FAMU Alum Maurice Allen Recognized For Niagara Falls Golfing Feat

Florida A&M University (FAMU) alumnus, professional golfer and long drive champion Maurice Allen was recently honored with a plaque for setting the record for hitting the longest drive across Niagara Falls.

 The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation marked the five-year anniversary of  Allen’s historic 427-yard golf drive across Niagara Falls with the dedication of a plaque and a bench near the location where the ball landed on Terrapin Point.  

The ceremony included NY State Park Niagara Region Director Mark Mistretta, Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino, and Niagara Parks Chief Executive Officer David Adames at Niagara Falls State Park- Terrapin Point New York.  

Allen is a three-time Long Drive World Champion, five-time #1 ranked player in the world, the only person to hit a golf ball across Niagara Falls. He is also an American Cancer Society Ambassador, a Boys & Girls Club of America Ambassador, and a former Guinness World Record holder. 

“So honored to always represent for FAMU in any and everything that I do,” said Allen, who has developed a relationship with the FAMU golf coach Mike Rice and has high hopes for the golf team.  

In 2005, PGA tour player John Daly attempted to complete the task with over 5,000 onlookers at Table Rock to watch the Guinness World Record attempt. After over an hour of attempting, Daly was unsuccessful at crossing the Falls. 

On May 23, 2019, Allen became the first and only person to hit a golf ball across the falls as part of a Skratch video series to promote Niagara as a golf destination. Allen crossed the Falls on his fourth attempt with a ball that carried 393 yards and took a bounce and finished at 427 yards. The ball was hit from the visitors’ center on the Canadian side to the Niagara Park on the American side. His second attempt also crossed the falls; however, it was not caught on camera.  

While at FAMU, Allen competed in track and field and studied biology and chemistry.

Although Allen newly joined the world of long drive, he is confident that his hard work is paying off and he is up for great challenges. He believes that “sometimes the biggest challenge is in the unknown.”