing them led her to long drive.
Finding World Long Drive
After college, Abby turned down a job in the apparel world and worked three jobs to fund entry fees: cart attendant, assistant pro, and server. She found World Long Drive by calling the number on the website, and she competed at her first event in La Salle, Colorado, in June 2024. She was cut in the first round of her first two events, and she credits fellow competitor Monica Lieving for encouraging her to keep going. Since then, she has built a full-time career in the golf industry through competing, charity events, pro-ams, apparel partnerships, and social media.
Life on the Road
Charity events are a big part of Abby's schedule, and she treats them as pressure practice. She hypes herself up to a group, then has to deliver. Along the way, she says she enjoys surprising people who don't expect a woman on the tee box to hit it as far as she does. As one of the Pinnacle Ambassadors, she also represents the brand on the course and in content alongside Roni Shin, Jack Smith, Sean Johnson, and Scotty Pearman.
Heading to Reno
Abby reached the quarterfinals at last year's championship, where she lost to eventual champion Kelly Rudney. Now she's finalizing her equipment, planning a week off before the event, and arriving two days early to take in the competition. Her parents will be in Reno to watch, the same dad who helped her build her first competition club in the garage.
Watch the Full Episode
This feature only scratches the surface. Hear Abby tell her story in full, including more on her injury, the women's division, and her plans for Reno, on the latest episode of Road to Reno: [Watch on YouTube]
See It Live in Reno
The 2026 World Long Drive Championship takes place October 15-17 at Wildcreek Golf Course in Reno, Nevada. Come see Abby and the best long drivers in the world swing for the fences.
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