Get ready—World Long Drive is back, and it’s coming in hot! This weekend, the season opener, Clash in the Canyon Presented by Pinnacle, takes center stage at the iconic Mesquite Sports Complex in Nevada. If you know long drive, you know Mesquite—this venue has hosted some of the sport’s most legendary moments, and 2025 is shaping up to deliver even more fireworks.
New Season, New Rules, and Fresh Faces
Before we dive into the matchups, let’s talk about what’s new this year.
A New Official BallÂ
On March 13th, it was announced that Pinnacle was named the Official Ball of World Long Drive. This will be the first time the Pinnacle Distance will be used in competition since this release. The ball itself is designed for distance (hence the name) and there is no better place than on the World Long Drive tour to prove that.Â
OB Just Got More Costly
A major rule change is shaking things up in 2025—going Out of Bounds (OB) now comes with a 25-point penalty. The round-robin format remains, where first place in a set earns 200 points, second place gets 100, third place gets 50, and fourth place picks up 25. But if you fail to land a ball in play? That’s a -25-point setback. The message is clear—consistency matters more than ever.
Introducing the Rise Tour and Elite Tour
The competition structure has evolved:
The Rise Tour is a proving ground where competitors battle for four spots in the Open Tour Event on Sunday.Â
The Open Tour  features the sport’s top 28 ranked hitters, plus the four Rise Tour winners, making for a 32-player showdown at each event.
Elite Tour: The Heavy Hitters Are Back
This weekend’s field is absolutely stacked. Six of last year’s World Championship Final Eight are here, including reigning champ Sean Johnson and runner-up Jack Smith. But the one to watch? Colton Casto, the #1-ranked hitter and 2024 Player of the Year. Casto dominated last season, notching three event wins and claiming the top ranking at the World Championship.
Missing in Action: Seb Twaddell
2023 Mesquite champion Seb Twaddell won’t be competing this weekend due to visa issues, but he’s set to return for Duel in the Desert in April. That leaves an opening for Jack Abbott, a past Mesquite Amateur champion, who will step into the Elite Tour lineup.
A Familiar Face Returns
2018 Clash in the Canyon winner Will Hogue is back. He’ll be competing in Group Two, looking to reclaim past glory. His 413-yard bomb in 2018 secured him the title over then-world #1 Justin James. Can he make another deep run?
Rise Tour: Who Will Break Through?
With 48 hitters battling for just four spots on Sunday, the Rise Tour is wide open. Some of the top contenders include:
Joseph Kavanaugh – A rising star making a name for himself.
Landon Gentry – One of the most seasoned competitors on tour.
Andrew Eigner – The 2023 Amateur World Champion.
Josiah Ward – Runner-up at the 2024 Amateur World Championship, hungry for redemption.
Drew Cody- With a lot of off-season work, he’s ready to make his mark.Â
This tour is unpredictable, making it one of the most exciting storylines of the weekend.
Amateur Division: The Proving Ground
The Amateur Division produced some of last season’s most unexpected winners, and we could see more surprises this year. Names to watch:
Jay Heath (Sacramento winner)
Casey Steed (Memphis winner)
Tanner Pipes (Port Rowan winner)
Koki Yoshida (2024 Amateur World Champion)
One wild card? Bud Weidner—a fan favorite with plenty of long drive firepower. He’s been close before… could this be his breakthrough moment?
New PartnersÂ
World Long Drive has spent the off season strategically partnering with brands that match the energy of the tour. Previously mentioned Pinnacle will be on site for the first event of the year. Flightscope has returned for the 2025 season and their presence at every event will allow us to capture fall flight and data tracking for all our hitters.Â
World Long Drive staff will be outfitted in Bogey Bros polos and hats. The bold patterns and out of bounds style that Bogey Bros brings to golf apparel was the perfect partner for WLD. Geko will also be on site gifting World Long Drive members product of their grip spray.Â
Other partners for this event includes; Re/Max, Turtlebox, Bad Cards Fore Good Golfers, Bucket Golf, JumboMax Grips, Eureka Casino & Resort, CUBE, Flightscope, Mesquite Transportation Solutions, Prestige Golf Cars and Stephen Wade Toyota.Â
How to Watch
No live streaming this season, but don’t worry—World Long Drive is delivering something even better. Matches will be recorded and post-produced, ensuring a high-quality viewing experience that highlights both the action and the athletes’ stories. You’ll be able to catch all the match play on World Long Drive’s YouTube channel in the week following each event, plus plenty of highlights across social media. @worldlongdrive