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Maurice Allen (born November 20, 1981) is an American long-drive golfer, who has won many championships, such as the World Long Drive Championship. [1]
Allen grew up in Pine Hills, Florida, an unincorporated subdivision in West Orlando, where he attended Maynard Evans High School. During his high school years, Allen played Varsity Football, Varsity Volleyball, as well as Track & Field. Maurice initially attended the University of South Florida before transferring to Florida A&M University.
Allen has been competing in long drive events around the world since 2010, starting at the age of 28. Two years later, he set a then-Guinness World Record for the fastest ball speed (211 mph) [2] and in 2015 won three long drive events in Europe (Belgium, Italy, Sweden). In 2016, Allen won events in the Czech Republic, The Netherlands, New Zealand and Slovenia. Allen also won in New Zealand in 2017 and 2018, along with Japan in 2018.
Allen's breakout World Long Drive Association season came in 2017, when he captured championships at the Catawba Classic (North Caroline), Tennessee Shootout, and Mile High Showdown (Colorado). Allen also ascended to No. 1 in the World Long Drive rankings leading up to the 2017 Volvik World Long Drive Championship.
In 2018, Allen reached the quarterfinals in two events (Atlantic City Boardwalk Bash and Bluff City Shootout), but then capped off his season with his victory in the Open Division at the Volvik World Long Drive Championship in Thackerville, Oklahoma. [3]
Allen won the 2018 Volvik World Long Drive Championship, on September 5 at WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Allen blasted a 393-yard drive in the championship match against Justin Moose (Columbia, South Carolina) to claim his first Volvik World Long Drive Championship title. [4]
Following Allen’s win in Denver at the 2017 Mile High Showdown, the golfer gave a post-match interview, and victory celebration which included a flamboyant impersonation of professional wrestling superstar Ric Flair. [5] The moment spread rapidly online and introduced Allen to many sports fans around the United States.
Allen later went viral again during the 2017 Clash in the Canyon (Nevada) on Golf Channel, when he made the claim that World Long Drive competitors are ‘the best athletes on earth.’ [6]
Allen works with the Orlando Minority Youth Golf Association in Orlando, FL. Allen is also a Boys & Girls Club ambassador of golf, along with an ambassador for The American Cancer Society Real Men Wear Pink program. Following his 2018 World Championship win, he was the subject of a proclamation from the Orange County (Orlando) mayor, who declared it “Maurice Allen Day” in the community, in response to Allen’s decision to create four $5,000 scholarships at Evans High School in Orlando, Allen’s Alma mater. [7]
In 2020, Allen set up Grow the Game Initiative. The program sponsors three black women and three black men calendar year, who are then awarded $50,000 a year to help with entry fees, travel expenses, and equipment costs. Each year six different athletes are selected by the selection committee based on the six step application that all athletes must submit. [8]