pga tour driving distance record

Search Golf Compendium

Golf compendium, pga tour driving distance leaders by year.

Popular posts from this blog

2024 masters tournament winner and final scores.

Ryder Cup Captains: The Full List

24 Famous Golfers Who Were Photographed in the Nude

Game Changers

How driving distance has changed over the past 40 years on the pga tour.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits his shot from the tenth tee during the second round of the 2022 PGA Championship at the Southern Hills on May 20, 2022 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America)

We Can Learn from Rory's Admission; Make Sure The Changes You’re Making Fit Your Golf Game

Hit it Longer off the Tee with Joanna Coe

Adding Distance Off the Tee Like Cameron Champ Will Help Your Golf Game

Year - average distance (yards) | leader - leader's average.

• 2023 - 297.2 | Leader: Rory McIlroy - 326.6
• 2022 - 299.8 | Leader: Cameron Champ - 321.4
• 2021 - 295.3 | Leader: Bryson DeChambeau - 320.8
• 2020 - 296.4 | Leader: Bryson DeChambeau - 322.1
• 2019 - 293.9 | Leader: Cameron Champ - 317.9
• 2018 - 295.29 | Leader: Trey Mullinax - 318
• 2017 - 292.79 | Leader: Rory McIlroy - 316.7
• 2016 - 291.06 | Leader: J.B. Holmes - 314.5
• 2015 - 290.21 | Leader: Dustin Johnson - 317.7
• 2014 - 289.85 | Leader: Bubba Watson - 314.3
• 2013 - 288.00 | Leader: Luke List - 306.3
• 2012 - 290.07 | Leader: Bubba Watson - 315.5
• 2011- 291.14 | Leader: J.B. Holmes - 318.4
• 2010 - 287.49 | Leader: Robert Garrigus - 315.5
• 2009 - 288.07 | Leader: Robert Garrigus - 312
• 2008 - 287.74 | Leader: Bubba Watson - 315.1
• 2007 - 289.08 | Leader: Bubba Watson - 315.2
• 2006 - 289.35 | Leader: Bubba Watson - 319.6
• 2005 - 288.88 | Leader: Scott Hend- 318.9
• 2004 - 287.32 | Leader: Hank Kuehne - 314.4
• 2003 - 286.30 | Leader: Hank Kuehne - 321.4
• 2002 - 279.84 | Leader: John Daly - 306.8
• 2001 - 279.35 | Leader: John Daly - 306.7
• 2000 - 273.18| Leader: John Daly - 301.4
• 1999 - 272.45 | Leader: John Daly - 305.6
• 1998 - 270.63 | Leader: John Daly - 299.4
• 1997 - 267.67 | Leader: John Daly - 302
• 1996 - 266.49 | Leader: John Daly - 288.8
• 1995 - 263.55 | Leader: John Daly - 289
• 1994 - 261.84 | Leader: Davis Love III - 283.8
• 1993 - 260.36 | Leader: John Daly - 288.9
• 1992 - 260.52 | Leader: John Daly - 283.4
• 1991 - 261.44 | Leader: John Daly - 288.9
• 1990 - 262.75 | Leader: Tom Purtzer - 279.6
• 1989 - 261.81 | Leader: Ed Humenik - 280.9
• 1988 - 263.50 | Leader: Steve Thomas - 284.6
• 1987 - 262.50 | Leader: John McComish - 283.9
• 1986 - 261.58 | Leader: Davis Love III - 285.7
• 1985 - 260.18 | Leader: Andy Bean - 278.2
• 1984 - 259.61 | Leader: Bill Glasson - 276.5
• 1983 - 258.65 | Leader: John McComish - 277.4
• 1982 - 256.89 | Leader: Bill Calfee - 275.3
• 1981 - 259.66 | Leader: Dan Pohl - 280.1
• 1980 - 256.89 | Leader: Dan Pohl - 274.3

PGA of America

The PGA of America is one of the world's largest sports organizations, composed of PGA of America Golf Professionals who work daily to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.

124th U.S. Open

Pinehurst No. 2

DISTANCE LEADERS

You simply will not believe how many players averaged more than 300 yards in driving distance on the PGA Tour this season

Kevin C. Cox

The PGA Tour season is over and Rory McIlroy walked away with the biggest prize , topping Scottie Scheffler in the Tour Championship last week at East Lake to collect $18 million.

