Mitsubishi Golf is thrilled to announce John Kagel of Club Champion (Victor, New York) as the winner of the 2026 "Love Your Driver More, Double Your Chances" Sweepstakes. John wins VIP tickets and trip voucher — along with some really great new Mitsubishi gear (read all about it below) — to the upcoming Major in New York in June. Thanks to all fitters who participated and look out for more exciting engagement and education opportunities from Mitsubishi Golf.
On getting into golf: "I actually got into golf in probably the most unconventional way possible: while deployed in Tikrit, Iraq. We found some old donated clubs laying around and started hitting balls out into the desert. We ran out of golf balls pretty quickly because, honestly, nobody was too interested in chasing them down. From there, the game kind of stuck with me, and I got more involved through fundraising events for a Long Island-based 501(c)(3), the Joseph J. Theinert Memorial Fund and Strongpoint Theinert Ranch."
On shafts: "The shaft question is probably one of the most loaded questions you can ask me, but honestly, I appreciate just about everything being put out right now. That said, the Blue Board has been a staple in my bag for a long time. I also really like what you guys did with the Vanquish line from a fitting perspective. It fills a much-needed gap for a specific player demographic and does it extremely well in both woods and irons."
On his choices for winning gear: "For this prize pack specifically, my personal picks were the 63 Blue Board Stiff for the driver and the 73 WB S for the woods. I’m especially excited about those because I’m incredibly familiar with the feel profile of the Blue Board, and the WB in the fairways gives me something that helps pull me into transition a little more aggressively."
