Home News Phillis Meti, Kyle Berkshire Win Inaugural ROC City Rumble

Phillis Meti, Kyle Berkshire Win Inaugural ROC City Rumble

by Debert Cook
Roc City Winners 2019

ROC City Rumble Winners (L-r) Phillis Meti, Kyle Berkshire

 

Berkshire Becomes New World No. 1 in Open Division;

Meti Wins Third Tour Event in Four Starts This Season

 

World Long Drive Season Continues with Tennessee Big Shots benefiting

Niswonger Children’s Hospital; Airs Monday, Aug. 12, Live on GOLF Channel

 

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (July 24, 2019) – World Long Drive celebrated its No. 1 ranked hitters in the world on Wednesday evening, as Phillis Meti (Auckland, New Zealand) continued to cement her position atop the Women’s Division, while the Open (men’s) Division produced its latest No. 1 ranked hitter in Kyle Berkshire (Orlando, Fla.), as each captured the inaugural ROC City Rumble at Home Team Sports Park in Rochester, N.Y.

 

For Meti, the victory marked her third time hoisting a trophy in four tour events this season, putting the three-time World Long Drive champion on track to attaining the most decorated season ever amongst the sport’s Women’s Division. The defending world champion utilized a 320-yard drive in the final to narrowly edge out Alexis Belton’s (Ruston, La.) 319-yard blast.

 

“I struggled hitting the grid earlier today,” Meti said. “To be able to [hit the grid] on seven balls out of eight, all over 300 yards in the final, that’s something positive that I’m going to take into the next event. It gives me better confidence to show that I can do it. It gives me reassurance that I’m on the right track.”

Troy Mullins

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Entering Wednesday night, Berkshire was ranked No. 3 and had accumulated a remarkable streak of 10 consecutive tour events where he’d advanced to the televised portion of the competition, with the last time of not achieving that feat coming back in July of 2017. More importantly for the 22-year-old, it put an end to a long list of close calls in televised tour events, shaking the proverbial monkey off his back en route to becoming the sport’s new No. 1 ranked competitor in the Open Division. Berkshire needed only one ball in the final match, bettering Martin Borgmeier’s (Munich, Germany) 369-yard drive with a 380-yard ball that wound up being the longest drive of the night.

 

“It feels great,” Berkshire said. “I just locked in on what I was trying to do. I really only worried about what I could control, not what I couldn’t control. I don’t feel any added pressure because I never put pressure on myself in the first place to become No. 1. My job is to hit the ball as far as I can as often as possible. That’s what I’m worried about.”

 

World Long Drive’s summer stretch of the season will conclude next month with the Tennessee Big Shots benefiting Niswonger Children’s Hospital (Kingsport, Tenn., Aug. 10-12), which marks the final tour event of the year. Three weeks later, the season-culminating World Long Drive Championship (Aug. 30-Sept. 4) will be staged on the Texas/Oklahoma border at WinStar World Casino and Resort, with the coveted world championship title belts on the line for the Open, Women’s and Masters (age 45+) Divisions. The World Long Drive Championship will culminate live on back-to-back nights under the lights on GOLF Channel, Tuesday-Wednesday, Sept. 3-4 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

 

OPEN DIVISION FINAL:

(3) Kyle Berkshire (Orlando, Fla.) def. (18) Martin Borgmeier (Munich, Germany)

 

WOMEN’S DIVISION FINAL:

(1) Phillis Meti (Auckland, New Zealand) def. (5) Alexis Belton (Ruston, La.)

 

OPEN DIVISION SEMIFINAL MATCHES:

(3) Kyle Berkshire def. (28) Nick Kiefer (Chicago, Ill.)

(18) Martin Borgmeier def. (23) Eddie Fernandes (Winter Garden, Fla.)

 

WOMEN’S DIVISION SEMIFINAL MATCHES:

(5) Alexis Belton def. (4) Troy Mullins (Los Angeles, Calif.)

(1) Phillis Meti def. (8) Mary Driscol (Glendale, Ariz.)

 

OPEN DIVISION QUARTERFINAL MATCHES:

(3) Kyle Berkshire def. (11) Jeff Gavin (Hamilton, Ont., Canada)

(28) Nick Kiefer def. (19) James Tait (London, England)

(23) Eddie Fernandes def. (4) Will Hogue (Memphis, Tenn.)

(18) Martin Borgmeier def. (6) Tim Burke (Orlando, Fla.)

 

2019 WORLD LONG DRIVE – TOUR EVENT SCHEDULE:

 

DATE

EVENT

LOCATION

WINNERS

April 13-16

Ak-Chin Smash in the Sun

Maricopa, Ariz.

Phillis Meti, Tim Burke

May 5-7

Exchange Celebrating Service: Fort Jackson

Fort Jackson, S.C.

Chloe Garner, Ryan Steenberg, Mikael Dubois

June 3-5

Atlantic City Boardwalk Bash

Atlantic City, N.J.

Phillis Meti, Tim Burke

July 20-24

ROC City Rumble

Rochester, N.Y.

Phillis Meti, Kyle Berkshire

Aug. 10-12

Tennessee Big Shots benefitting Niswonger Children’s Hospital

Kingsport, Tenn.

TBD

Aug. 30-Sept 4

World Long Drive Championship

Texas/Oklahoma Border

TBD

 

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