So, before the next season starts in just two weeks, there’s time to scour the tour’s final statistics from the 2021-2022 season and look for interesting nuggets.

Look no further than driving distance.

For the first time in PGA Tour history, more than half the tour averaged at least 300 yards off the tee. A whopping 99 players out of 193 registered in the statistic eclipsed the magic number.

Sure, there are several factors for increased distances over the years, but we’re simply looking at the numbers. No more, no less.

RELATED: A drill that will have you hitting longer drives right away

Cameron Champ topped the list this season at 321.4 yards and McIlroy was close behind in second place at 321.3 yards. Scroll down the list and you’ll find both Hayden Buckley and Chris Kirk tied for 98th place at a 300.1 yards per drive average.

Alex Noren, at 100th, is the first player on the list sub-300 at 299.8 yards. Players Championship and Open Championship winner Cameron Smith is 101st at 299.7 yards.

Brian Stuard rounds out the list in 193rd place at 277.4, which coincidentally is the exact same average that tour leader John McComish recorded in 1983 during a season in which he made 13 of 27 cuts and collected two top-25 finishes.

John Daly was the first player in history to top a 300-yard driving average for the year when he did so in 1997 at 302.0 yards. He did not reach the mark the following year, but then did the next four consecutive years when he topped the overall statistic.

The list of leaders since 1980 can be found below, but here are some other comparisons from over the years.

In 1982, the 100th-ranked players in driving distance—Ben Crenshaw and George Archer—were at 254.9 yards. Ten years later it was 259.4 with Jeff Sluman and Leonard Thompson. In 2002, when Daly averaged over 300 yards, the 100th-ranked players—Brad Elder, Shigeki Maruyama, Mike Weir—were at 280.0. Ten years ago in 2012, Bubba Watson topped the list at 315.5 yards per drive and the 100th-ranked players—Tim Herron, Marc Leishman—were at 289.4 yards.

RELATED: First step in a rollback? Governing bodies announce plan in curtailing distance

Last year 61 players averaged at least 300 yards although 72 did so in 2020. Fifty reached the number in 2019, and only 27 did back in 2016.

As far as sheer drives of 300 or more yards on tour this last season, the PGA Tour supplied data to Golf Digest saying that 56,930 drives went at least that distance. For more context, that is 27.67 percent of drives on tour that went more than 300 yards.

Once you move up to the 350-yard mark, there were 3,775 drives of at least that distance. There were 74 drives of 400 yards or longer and yes, there was one recorded drive of at least 450 yards. Scott Stallings hit a mammoth shot of 460 yards on the 15th hole in the second round of the WM Phoenix Open. He tied for 21st place that week at TPC Scottsdale.

Here is a look at the driving distance leaders for each year since 1980:

2022: Cameron Champ (321.4 yards) 2021: Bryson DeChambeau (323.7) 2020: Bryson DeChambeau (322.1) 2019: Cameron Champ (317.9) 2018: Rory McIlroy (319.7) 2017: Rory McIlroy (317.2) 2016: J.B. Holmes (314.5) 2015: Dustin Johnson (317.7) 2014: Bubba Watson (314.3) 2013: Luke List (306.3) 2012: Bubba Watson (315.5) 2011: J.B. Holmes (318.4) 2010: Robert Garrigus (315.5) 2009: Robert Garrigus (312.0) 2008: Bubba Watson (315.1) 2007: Bubba Watson (315.2) 2006: Bubba Watson (319.6) 2005: Scott Hend (318.9) 2004: Hank Kuehne (314.4) 2003: Hank Kuehne (321.4) 2002: John Daly (306.8) 2001: John Daly (306.7) 2000: John Daly (301.4) 1999: John Daly (305.6) 1998: John Daly (299.4) 1997: John Daly (302.0) 1996: John Daly (288.8) 1995: John Daly (289.0) 1994: Davis Love III (283.8) 1993: John Daly (288.9) 1992: John Daly (283.4) 1991: John Daly (288.9) 1990: Tom Purtzer (279.6) 1989: Ed Humenik (280.9) 1988: Steve Thomas (284.6) 1987: John McComish (283.9) 1986: Davis Love III (285.7) 1985: Andy Bean (278.2) 1984: Bill Glasson (276.5) 1983: John McComish (277.4) 1982: Bill Calfee (275.3) 1981: Dan Pohl (280.1) 1980: Dan Pohl (274.3)

More from Golf Digest

Trending now.

