19th Hole
Euro Tour pro hits monster 439-yard drive – GolfWRXers react

In our forums, our members have been reacting to Wilco Nienaber’s monster drive on the European Tour this week. The 20-year-old South African is the longest hitter on the Euro Tour, averaging 336.81 yards off the tee, but on Thursday at the Joburg Open at Randpark GC the rookie let loose and hit a 439-yard drive which one announcer called “borderline obscene.”
Check out the drive below.
Wilco Nienaber's 439 yard drive ?#JoburgOpen pic.twitter.com/AY6NNgPVUM
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 19, 2020
Here are a few posts from GolfWRXers who have been reacting to the massive hit in our forums.
- phizzy30: “Just saw the kid’s swing and all I can say is WOW! Effortless power is right. He’s not swinging out of his shoes and has perfect balance. Ball speed is over 190+mph consistently. No wasted moves or energy transfer. I would say that this is as close to the prototype swing you could hope for. Amazing.”
- valtiel: “Wow, insane power from such a clean motion. I hope he stays healthy and we see a lot more of him.”
- Hedgehog: “That’s filthy. We have seen huge bombs over the years at Johannesburg due to the elevation (1700m) and extreme heat, but it’s still awesome to see a tour player hit it over 400m.”
Entire Thread: “Euro Tour hits monster 439-yard drive at the Joburg Open”
- LIKE65
- LEGIT5
- WOW12
- LOL0
- IDHT2
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK5
19th Hole
‘Not my best take. I played like s–t’ – Pro walks back comments slamming ‘pitiful’ Southern Hills

Saturday at Southern Hills was a tough day for all, but the frustration certainly got the better of Patton Kizzire, who slammed the course after a round of 78.
Taking to Instagram stories, Kizzire bluntly said: “Pitiful golf on a pitiful setup on an overrated golf course.”
View this post on Instagram
To the 36-year-old’s credit, Kizzire walked back the comment by taking to the GolfWRX Instagram page to describe his outburst as “Not my best take ever. I played like s–t”.
Kizzire isn’t the only man to be critical of the course this week, with Tyrrell Hatton another to voice his frustrations. Earlier this week, the Englishman hit out at the state of the greens, saying:
“I mean, we’re playing a Major championship, not a monthly medal,” Hatton said. “You know, they’re bobbling all over the place. It’s so hard to hole putts. So you can hit a great putt and they just don’t look like going in, which is hard to accept when we’re playing in a Major championship.
That makes it the second major championship in succession that Hatton has aired his frustrations with the course after calling Augusta National “unfair” following the 2022 Masters tournament.
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- 86-year-old Gary Player shows off remarkable club head and ball speed numbers
- ‘Absolutely disgusting’ – LPGA pro blasts Augusta National for its role in major venue change
- ‘Get it out of my face, man!’ – Brooks Koepka snatches phone from fan during tense exchange
- LIKE2
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19th Hole
‘Pretty warped stuff’ – Announcer blasts leader’s drop at PGA Championship

Mito Pereira leads the 2022 PGA Championship through Saturday afternoon, but a free drop has been a source of controversy amongst announcers and fans.
On the ninth hole, Pereira hit a tee shot that drifted left into the rough area of the crosswalk, which fans traverse through for the event.
The Chilean was granted a free drop, which allowed him to drop in the fairway, and it’s fair to say not everyone was pleased with the ruling.
On Sky Sports, on-course announcer Wayne Riley described the decision as “pretty warped stuff”, with the Aussie saying on air:
“I can’t believe this drop. Where that ball is, he’s got to keep the flag in line. He’s not going backwards. That, to me is quite amazing..to be able to get it onto the fairway. That’s pretty warped stuff.”
Fellow commentator and winner on the European Tour, Nick Dougherty, declared the decision as a “monumental break”, and the reaction on Twitter was even more stinging:
This is Rose hitting from the same spot that Pereira got a drop from?? @ByTheMinGolf https://t.co/iX8wnsIs8q
— Richard Keane (@ke4no) May 21, 2022
The 27-year-old was granted relief under a local rule allowing players free relief plus an additional club length from “abnormal course conditions.”
Riley went on to say the ruling was “just one of those”, while Pereira went on to make bogey on the hole.
More from the 19th Hole
- ‘Hey Cypress, we took your best shot!’ – Golfer plays Cypress Point in 70mph howling wind
- The chaotic F1 season finale explained in golf terms is absolutely hilarious
- ‘Don’t drink and order Taco Bell on Uber Eats’ – John Daly’s Taco Bell order is pretty incredible
- LIKE14
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19th Hole
Pro makes bogey at PGA Championship due to a mischievous squirrel

As far as bad breaks go at the PGA Championship this week, Richard Bland can safely say he suffered the worst.
The Englishman may not have been threatening to make the cut at Southern Hills, but he certainly wasn’t helped by lady luck after an unruly squirrel caused him to make a bogey on Friday.
A fan-taken video of the incident was given some context from Bland on Twitter, who explained:
“You know it’s not going to be your week when you play a good recovery shot from under the trees & this little fella gets in the way. To top it off. The ball rolls back off the green and don’t get up & down.”
Check it out below.
You know it’s not going to be your week when you play a good recovery shot from under the trees & this little fella gets in the way ?? To top it off. The ball rolls back off the green & don’t get up & down ?????? #sumstheweekup pic.twitter.com/fL5BASuJI9
— Richard Bland (@blandy73) May 21, 2022
Unfortunately for Bland, he was unable to replace the ball from the point the squirrel had stopped it as the ball had not come to rest. Per the USGA rules:
“If your ball is moved by an outside influence, such as an animal or a spectator, there is no penalty to anyone and the ball must be replaced. When your ball in motion is accidentally deflected or stopped, there is no penalty and you will normally play the ball from wherever it lies.”
Bland is heading home early after finishing the week at 10 over par.
More from the 19th Hole
- ‘Hey Cypress, we took your best shot!’ – Golfer plays Cypress Point in 70mph howling wind
- The chaotic F1 season finale explained in golf terms is absolutely hilarious
- ‘Don’t drink and order Taco Bell on Uber Eats’ – John Daly’s Taco Bell order is pretty incredible
- LIKE5
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MJB
Nov 21, 2020 at 11:22 am
Seen him Live…..He’s turning heads heads on the range….without goin for it….next generation….effortless power! He’s got a great future ahead of him! 😉
Johnny Penso
Nov 21, 2020 at 10:10 am
“Obscene”. “Offensive”? What’s obscene and offensive is using that kind of language to describe athletic prowess.
DaveyD
Nov 21, 2020 at 8:20 am
I saw this kid blow past the 3 ball/1000 yd competition. His first shot was 353 yds. Effortless power.
tiger
Nov 20, 2020 at 12:31 pm
missed the fairway…does not count,…fail
Dyson Bochambeau
Nov 20, 2020 at 8:20 am
Elevation
gwelfgulfer
Nov 21, 2020 at 3:05 pm
That and fairways that run faster than many of the greens we play on.. I mean, you still have to get it out there, but this is like 80+ yards of roll. Akin to the guys who are hitting 340y irons off the tee in The Open at times…