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PORT ROWAN, Ontario (July 9, 2023) – It wasn’t the weekend Bryce Verplank expected until it became everything he’d worked for. Verplank earned his first career win after being inserted in the Round of 16 as an alternate.
Verplank was preparing to watch the remainder of WLD Port Rowan from the crowd after failing to qualify for the Round of 16. However, when world No. 1 Kyle Berkshire had to withdraw due to injury, first alternate Verplank was able to take his place.
He capitalized on his second chance.
Verplank needed a 415-yard blast to beat world No. 2 Martin Borgmeier in the Round of 16. He followed that with a 409-yard drive in the quarterfinals to get by Maurice Allen. In the semifinals, Verplank outlasted Bud Weidner 429-391. He finished the competition with a 424-yard drive to beat Josh Koch 424-409 in the final.
The Dallas native, and former Texas Longhorn baseball player, topped out at 429 yards. That drive in the semifinals was the longest drive by any player during the entire weekend.
It doesn’t get closer than the final round of the Senior’s Division as Jeff Gavin, an Ontario native with multiple wins in Port Rowan, beat David Mobley by one yard to earn his second win of the year (WLD Mesquite Vol. I). Gavin, ranked No. 3 in the world, hit it 364 yards in the final round; Mobley, ranked No. 2, finished with a 363-yard drive. Gavin’s best drive of the event was 379 yards.
Andrew Eigner continued his impressive 2023 season, earning his second win in the Amateur’s Division. The Denver native outdrove Bud Weidner 376 yards to 365 yards in the final round. In total, Eigner hit 15 out of 48 balls in play with a longest drive of 389 yards.
MISCELLANEOUS
Andrew Eigner’s win pushes him to No. 1 in the world in the Amateur’s Division.
Bud Weidner reached his first career Open Division semifinals. He also hit the longest drive in the Amateur’s Division – 394 yards.
Jeff Gavin hit the furthest drive in the Senior’s Division – 379 yards.
UP NEXT
The next World Long Drive event is WLD Connecticut, scheduled for July 28-30 in Portland, Connecticut.
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