Meet John Zook | Professional Long Driver

We had the good fortune of connecting with John Zook and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting this endeavour?
The overall themes of this endeavor have been “Why not?” and “Do the things you should be doing anyway”. To be 100% honest, just being healthy and being fit sometimes isn’t enough motivation for me, and I realized that I needed a deeper reason to be fit. Becoming a professional long driver has provided me with that motivation.

In addition, I came across an old scouting report from a college scout that provided me with additional drive. The report essentially stated that I didn’t have a career in golf due to the fact that I swing “too hard” at the golf ball. Every coach that I had in my youth tried to change this part of my game, instead of trying to work with what I have, which is the ability to hit a golf incredibly far. In a sense, I want to prove these “experts” that while they were right about my ability play college golf, they were dead wrong to say that I didn’t have a future in professional golf and having a meaningful impact on the game.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I am a professional Long Driver, competing on the Professional Long Driver Association (PLDA) and Xtreme Long Drive (XLD) tours. This basically means that I get to travel across the world hitting golf balls as far as possible for money. These leagues are grassroots organizations that aim to bring back Long Drive after the Golf Channel dissolved the WLD due to COVID. I’m pursuing this because I get to be a part of something that is growing the game and it gives me an opportunity to leave my mark on the game.

In addition, I really enjoy the art behind it as I get to build a brand with full autonomy. I am able to display what I’m passionate about, which is why I wear my city’s name on my visor and customize my clothing to display the things that are important to me. In addition, I’ve learned a ton about photography and videography, and it’s fun to create content exactly as I envision it in my head.

While I haven’t had the opportunity to have an impact on the community just yet, I do plan to get involved and do everything that I can to ensure that marginalized communities have access to the game of golf, placing a special emphasis on the LGBTQIA+ community. I see Allyship as a glaring need in the game of golf, especially with the rise of anti-trans legislation, and I will do my best to ensure that no one is denied their right to compete. Golf is at its best when its inclusive but is at its worst when its exclusive, and I see this as an opportunity to both grow the game and improve the lives of others.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For me, the one restaurant that I always take my friends to is Teotihuacan, as it’s been my go to Tex-Mex spot for the past 15 years. I’d also probably spend a lot of time at “Down the Street”, which is the go-to neighborhood bar of Cottage Grove. After that, we’d probably head up to the bars on 20th Street. Then, my go-to breakfast spot after a night out would have to be Avalon Diner, a staple of the neighborhood that I grew up in. As far as day spots go, I would probably spend time at either Bungalow/Wicklow Heights. Of course, there would be several rounds of golf involved, too.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I’ve done most of the work on my own, as I am my own swing coach, trainer, manager, and even my own photographer. That being said, I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my mom (Eleanor Zook) for helping me keep my head on straight, providing emotional support, and making sure that I do things the right way. I’d also like to thank my co-workers at Riveron for always having my back throughout this process.

Thanks go out to the people at Core Chiropractic for helping me stay flexible and feeling good. When I started treatment, I was told that I, and I quote, “have the back of 65 year old” and now I’m able to consistently swing a golf club at over 140 mph!

Lastly, I’d like to thank everyone over at the PLDA and XLD for giving us a platform and a place to compete. I truly believe that these leagues represent the future of golf and I’m excited to see where things go from here.

Instagram: @johnzook

Other: TikTok: longjohnzook