Golf's real life answer to Happy Gilmore will bring his extraordinary ability to hit a ball further than anyone else to Australia next month.
Canadian Jamie Sadlowski, a two-time long drive world champion who can pound a golf ball almost 450 yards, will play in the NSW Open before likely taking a spot in the Australian Open at Royal Sydney the following week.
Sadlowski's extraordinary length off the tee is not the only reason he has been compared to the lovable movie character Happy Gilmore - he also played ice hockey at a competitive level before concentrating on golf.
"The only difference between me and Happy Gilmore is I can skate a whole lot better than he can," Sadlowski joked in a Vice Sports video earlier this year. "I remember watching Happy Gilmore when I was a kid and I was like, 'Man, that guy just hit it 400 yards and there's no way a guy can do that'."
Known to be able to also crush balls more than 300 yards left-handed, Sadlowski plays the majority of his golf right-handed and only has a moderate frame compared to some of the other big hitters who he has challenged on the long-drive circuit.
He once joked he looked more like a teenage girl akin to NFL players when he stands beside his long drive rivals and his father has described him as "freaky boy".
The 28-year-old announced earlier this year he would quit long drive tournaments to try to earn a ticket on the US PGA Tour and will be a crowd pleaser on the tees during his short stint in Australia.
His 2008 and 2009 long drive titles attracted a storm of interest given he was average in size and he was recorded hitting a ball 370 yards as a 14-year-old, but his desire now lies in carving out a career on the regular tour.
Stonecutters Ridge Golf Club will host the NSW Open, which is set to feature a rejuvenated tournament this year given it will be played just a week prior to the Australian Open.
The NSW Open has been flooded with entries and already boasts a field containing some of Australia's most decorated golfers in Peter Senior, Peter Fowler, Peter O'Malley, Nick O'Hern, Robert Allenby, Craig Parry and Peter Lonard. It will begin on November 10.
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