Earlier this spring, there was considerable chatter surrounding distance gains in golf after the U.S. Golf Association and R&A released their Distance Insights Report. That prompted us to take a closer look at the players who have led the PGA Tour in driving distance.
This is the list of the longest drivers starting in 1980 – the first year the Tour started measuring drives – through the 2018-19 season.
John Daly in 1997 was the first to surpass the average distance of 300 yards. Daly led the Tour in driving distance in 11 seasons.
In 2003, Hank Kuehne became the first and only Tour player to average more than 320 yards per drive with 321.14. It was a jump of almost 15 yards from Daly’s average the year before.
Eighteen golfers have led this list over the last 40 years, with Daly appearing at the top more times than any other player. Bubba Watson is next with five distance titles. Others to have led the Tour in driving average more than one season include Dan Pohl, John McComish, Davis Love III, Hank Kuehne, Robert Garrigus, J.B. Holmes and Rory McIlroy.
Being a big hitter doesn’t always lead to victory lane. Only six of the 18 won a Tour event in the same year that they led in driving average: Daly, Watson, Garrigus, Dustin Johnson, McIlroy and Cameron Champ.
It’s interesting to note that neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson has ever led the Tour in driving distance.
Take a look at the year-by-year longest drivers on Tour.