On May 30, 2019, Maurice Allen was etched into Niagara Falls’ history.
The alumnus and World Long Drive Competitor Allen became the first, and still the only, golfer to hit a ball across Niagara Falls.
He walloped his drive of 427 yards from the Canadian side to the United States.
Last Thursday, five years later, Allen got a plaque embedded on a Niagara Falls bench for his historic feat.
On the plaque, Allen honored those throughout his journey with the acronym ‘F.A.T.W.H.A.T.W.,’ meaning ‘For All Those Who Helped Along The Way.’
“You want to make sure the people who put in the hard work and sacrificed for you as an individual to get to where you are can enjoy it,” Allen told the Tallahassee Democrat in a phone interview.
“My parents are still alive, sound mind, sound body. I’d rather see them physically there and be happy. It was nice for them, my family, and my kids to be there. That was a cool thing for me.”
Allen endured a whirlwind of events before his momentous 427-yard shot at Niagara Falls.
The Pine Hills native, based in Orlando, attempted to do it the day before with clear weather, but clearance and camera problems prevented him from trying.
So, Allen pivoted to May 30 but had to take the course in cold and rainy conditions, which impacted his vision.
He hit the golf ball across Niagara Falls on his second attempt, but cameras couldn’t prove the legitimacy of it due to the weather conditions. The ball was found later.
However, two attempts later, on his fourth try, Allen made it happen.
“It was frustrating,” Allen said, recalling the mishaps before his Niagara Falls shot four years ago. "It was a lot harder conditions going into it. But it ended up working out.”
FAMU alumnus, pro golfer Maurice Allen wants game to grow in Black community
Allen graduated from FAMU in 2010 with a double major in biology and chemistry.
However, he wasn’t a golfer on the Highest of Seven Hills. Instead, he participated in track and field for the Rattlers.
As college winded down, Allen’s cousin, former FAMU athletic trainer Kyle Gaines, introduced him to golfing at age 28.
Now, Allen, 42, is a three-time long-drive world champion and a Guinness Book of World Records holder for 211 miles per hour for golf ball speed.
“I’ve been all over the world to so many countries that I’ve lost count. I’ve won on five of the seven continents,” Allen said. “I started traveling at the end of 2010-early 2011 for this port, and I’ve almost clocked a billion miles of travel for the game of golf, whether it be a tournament, exhibition, or an appearance.
“I find that extremely unique from a guy who didn’t play golf growing up. Making that transition after graduation to something like this and seeing the opportunities life has for me is cool.”
Allen hopes his championship golf career will help ignite more Black interest in playing and keeping up with the sport.
But representation and equitable media coverage matters, Allen says.
The story of world-renowned Black golfers like Tiger Woods is always told.
However, for golf to truly touch more backgrounds, Allen feels the world should know that more Blacks have been successful on the green over the years.
Including him.
“Hopefully, the world will start to recognize the history made in this accomplishment,” Allen said of his Niagara Falls golf shot.
“In the golf industry, there’s a serious lack of representation of Black people. People continue to throw Tiger Woods out there. But there are more successful Black golfers. But for some reason, their stories continue to be muted and significance is not told. Over the next 14 or 21 days, we’ll see if the world is talking about what they expressed in 2020 about growing this game of golf and opening the doors for people who look like us.
“The golf media has refused to pick up and acknowledge this story. It makes me wonder if they’re trying to grow the game when you do not even recognize the accomplishments of people who look like the people you say you’re trying to grow it through. That’s a deep question to ask people.”
Maurice Allen still supporting thriving FAMU athletic programs
The sports Allen has grown a passion for are thriving at FAMU.
His college sport, track and field, won the women’s Southwestern Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships. Two weeks ago, FAMU’s track program sent five performers to the NCAA East Preliminaries under second-year coach Garfield Ellenwood.
Furthermore, FAMU women’s cross country won the SWAC championship last October.
“HBCU track and field is starting to get on the map. They’re competing at a high level,” Allen said. “FAMU always had an amazing track and field program, stemming from Coach (Bobby) Lang and moving forward.
“I’m extremely proud of what they’ve been able to do on the whole running program. They brought that program back to where it used to be.”
On the golf side, FAMU won the HBCU National Championship at the PGA Works Collegiate Championship, led by coach Mike Rice, whom Allen has grown a connection with.
The golf title was FAMU’s second national championship during the 2023-2024 athletic year, joining the Black College National Championship Rattlers football team.
“Coach Rice has spent the last four of five years with these guys being in the mix,” Allen said.
“He’s got a bunch of guys that came out of that program doing good things on the professional golf level. Coach Rice always instills a good work ethic with these young men.
“The school is thriving and growing.”
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email atgdthomas@tallahassee.comor on the app formerly known as Twitter@3peatgee.
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