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Ilona Stubley booked her place in the Volvik World Long Drive Finals in Oklahoma next month after winning the American Golf Long Drive Championship at Heythrop Hall.

The 33-year-old, who is a member at Cowglen Golf Club, recorded a drive of 338 yards – the longest ever drive by a lady in an American Golf Long Drive competition and the longest of the day – en route to defeating 14-year-old Elle Gibson in the final after she set the pace with a staggering 326-yard drive.

“I’m so happy to have won the American Golf UK Championship,” said Ilona, whose first experience of Long Drive was in the American Golf simulator at the 2017 Scottish Golf Show in March. “I’ve been working hard with Alex at Golf Fit increasing my strength in the run up to the finals and it all came together at the right time.

“To hit 338 in the opening round was incredible but with the competition so tight I needed to keep hitting over 300 yards to win. All day Elle was hitting great, so I knew the final would be tough. In the third set, I was pleased that I was hitting second as I prefer to chase down a score and knowing what I have to do to win.

Ilona Stubley

“To win it with a drive of 307 yards was a great feeling as I was still able to hit a good distance when the pressure was on and made all the hard work leading up to the event worthwhile.”

Elsewhere, 2015 Long Drive champion Dan Konyk won the Under 45 category over German Timo Petrasch, while the Over 45 category was won by Charles Seo.

Daniel Gathercole, director of marketing and communications at American Golf, said: “We started the American Golf Long Drive Championships three years ago to encourage more people to get out hitting balls and having some fun. 

“This year we’ve had over 5,000 people take part and the standard has been phenomenal. I am so impressed by the ability of both of our lady finalists and I have complete confidence that Ilona will perform really well in America.”

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