to: Just My Two Cents,
(you write): "Of course, most other golfers will have to use the driver".
Using 2008 Shot Link data, there are 145 professionals on the PGATour and the Euro Tour combined who hit it longer than Tiger Woods. Further, there are another 73 professionals from the combined tours who hit it within 5 yards of Tiger.
Some of the former are listed below, and of the 218 total, many will be playing The Open at Royal Birkdale in July.
Finally, dare I say that if percentages hold true, 163 (75%) of the 218 probably drive it more accurately than Tiger, too boot.
So given this, why the imperative that they, "will have to use the driver"?
No biggie . . just asking.
No. - Tour . . - Yards - . . Name
1 - PGATour - 310.6 - Bubba Watson
2 - EuroPGA - 310.3 - Christian NILSSON
3 - EuroPGA - 309.9 - Joakim BÄCKSTRÖM
4 - EuroPGA - 309.1 - Alvaro QUIROS GARCIA
5 - EuroPGA - 308.4 - Daniel CHOPRA
6 - EuroPGA - 307.5 - Mattias ELIASSON
7 - EuroPGA - 307.2 - Anton HAIG
8 - EuroPGA - 306.3 - Paolo TERRENI
9 - PGATour - 305.7 - J.B. Holmes
10 - EuroPGA - 305.5 - Paul WARING
22 - EuroPGA - 301.0 - Ernie ELS
23 - PGATour - 300.9 - Brett Wetterich
25 - PGATour - 300.2 - Fred Couples
27 - PGATour - 299.8 - Anthony Kim
33 - PGATour - 297.7 - Adam Scott
40 - EuroPGA - 296.6 - Retief GOOSEN
41 - PGATour - 296.3 - Harrison Frazar
43 - EuroPGA - 296.2 - Lee WESTWOOD
45 - EuroPGA - 296.0 - Sergio GARCIA
53 - EuroPGA - 294.5 - Jeev Milkha SINGH
59 - PGATour - 293.8 - Kenny Perry
61 - PGATour - 293.6 - Andres Romero
62 - PGATour - 293.6 - Bill Haas
68 - PGATour - 293.0 - Charles Warren
69 - EuroPGA - 293.0 - Padraig HARRINGTON
70 - PGATour - 293.0 - Phil Mickelson
78 - PGATour - 292.4 - Mathew Goggin
84 - PGATour - 292.0 - Nick Watney
85 - EuroPGA - 291.9 - Henrik STENSON
90 - PGATour - 291.4 - Lucas Glover
91 - EuroPGA - 291.3 - Darren CLARKE
100 - PGATour - 290.7 - Stewart Cink
103 - PGATour - 290.5 - Steve Marino
106 - EuroPGA - 290.3 - Martin KAYMER
108 - EuroPGA - 290.2 - Robert KARLSSON
111 - PGATour - 290.0 - Camilo Villegas
114 - PGATour - 289.8 - Davis Love III
116 - PGATour - 289.7 - Bo Van Pelt
117 - EuroPGA - 289.6 - Nick DOUGHERTY
118 - PGATour - 289.6 - Trevor Immelman
119 - PGATour - 289.5 - Charley Hoffman
122 - PGATour - 289.5 - Rory Sabbatini
123 - PGATour - 289.5 - Stuart Appleby
127 - PGATour - 289.3 - Vijay Singh
130 - PGATour - 289.0 - Sean O'Hair
131 - PGATour - 288.9 - J.J. Henry
132 - PGATour - 288.9 - Kevin Stadler
134 - PGATour - 288.7 - Paul Casey
145 - PGATour - 287.9 - Angel Cabrera
146 - PGATour - 287.7 - Tiger Woods
P.S. – "I Love Golf" / Royal Birkdale is a links-style golf course on the west coast of England, north of Liverpool and south of Blackpool. It is NOT at all similar to the "tree lined" parkland golf courses common throughout the States.
Rather, Royal Birkdale features large sand hills covered with low growing vegetation, often of the variety called yellow flower prickly gorse. Look for wind coming off the Irish Sea.
