Kyle Berkshire

Kyle Berkshire looks like somebody who could hit the ball a long way. At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, he has the athletic frame to produce 145 miles per hour of clubhead speed. But Berkshire's game is more than just pure speed. An accomplished junior golfer, Berkshire earned a golf scholarship to the University of North Texas. It was in Denton, Texas that Kyle discovered that the natural speed he produced in his swing could be channeled into the sport of competitive long drive. Working with acclaimed instructor Bernie Najar, Berkshire began training to join the WLDA in early 2017. By April, Kyle had hit the longest confirmed drive in competition—474 yards, in Yucca Valley, Calif.—and moved into the top 50 in the world rankings. At the 2017 Volvik World Long Drive Championships, Kyle made it to the semifinals, where his drive of 433 yards was narrowly beaten by Mitch Grassing's 437.

The 2018 season was another big step in Kyle’s development as a Long Drive star. He won the WinStar Midwest Slam in August with a drive of 356 yards and was runner-up in the next event—the Tennessee Big Shots. At the 2018 Volvik World Long Drive Championships, Kyle won his qualifying group with five drives longer than 380 yards, but was eliminated in match play in the Round of 16 by eventual semifinalist Jim Waldron. He also moved up to No. 5 in the Official World Long Drive Rankings.

2019 World Long Drive Championships