How Driving Distance Has Changed Over the Past 40 Years on the PGA Tour

In 1997, John Daly became the first golfer on the PGA Tour to average more than 300 yards per drive (302 to be exact). That year, he was more than 30 yards longer than the average Tour player.

In 1980 (the first year that the PGA Tour’s driving distance stats are available), Dan Pohl led the field while averaging 274.3 yards per drive. The Tour average was a meek 256.89 yards.

Want to add more distance to your game? Find a PGA Coach.

Since then, the average driving distance has steadily increased, rocketing upwards in the ‘90s and early 2000s. For 13 years — from 1994 until 2006 — the average increased every year, which is the longest such string since 1980. During that stretch, Daly led the Tour off the tee eight years in a row.

While the progress has cooled off some since the mid-2000s, the average driving distance has increased every year since 2013.

Now in 2021, Bryson DeChambeau's average of 320.8 is more than 18 yards longer than Daly's. In fact, the entire PGA Tour's average is almost at the 300 yard mark. This year's 295.3 yard average is the second longest ever (second only to 2020’s average of 296.4 yards).

Don’t be surprised to see the Tour’s average actually break 300 yards by 2024.

For reference, this is what the PGA Tour says about its method for recording this stat: "The average number of yards per measured drive. These drives are measured on two holes per round. Care is taken to select two holes which face in opposite directions to counteract the effect of wind. Drives are measured to the point at which they come to rest regardless of whether they are in the fairway or not."

Here’s the average driving distance and overall leader for every year since 1980:

Year - Average Distance (yards) | Leader - Leader's Average

2021 - 295.3 | Leader: Bryson DeChambeau - 320.8 2020 - 296.4 | Leader: Bryson DeChambeau - 322.1 2019 - 293.9 | Leader: Cameron Champ - 317.9 2018 - 295.29 | Leader: Trey Mullinax - 318 2017 - 292.79 | Leader: Rory McIlroy - 316.7 2016 - 291.06 | Leader: J.B. Holmes - 314.5 2015 - 290.21 | Leader: Dustin Johnson - 317.7 2014 - 289.85 | Leader: Bubba Watson - 314.3 2013 - 288.00 | Leader: Luke List - 306.3 2012 - 290.07 | Leader: Bubba Watson - 315.5 2011- 291.14 | Leader: J.B. Holmes - 318.4 2010 - 287.49 | Leader: Robert Garrigus - 315.5 2009 - 288.07 | Leader: Robert Garrigus - 312 2008 - 287.74 | Leader: Bubba Watson - 315.1 2007 - 289.08 | Leader: Bubba Watson - 315.2 2006 - 289.35 | Leader: Bubba Watson - 319.6 2005 - 288.88 | Leader: Scott Hend- 318.9 2004 - 287.32 | Leader: Hank Kuehne - 314.4 2003 - 286.30 | Leader: Hank Kuehne - 321.4 2002 - 279.84 | Leader: John Daly - 306.8 2001 - 279.35 | Leader: John Daly - 306.7 2000 - 273.18| Leader: John Daly - 301.4 1999 - 272.45 | Leader: John Daly - 305.6 1998 - 270.63 | Leader: John Daly - 299.4 1997 - 267.67 | Leader: John Daly - 302 1996 - 266.49 | Leader: John Daly - 288.8 1995 - 263.55 | Leader: John Daly - 289 1994 - 261.84 | Leader: Davis Love III - 283.8 1993 - 260.36 | Leader: John Daly - 288.9 1992 - 260.52 | Leader: John Daly - 283.4 1991 - 261.44 | Leader: John Daly - 288.9 1990 - 262.75 | Leader: Tom Purtzer - 279.6 1989 - 261.81 | Leader: Ed Humenik - 280.9 1988 - 263.50 | Leader: Steve Thomas - 284.6 1987 - 262.50 | Leader: John McComish - 283.9 1986 - 261.58 | Leader: Davis Love III - 285.7 1985 - 260.18 | Leader: Andy Bean - 278.2 1984 - 259.61 | Leader: Bill Glasson - 276.5 1983 - 258.65 | Leader: John McComish - 277.4 1982 - 256.89 | Leader: Bill Calfee - 275.3 1981 - 259.66 | Leader: Dan Pohl - 280.1 1980 - 256.89 | Leader: Dan Pohl - 274.3

Michael Henry joins the show to promote the Father's Day giveaway from Shady Rays and the upcoming Bunker Tour event at Verrado Golf Club!

