PGA Tour Driving Distance Watch, Week 27

/
pgatour.jpgThe PGA Tour driving distance average remained at 288.2 yards following the final Western Open, the first this year that there was so little movement.

There were at least 20 drives 350-or-longer, bringing the season total to, well, I don't know. The Tour listing ends at 999, and this may be the end of our 350 yard watch unless I can talk the Tour's fine communications department into sharing the weekly tally.

PGA Tour Driving Distance Watch, Week 22

/

pgatour.jpgCarl Pettersson.

Boy, the athleticism and physical conditioning on the PGA Tour today is mighty impressive!

Anyway, after the soggy Memorial, the PGA Tour driving distance average dropped to 288.9 yards, down from 289.5 following last week's event in Memphis.

There was 1 350-or-longer drive, with the season total now at 945.

Here's an article about that drive along with some stuff about Bubba Watson's caddie woes.

Oh yes, it was Bubba Watson driving the 14th at Muirfield Village! He relates this story about standing on the tee box after driving the green.

"Someone yelled, ‘flex!’ " Bubba said, "so I wanted to show him I don’t have any muscles because I don’t work out. The only time I visit (the tour fitness trailer) is to say hello to friends."

PGA Tour Driving Distance Watch, Week 21

/

pgatour.jpgI caught about 10 minutes of Saturday's FedEx St. Jude Danny Thomas whatever it's called. What was with all the spectators dressed as grassy mounds? (My apologies to the late great Chick Hearn.)

Anyway, the PGA Tour driving distance average rose to 289.5 yards after Memphis, up from 289.2 following last week's Colonial.

There were 24 350-or-longer drives, with the season total now at 944. There were 2,059 last year.

And in case you are a new reader wondering why I'm following this, here's an explanation.

PGA Tour Driving Distance Watch, Week 20

/

pgatour.jpgGreat to see how Tim Herron's workout program let him average 308.6 en route to his win at Colonial.

On that sarcastic note, the PGA Tour driving distance average rose to 289.2 yards after Colonial, up half a yard from 288.7 following last week's Byron Nelson Classic. It also marks the first time that the Tour average has ever crossed the 289 barrier (and it's only May!).

Oh, and at Colonial there were 34 350-or-longer drives, with the season total now at 920. There were 2,059 last year.

And in case you are a new reader wondering why I'm following this, here's an explanation. 

PGA Tour Driving Distance Watch Week 18

/

pgatour.jpgThe PGA Tour Driving Distance average rose nearly a half-yard to 288.4 yards, up from 288.0 after the Wachovia Championship won by Jim "I'm backing off for the 900th time because my sports psychologish said so" Furyk. 

By the way, count me in as a big fan of Quail Hollow. I got in a strong power nap during that closing stretch today (well, CBS deserves some credit too...man are those telecast stale).

But mostly I just love how the holes all meld together into one seemless blend of trees and 3 inch rough. And love those wonderfully scaled greens. Such character!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention, there were 19 350-or-longer drives, with the season total now at 881.

Texas here we come!

PGA Tour Driving Distance Watch, Week 17

/

pgatour.jpgThe PGA Tour Driving Distance average rose to 288.0 yards, up from 287.7 after Houston.  Now, I didn't watch much of the New Orleans event (though I have it Tivo'd in case I want to peel off the layers masking English Turn's architectural genius), but considering the course was wet, that's an impressive distance jump.

There were 11 350-or-longer drives, with the season total now at 862. A nd Carlos Franco demonstrated the benefits of diet and exercise with 402-yarder on the 7th hole during Saturday's 3rd round.  That brings the season total to 17 drives of 400-yards or longer, 2 shy of 2005's total of 19.

It was in the April 29, 2005 issue that Golf World's E. Michael Johnson embarked on a Colbertian rant about what else, the ranting of "distance killjoys." One year ago the PGA Tour driving distance was 280 yards, down 7 yards from the previous year's total. It was reported here that perhaps this drop was caused by the record rainfall that followed the Tour in early '05, but Johnson instead chose the moment to demonstrate truthiness at its finest (yes, pre-Colbert). Courtesy of Titleist.com (the article isn't available on GolfDigest.com):

The problem, however, is that this emerging conventional wisdom is rarely challenged.  Too infrequently does anyone provide the research to either support or refute these statements.

When it comes to the length the golf ball is traveling, there is no shortage of talking points for distance killjoys ranting about how the high-tech ball is ruining the game at the elite level.

Distance is out of control.  Scores are too low.  Courses are obsolete.  The game has become one of driver-wedge.

Sound familiar?

So let's try.

Is distance out of control?  Only if a seven-yard drop in driving distance since last year counts.  Scores too low?  Last year's scoring average was a whopping .02 lower than that of 1994. 

Maybe there will be a story this week looking at the 8-yard increase in driving distance compared to this time last year?

"I don't get much roll anyway"

/

The Times-Picayune's Fred Robinson offered a few interesting bits related to the myth of distance in the game today, starting with this from Bubba Watson.

And when Watson, the longest driver on the PGA Tour, tees it up today in the first round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, he knows long drives on the rain-soaked English Turn golf course could lead to low scores.

"It'll help me because it's wet and you're not going to get much roll," said Watson, who is averaging 318.5 yards on drives, nearly eight yards more than J.B. Holmes, the second-longest driver on tour. "I fly the ball, and I don't get much roll anyway."
Huh, and here I thought it was all athleticism and roll.

And this....
David Toms, whose 22-under-par 266 score won at English Turn in 2001, said distance is a factor, but so is experience.

"Certainly, I'd like to have 20 more yards," Toms said. "I don't know if it would be good to have 60 or 70 more yards."

When Toms turned pro in 1989, he said he was driving the ball about 269 yards. Today, his average is up to 285.5 yards and is tied for 102nd in driving distance. Much of it, he said, is due to ball and club technology.

"It's more of a power game today," Toms said Wednesday. "Most of the guys who do well on the tour are pretty powerful players. They don't have to be tops in driving distance, but I think that they have the ability to overpower golf courses."
Get this man a copy of the Distance Myths memo. Oh, we better get one to Robinson too...
In 11 of the 17 tour events this season, the winners averaged at least 290 yards off the tee. Five times the winner's average drive was more than 300 yards.