Advertisement

Nicolas Colsaerts hit a 447-yard drive at the Wales Open

For most every human on the planet, reaching a 600-yard par 5 in two shots is impossible. For a select few touring pros, they can get there with a big drive and a huge fairway wood. Then there's Nicolas Colsaerts.

Playing the 613-yard par-5 18th at Celtic Manor on Thursday in the opening round of the Wales Open, the Belgian smashed a 447-yard drive. He needed just a full gap wedge to hit the green in two, leading to a closing eagle and a share of the Day 1 lead at 5 under par.

“The hole was playing downwind (10-15 mph) and I managed to get a good bounce,” Colsaerts said.

Colsaerts' tee shot surpassed the previous Euro Tour best of 442 yards, set by Shiv Kapur in 2012. By comparison, the longest drive on the PGA Tour this season was Bubba Watson's 424-yard smash at Firestone C.C.'s 16th hole during the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Back in July, Rory McIlroy drove a 436-yard hole during the Scottish Open.


Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.