• CBSSports.com
• Fanatics Sportsbook
• CBS Sports Home
• Summer Racing 
• Champions League
• Motor Sports
• High School

Football Pick'em

College Pick'em

Fantasy football, fantasy baseball, fantasy basketball, fantasy hockey, franchise games, 24/7 sports news network.

• CBS Sports Golazo Network
• PGA Tour on CBS
• UEFA Champions League
• UEFA Europa League
• Italian Serie A
• Watch CBS Sports Network
• TV Shows & Listings

The Early Edge

A Daily SportsLine Betting Podcast

Beyond the Arc

It's NBA Playoff Time!

• Podcasts Home
• The First Cut Golf
• We Need to Talk Now
• Eye On College Basketball
• NFL Pick Six
• Cover 3 College Football
• Fantasy Football Today
• My Teams Organize / See All Teams Help Account Settings Log Out

Greens In Regulation

Drive distance, drive accuracy, ball striking, consecutive cuts, score average, putts average, top-10 finishes.

How Far PGA Tour Players Carry Their Drives

What's the average carry of a PGA Tour player's drive, and how might that change in the future?

• Sign up to Golf Monthly Newsletter Newsletter

The driving distance debate is one that stubbornly refuses to go away… although that’s something governing bodies the USGA and The R&A are probably hoping will change within a few years.

That’s because they have confirmed golf ball rollback plans that will see driving distances reduced at every level of the game, starting in 2028 in the professional game and from 2030 elsewhere. But how far do PGA Tour players currently carry their drives, and how will the changes affect the numbers?

Carry distance is an important stat to know, but why? Well, it’s one thing to know how far your drives have travelled after the ball has come to a stop, but if you’re weighing up potential problems ahead from the tee box, such as water, bunkers or rough, carry distance is the priority.

According to figures released by Trackman, which also show how far PGA Tour players hit every club in the bag , players on the circuit carry their drives an average 275 yards. 

That's over nine yards more than in 2007, when the PGA Tour began keeping carry distance records. Back then, the average carry distance was 265.7 yards. As with driving distances on the PGA Tour , that has increased over the years, but it won't stay on that trajectory indefinitely, because of the changes coming in 2028. 

That will see the game’s longest hitters lose between 13 and 15 yards of their total driving distance. However, the average elite male player will not be as affected and can expect a reduction of between nine and 11 yards. Naturally, this will have an effect on carry distance, too. 

Of course, the very longest hitters and average elite players are all part of the overall Trackman average, but it’s probably safe to assume that the average carry distance after the rollback will be around 10 yards shorter, or approximately 265 yards - in other words, somewhere close to the 2007 level.

Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter

Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.

But what about the biggest hitter? After all, the further a player drives the ball, the more distance he will lose after the rollback. According to the PGA Tour website, Rory McIlroy , a key figure who supports the change , is at the top of the list for the 2022/23 season with an average driving distance of 326.3 yards.

Rory McIlroy supports the golf ball rollback plan

Let’s say that average comes down by the top figure given by the governing bodies once the change comes in – 15 yards. That will reduce his average driving distance to 311.3 yards, or a 4.5% hit.

McIlroy’s average carry distance for the same season is 307.4 yards and 4.5% of that is 13.8 yards. That means his carry distance could come down to around 293.6 yards after the rollback.

How Far PGA Tour Players Carry Their Driver

• Club speed (mph): 113
• Attack angle (deg): -1.3
• Ball speed (mph): 167
• Smash factor: 1.48
• Launch angle (deg): 10.9
• Spin rate (rpm): 2686
• Max height (yards): 32
• Land angle (deg): 38
• Carry (yards): 275

Numbers: Trackman

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

The tee times have been released for the opening round of the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst No.2

By Jonny Leighfield Published 11 June 24

I love golf trainers and the new Pegasus shoes from Nike might go straight into my regular rotation!

