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Thunderbird Women’s Golfer Set To Compete In World Long Drive Championship

Pictured: SUU's Katie Wills

By Bryson Lester, SUU Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

CEDAR CITY, Utah – There are a number of elements to the game of golf. How far can you hit it off the tee box? How’s your short game? How well can you hit it out of hazards? And the list goes on and on.

For one Thunderbird women’s golfer, it seems like she’ll never have her ability to drive the ball questioned again. This week SUU’s Katie Wills will be competing in the Volvik World Long Drive Championships. The event will take place at the WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma and will be shown on The Golf Channel.

“Ever since I was little I wanted to hit the ball far, and I think that I’ve done that successfully,” Wills, a native of Missoula, Montana said. “I wanted to matchup against women that do it for a living, I was just super curious how I would do.”  

Wills qualified for the World Championship after a stellar performance at the Mile High Showdown in Denver, Colorado.

“I got up there and I ended up winning the first round of the girls I was going up against,” she said. “I was pretty excited. The first drive I hit went 371 yards, so I was pretty pleased with myself. I practically sprang off the platform and I went over to see my parents. I was so excited I left my driver on the tee box.”

Wills won her section of the bracket there, which propelled her to be able to compete in the upcoming competition.

She went to Denver after trying out a long drive competition for the first time at the Clash in the Canyon in Mesquite, Nevada.

“I’m just looking forward to it, I just think it’s going to be fun,” she said. “It’s such a fun atmosphere, everyone’s really nice and it’s such a great group of people. I’m super excited to go down there and launch some good balls out there. Win, lose or draw I’m just happy to be going.

Wills will be competing as an amateur in the women’s event on September 5-6.