Does driving distance really make that much of a difference in elite golf?

Much has been made of the R&A and USGA’s announcement on restricting the distance that golf balls travel as part of their bid to stop the sport becoming a bomber’s haven.

It’s true that many of the courses used on the PGA TOUR were built decades ago. Therefore designers and architects had no idea that innovations in club design – and the obsession of gym-honed pros with their clubhead speed – would lead to players clearing 300 yards and then some off the tee with relative ease.

There are exceptions to the rule. Matt Fitzpatrick found nearly 70% of fairways in his U.S. Open win at The Country Club in 2022, but he still averaged 309 yards off the peg. That said, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka led the way for driving distance there and finished T56 and 55th respectively.

The early signs suggest that Los Angeles Country Club, home of the 2023 U.S. Open, is expected to be just as punitive for those straying off the tee. So, will those betting on the golf steer clear of the likes of Jon Rahm (9/1), Scottie Scheffler (9/1) and Rory McIlroy (10/1), knowing that, while they may hit the ball a long way, they are prone to occasional lapses in accuracy?

Power trip

At the time of writing, there have been 20 events played during the 2022/23 PGA TOUR season, discounting the invite-only Hero World Challenge or selected entry list for the Tournament of Champions. The driving distance of each winner is telling.

Although not exclusively home to those ranking inside the top-50 for the Driving Distance statistic, to a man this season’s winners can ‘send it’ off the tee. And while there are exceptions – RSM Classic champion Adam Svensson ranks a lowly 172nd this season for length off the tee – his average drive distance, 288.7 yards, would have seen him rank 26th for Driving Distance on the PGA TOUR as recently as 20 years ago.

Congrats to Canada’s Adam Svensson on winning The RSM Classic for his first PGA TOUR victory 🏆 pic.twitter.com/p9gdwIGXV2

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) November 20, 2022

Interestingly, the average approach shot distance hasn’t changed too much in that span. A research study found that the mean yardage for second shots into Par 4s was 147.9 yards in 2004, but by 2018 that had only decreased to 146.5 yards – not what we’d expect given the increase in driving distance in that time.

Perhaps it’s a consequence of golf courses desperately trying to ward off being overpowered by adding length to their holes. The famous 13th at Augusta National has been extended by 35 yards ahead of the 2023 Masters.

Skill v power

Of course, just because you can hit the ball far does not mean you are an elite golfer – the careers of long drive challenge winners are, for the most part, proof of that.

If we take the average approach shot distance mentioned above, we can take a look into the PGA TOUR’s measurement of the 125-150 yard range to see how accurate the players of today are compared to yesteryear.

The current leader (at the time of writing) is Chris Kirk, who knocks his irons in that range to an average of 18ft 10in. The 2022/23 PGA TOUR average is 23ft 11in.

Chris Kirk is headed to Oak Hill.

Congrats on your win at The Honda Classic, Chris. We’ll see you in Rochester soon. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/D6MEYFfCx5

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) February 27, 2023

If we rewind to 2004, the stat leader was Sergio Garcia (19ft 9in), with a PGA TOUR average of 24ft 2in.

So, are modern golfers hitting the ball further? Undoubtedly. But are they more skilful? Perhaps only fractionally.

Maybe the R&A and USGA should focus more on penalizing errant drives and approach shots rather than fixating on how far the ball travels.