By Joe Ferguson Published 11 June 24

• Contact Future's experts
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Accessibility statement
• Cookies policy
• Advertise with us

Golf Monthly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

• Sports & Recreation ›

Professional Sports

Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). A paid subscription is required for full access.

Golfers with longest driving distance on PGA tour 2022

Professional golfers with the longest average driving distance on the pga tour in 2022 (in yards).

To access all Premium Statistics, you need a paid Statista Account

• Immediate access to all statistics
• Incl. source references
• Download as PDF, XLS, PNG and PPT

Additional Information

Show sources information Show publisher information Use Ask Statista Research Service

August 2022

as of August 2022

Other statistics on the topic

Sports & Leisure

• Revenue of selected golf equipment/apparel companies worldwide 2012-2023
• Golfers with the highest career earnings on the LPGA Tour 2023

Sports & Fitness

• Participants in golf in the U.S. from 2007 to 2022
• Highest money earners on the PGA tour 2022

To download this statistic in XLS format you need a Statista Account

To download this statistic in PNG format you need a Statista Account

To download this statistic in PDF format you need a Statista Account

To download this statistic in PPT format you need a Statista Account

As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic.

As a Premium user you get access to background information and details about the release of this statistic.

As soon as this statistic is updated, you will immediately be notified via e-mail.

… to incorporate the statistic into your presentation at any time.

You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature.

• Immediate access to statistics, forecasts & reports
• Usage and publication rights
• Download in various formats

You only have access to basic statistics. This statistic is not included in your account.

• Instant access  to 1m statistics
• Download  in XLS, PDF & PNG format
• Detailed  references

Business Solutions including all features.

Statistics on " Golf "

• Golf participation in U.S. high schools 2010-2022, by gender
• Golf participation in England 2016-2023
• Monthly participation at golf courses in Japan 2023
• Golf course and country club market size in the U.S. 2013-2023
• Golf courses & country clubs number of businesses in the U.S. 2012-2022
• Golf driving ranges & family fun centers number of businesses in the U.S. 2012-2022
• Golf driving ranges & family fun centers industry market size in Canada 2011-2022
• Monthly revenue of golf courses in Japan 2019-2023
• U.S. wholesale sales of golf equipment 2007-2023
• Revenue of Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. worldwide 2017-2023, by product category
• Revenue of Acushnet Holdings Corp. 2014-2023, by segment
• Number of golf equipment and supplies stores in Canada by region 2023
• Golf clubs: UK manufacturers' sales value 2008-2022
• Golfers with the highest career earnings on the PGA Tour 2023
• Sentry Tournament of Champions: Golfers with the most PGA Championship points 2022
• Female golfers with the highest driving accuracy on the LPGA tour 2021
• TV ratings for final round of The Masters in U.S. 1997-2022
• TV viewers for final round of The Players Championship in the U.S. 2021
• LIV Golf: total prize pool 2022-2023
• Golfers with the highest on-course earnings at LIV Golf 2022
• Public opinion on LIV Golf in the U.S. 2022
• Approval of LIV Golf among GolfLink users worldwide 2022
• Public awareness of LIV Golf being funded by Saudi Arabia in the U.S. 2022
• Share of adults in the U.S. that believe LIV Golf seems like sportswashing 2022

Other statistics that may interest you Golf

Participation

• Premium Statistic Participants in golf in the U.S. from 2007 to 2022
• Premium Statistic Golf participation in U.S. high schools 2010-2022, by gender
• Basic Statistic Golf participation in England 2016-2023
• Premium Statistic Monthly participation at golf courses in Japan 2023

Golf clubs & courses

• Premium Statistic Golf course and country club market size in the U.S. 2013-2023
• Premium Statistic Golf courses & country clubs number of businesses in the U.S. 2012-2022
• Premium Statistic Golf driving ranges & family fun centers number of businesses in the U.S. 2012-2022
• Premium Statistic Golf driving ranges & family fun centers industry market size in Canada 2011-2022
• Premium Statistic Monthly revenue of golf courses in Japan 2019-2023

