8 Things You Didn’t Know About Joe Long

British amateur Joe Long announced himself onto the golfing scene with an impressive display in The Amateur Championship, helping to secure his place for the Major Championships.

A relatively unknown quantity, we’ve highlighted some facts you should know about Long after a successful breakthrough 2020 campaign.

8 Things You Didn’t Know About Joe Long

1. Long was born 21 May, 1997 in Bristol, where he still lives now.

2. He’s currently a member of Lansdown Golf Club, situated near Bath in the UK.

3. Long didn’t start playing golf until the age of 11, after his dad’s business partner introduced him to the sport. Despite this, he became a full-time golfer at 17, before earning selection for England Men’s A Squad at 21. It took just a year later until his selection for the England Men’s Elite Squad, at 22-years-old.

4. Long earned his spot at The Masters after winning The Amateur Championship in August 2020, at Royal Birkdale. The 51st English winner of the 125th iteration of the tournament, Joe secured invites to The Masters, US Open and The Open Championship. Dubbed the ‘Battle of Bristol’, Long played good friend Joe Harvey in the final of the The Amateur Championship. In the 36-hole final, Long recorded a 4&3 victory over Harvey.

5. Joe’s heroes include Robert Rock, Alex Noren, and Sam Snead.

6. His girlfriend Tash lives in South Africa, where Long suffered a torn glute muscle during his preparations for The Masters. While out surfing attempting to distract himself in Cape Town, a wave caught Joe unaware, injuring him in the process. However, this proved a blessing in disguise for the Bristolian, who claims he needed to take time off from golfing for a couple of weeks.

7. He cites Royal Melbourne in Australia as the hardest course he has played, due to the rock hard greens. Regardless, he still maintains that he loves the golfing experience Australia provides.

8. As well as three Major appearances this year, Long will also appear in the Walker Cup this May, after making the Great Britain and Ireland team. Following his Championship win, Long also played in the Joburg Open and Alfred Dunhill Championship on the European Tour.