Phillis-Jean Meti (born 11 July 1987) is a New Zealand golfer who won the Volvik World Long Drive (WLD) championship, title in 2006, 2016, 2018, 2022 and 2024. She holds the female world record for the longest ball in WLD women's competition with distances of 406 yards in July 2017, then 408 and 413 yards in April 2019. Born in

Auckland, New Zealand Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

, Meti was introduced to golf at age 11 by her father Raz at Redwood Park, Swanson.

Career

Meti won her first WLD title in 2006 at age 19. in

Mesquite, Nevada Mesquite is a city located in the northeast corner of Clark County, Nevada, Clark County, Nevada, United States adjacent to the Arizona state line and northeast of Las Vegas on Interstate 15 in Nevada, Interstate 15. As of the 2020 United State ...

. In 2009, she started competing in professional golf tournaments in New Zealand, Australia, China, the United States, and the South Pacific. In 2016, Meti returned to long drive competition and won the 2016 WLD Championship In 2017, Meti achieved second place in the 2017 Mile High Showdown in

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

. It was during this tournament that she made the record 406 yard drive in her semi-final match. Her long drive may have been aided by a bounce off a marker or sprinkler head. In 2018, Meti won the Volvik World Long Drive Championship in 2018. That same year, she won the Ak-Chin Smash in the Sun in Arizona. Meti’s winning 380-yard drive at the last event was 30 yards longer than her nearest competition. Meti's most recent victories took place at WinStar World Casino & Resort in

Thackerville, Oklahoma Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located near the Texas state border. The population was 400 at the 2020 census. Geography Thackerville is situated near the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and State High ...

. In the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours, Meti was appointed a

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ...

, for services to sport, particularly golf.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meti, Phillis 1987 births Living people New Zealand sportspeople of Cook Island descent New Zealand female golfers People educated at Epsom Girls' Grammar School Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit Long drive golfers Golfers from Auckland 21st-century New Zealand sportswomen