A Day After Rollback News, Amateur Star Launches 418 Yard Missile During DP World Tour Event

South African amateur Christo Lamprecht launched a drive over 400 yards at the Alfred Dunhill Championship just when distance is in the news

Christo Lamprecht
(Image credit: Getty Images)

At a time when distance is top of the golfing news, Christo Lamprecht showed exactly why the R&A and USGA feel it's going too far, literally, by launching a huge bomb off the 18th tee at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

The big-hitting South African unleashed a 418-yard monster off the final tee at Leopard Creek Country Club during his first round in the DP World Tour event.

Lamprecht won the 2023 Amateur Championship at Hillside where he showcased his awesome power, and it was evident again in his native South Africa.

One of the game’s longest-running issues, the driving distance debate is back in the news following a revised golf ball rollback plan to counter the problem.

And so Lamprecht aptly produce a demonstration of just how far some of the biggest hitters in the modern game can smash the ball as he unleashed a drive Happy Gilmore would be thrilled with at the 18th.

He went on to make a birdie on the 18th as he carded a five-under round of 67 to sit just two shots off the lead held by Robin 'Tiger' Williams.

And while under the new golf rollback plans Lamprecht's drive would have 'only' been just around the 400-yard mark, with every other golfer in the same boat it illustrates Mike Whan's point that longer hitters will always have that advantage.

And it also shows that when Lamprecht does turn pro he'll be right up there with the biggest hitters on whatever Tour he ends up playing on.

Currently in his senior year at Georgia Tech, Lamprecht is a giant at six-feet-eight and uses those long levers to generate immense power.

And even if that power is limited somewhat by a golf ball rollback in the future, he'll still have that advantage over the regular hitters.

Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.