Jamie Sadlowski, the two-time long drive world champion, is set to take another shot at the title during the 2014 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships, which will take place on Nov. 4 in Nevada, Las Vegas. The contest is down to the final eight challengers, dubbed the Las Vegas Eight.
Sadlowski’s preparation hit a minor setback in early October when he sprained his ankle while training. He made his way to Dallas, Texas last week in order to get some last-minute treatment on the ankle, and he doesn’t see the injury holding him back during the competition.
“I’m starting to feel better,” he said. “I’ve been hitting some balls, so I feel a lot better than I did.”
He was still in Dallas at the time of his conversation with the Journal, with plans to head to Las Vegas on Oct. 31. Even before arriving in Nevada, he was still keeping a close eye on the local weather, with chillier weather and some winds.
However, he feels his years of experience should pull him through – no matter which way the wind decides to blow.
“Just being around for 11 years now, you’ve always got to prepare for all the elements. Any time you get downwind or into the wind, there are equipment changes that need to happen. It’s something that I’m well prepared for,” he said. “Whether it’s a beautiful night or a cold night, your body is still going to have enough adrenaline in it to not really care what’s going on, but it definitely does affect distances quite a bit.”
Speaking of adrenaline, Sadlowski says that driving a golf ball requires a unique mixture of aggression and composure.
“You have to find the right balance. You don’t want to get too high, or too low. You want to find that sweet spot where you’re comfortable and your heart rate is low enough so you can concentrate on hitting the golf ball square. At the same time, you want to have that adrenaline help you with speed and hitting it as far as humanly possible,” he said. “You’ve got to kind of harness it the right way. I’ve always been better under pressure than I have been just hitting balls on a Sunday in practice. It’s something that I kind of relish.”
The championships will be using a different format this year. In the past, all eight golfers would tee off in the first round as a group, and the top four would advance to the next round. This year, it’s a match play format right out of the gates, which means that four head-to-head contests will take place to start the tournament, with the winners advancing to the next round. The matchplay format will continue each round until a world champion is eventually crowned.
“It doesn’t matter how far you hit it in that first match. As long as it’s farther than the guy you’re competing against, you move on,” Sadlowski said.
Each match will allow the golfers to hit six balls apiece. There are different strategies regarding how to deal with those six shots, but as far as things go for Sadloswki, he plans to swing for the fences right from the first ball onward.
“I’ll come out of the gates and try to post a good number. There’s no sense in laying off once you’re this far into the competition, because everyone can hit it,” he said.
Sadlowski was happy to hear about the well wishes being sent his way from all the way up here in St. Paul.
“I’ve always tried to do whatever I can in the community, and to get that support back, it means a lot for sure,” he said.
This is Sadlowski’s eighth straight trip to the Las Vegas Eight, which marks the longest active streak in the circuit. He won the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship crown in 2008 and 2009, and the upcoming contest will see him trying to add a third title to his belt.
