The air is electric surrounding the 2023 Golden Tee World Championship stage. A hush falls over the crowd as reigning world champion Paul Luna slowly takes to the stage. 

The first-ever Golden Tee speedrun is about to take place, and fans look on in excitement. A slow clap breaks out across the arena, crescendoing into thunderous applause. A loud voice calls out, “3-2-1…Go!” and Luna smacks the trackball. 

Luna blazes through 2023 golf course Petra, the crowd on the edge of their seats, unsure of what to expect. His movements are a blur; muscle memory takes over as he plays with a single thought in mind: “Finish the course as fast as humanly possible.” 

As he tees off on 18, the crowd begins to chant “Let’s go Luna,” led by community figurehead and everyone's favorite National #GoldenTee Tour commentator, Jason Loschiavo. Paul sinks the putt with a stunning 26 under and a time of 5:59.993, marking the first official speedrun world record in Golden Tee history. 

Reflecting on the experience, he said, “It was an honor to be chosen. I felt like the entire crowd was behind me, and the energy was electric.” 

For the 2024 Golden Tee World Championship, Incredible Technologies introduced an invitational-style 8-man speedrun bracket on Missouri Hills. Paul Tayloe rose to the occasion, showcasing his unique approach to the new game type.  

He bulldozed through the bracket, leaving no doubt he was a force to be reckoned with.  In the first round he faced off against the “Future” of Golden Tee, CJ Wengler.  Chris had a naturally quick playstyle, as long as no specks could be found on the trackball.  While CJ was putting on 17, Tayloe found the bottom of the cup on 18, clocking a time of 5:48.700. 

In the next round Tayloe would face off against Joe Massara.  Joe defeated Andy Haas in the previous round with a 5:34.280, significantly faster than Tayloe’s first round time.  However, Paul was learning on the job and crushed his previous time, dropping a 5:27.380. 

He was moving on to the grand finals to face two-time GT world champion and current world record holder Graig Kinzler.  In his previous round Graig had set a blistering pace and clocked a 5:25.160, the fastest time of the entire tournament.  Both players struggled a bit to find their rhythm, but Paul emerged victorious with a 5:32.240. 

After defeating all challengers, a surprise “final boss” emerged from the crowd: Mike Arrington drawing cheers from the audience.  Mike has been a fixture on the Golden Tee competitive scene since the early 2000’s and everyone knew he naturally a very fast player.   

Paul rose to the challenge, beating Arrington with a staggering time of 5:11.780, smashing the world record time of 5:25.160 by almost 15 full seconds. 

Paul remarked, “My biggest effort in preparing for a speedrun is memorizing the course. I want to have a shot list ready for each hole. If I know I need to adjust my aim or layup, I want to be prepared before the hole loads on the screen.” 

Fast forward to the 2024 Carolina Clash, which hosted the first-ever open signup speedrun tournament on the newly minted Sahara Desert golf course. Chris Longino spearheaded the initiative, showcasing his passion for the game type since its inception in 2023. 

Longino states “The concept is simple and the tournament made for an exciting battle to add to our Saturday night festivities.  We will be exploring how to make this even better for future Carolina Clash tournament weekends.” 

Paul Tayloe qualified for the 8-man bracket alongside familiar names like Chris Juscyczk, Bryce Aubart, and Connor Franta. Known for their blistering gameplay, the young guns were eager to refine their natural styles for this new format. 

Connor faced off against Paul Tayloe in a thrilling match, but Paul clinched victory and a spot in the finals. On the other side, Bryce Aubart narrowly defeated Chris Juscyczk to set up a grand final showdown against Paul. 

With the spotlight shining bright, Paul Tayloe found a way to shine even brighter, setting yet another world record with a ridiculous time of 5:51.556 during the final match. 

When asked about speedrunning in Golden Tee, Paul said, “I like finding the little ways to shave off time. I carry a chipper wedge, which, love it or hate it, is essential for a speed runner’s bag. With that club, you don’t have to change clubs when you miss the green by a smidge.” 

When asked about the potential for an official game mode available to the masses in the future, Paul replied, “At first blush, this sounds like it could be an incredibly fair game mode. Honestly, I would play it even if it were only a Glory mode, especially if a leaderboard was posted online or in the app.” 

Think you can beat the world record? Grab a friend and try for yourself; the locked conditions code for this time on Sahara Desert is 10918.  In the GT 2025 Patch 3 GT PGA TOUR GO owners can also used lock condition codes by hitting the “spin” button on the number of golfers screen. Good luck and have fun!