The 2024 World Long Drive Amateur Division opened its competition on Tuesday, April 2nd, in Sacramento, California. 18 of the best hitters in the Amateur Division competed for the crown, as Jay Heath emerged victorious, winning the initial event of the year for the second straight year. In the finals, Jay's 330-yard drive narrowly surpassed Mike Lowe's 323-yard drive. This victory carries special significance for Jay Heath, who resides in Visalia, California, roughly three hours south of Sacramento.
Jay Heath began the tournament on fire, winning every set he was part of, and crusing to first place in Group 1. Jeff Allen and Chase Noell followed closely behind Heath with 650 points for Jeff and 600 points for Chase Noell. Kollin Quade and Bronson Krisher tied for the final spot, forcing a playoff. In the playoff, Quade defeated Krisher by 7 yards to earn the last quarterfinal spot from the first group.
The action continued with Group 2 which was tight from top to bottom the entire time. Zack Duggan, Jon Burkard and Mike Lowe were all tied for 1st place with 700 points after each won three out of the four sets, with second place in the other. The final spot went to Max Rompa, who finished with 400 points, just above Derek Hansen and Adam Johnson, who had 350 each.
In the quarterfinals, the format changed to head-to-head, as Jay Heath advanced after beating Max Rompa in the first quarterfinal of the day. Zack Duggan advanced to the semifinals, edging Chase Noell by a mere two yards, thanks to a 324-yard drive that just barely outlasted his competitor. In the bottom half of the quarterfinals, Mike Lowe hit his longest ball of the event at 335 to advance past Jeff Allen. Jon Burkard matched Mike Lowe’s 335-yard drive with one of his own to grab the final spot in the semifinals, advancing past Kollin Quade.
In the first semifinal, Jay Heath matched up with Zack Duggan in the battle of champions in 2023. Jay Heath emerged victorious with a drive of 338 yards to outlast Duggan’s long of 323 yards. In the second semifinal, Mike Lowe advanced through to the finals after beating Jon Burkard with a 323-yard drive, with Jon’s furthest going 310 yards in this round. In the finals, it was Jay Heath capping off a dominant day with his first victory of the year. Jay Heath’s 330-yard drive proved to be just enough to outlast Mike Lowe’s 323-yard drive in the finals.
The Amateur Division will return in just over a month for the second event of the year at the Insperity Invitational in Houston Texas. This event will include Locals and Regionals like Sacramento for hitters looking to secure a spot in the Open Division World Championships. In Sacramento, Five competitors punched their ticket for Atlanta. Those competitors were Hunter Noell, Chase Noell, Jay Heath, Connor Sterritt & Aaron Hoffman.
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