Golf equipment

• Premium Statistic Revenue of selected golf equipment/apparel companies worldwide 2012-2023
• Premium Statistic U.S. wholesale sales of golf equipment 2007-2023
• Basic Statistic Revenue of Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. worldwide 2017-2023, by product category
• Basic Statistic Revenue of Acushnet Holdings Corp. 2014-2023, by segment
• Basic Statistic Number of golf equipment and supplies stores in Canada by region 2023
• Premium Statistic Golf clubs: UK manufacturers' sales value 2008-2022
• Premium Statistic Golfers with the highest career earnings on the PGA Tour 2023
• Basic Statistic Highest money earners on the PGA tour 2022
• Basic Statistic Sentry Tournament of Champions: Golfers with the most PGA Championship points 2022
• Premium Statistic Golfers with the highest career earnings on the LPGA Tour 2023
• Premium Statistic Female golfers with the highest driving accuracy on the LPGA tour 2021
• Premium Statistic TV ratings for final round of The Masters in U.S. 1997-2022
• Premium Statistic TV viewers for final round of The Players Championship in the U.S. 2021
• Basic Statistic LIV Golf: total prize pool 2022-2023
• Premium Statistic Golfers with the highest on-course earnings at LIV Golf 2022
• Premium Statistic Public opinion on LIV Golf in the U.S. 2022
• Basic Statistic Approval of LIV Golf among GolfLink users worldwide 2022
• Premium Statistic Public awareness of LIV Golf being funded by Saudi Arabia in the U.S. 2022
• Basic Statistic Share of adults in the U.S. that believe LIV Golf seems like sportswashing 2022

Further related statistics

• Premium Statistic Leading banks in the Middle East in 2023, by brand value
• Premium Statistic Preferred sports among Chinese millionaires 2024
• Premium Statistic Global natural gas production 2022, by country
• Basic Statistic Net sales growth of the leading consumer products companies worldwide 2013
• Basic Statistic Leading organisations for customer satisfaction in the UK 2014, by satisfaction index
• Basic Statistic Number of patients with non-communicable diseases in India 2010
• Premium Statistic Focus areas of U.S. employer's health care strategies 2013
• Basic Statistic Least peaceful U.S. metropolitan areas 2012

Further Content: You might find this interesting as well

• Leading banks in the Middle East in 2023, by brand value
• Preferred sports among Chinese millionaires 2024
• Global natural gas production 2022, by country
• Net sales growth of the leading consumer products companies worldwide 2013
• Leading organisations for customer satisfaction in the UK 2014, by satisfaction index
• Number of patients with non-communicable diseases in India 2010
• Focus areas of U.S. employer's health care strategies 2013
• Least peaceful U.S. metropolitan areas 2012

Your Teams. All Sources.

© 2024 BVM Sports. Best Version Media, LLC.

2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst: Key Player Stats and Driving Distance Insights

As the U.S. Open descends upon Pinehurst No. 2, the focus is on the challenges presented by the course to the world's best golfers. The unique torturous test includes lightning-fast putting surfaces and penalizing rough for errant drives. With insights from previous championships at Pinehurst, the competition promises to be fierce. Scottie Scheffler's dominance in the 2024 season, alongside intriguing stats on driving accuracy and skill sets of other top contenders, sets the stage for an intense battle for the 2024 United States Open title.

• This is the fourth U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, known for its challenging setup.
• Players who hit fairways at Pinehurst in 2014 saw success in greens in regulation.

The upcoming U.S. Open remains unpredictable, with the potential for unforeseen upsets and surprises among the top contenders.

• Scottie Scheffler leads the season with an impressive five PGA Tour wins.
• Xander Schauffele and Jon Rahm bring formidable records and consistency to the competition.
• Brooks Koepka's recent performance raises questions about his potential for a comeback.

With the U.S. Open commencing, all eyes are on Pinehurst to witness the unfolding drama and to discover who will emerge as the champion amidst the fierce competition.

Amidst the challenging landscape of Pinehurst No. 2, the 2024 United States Open promises intense battles and surprises as golf's best vie for supremacy on the course's demanding layout.

Read more at The Athletic

The summary of the linked article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology from OpenAI

The Athletic • Justin Ray

U.S. Open analysis: What to know as the world's best invade Pinehurst

Top leagues, does your team or athlete deserve recognition tell us submit your story, photo or video..

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.

OK Privacy policy

Advertisement

2024 u.s. open: top 50 driving distance leaders in the field, share this article, pinehurst no. 2 awaits.

(Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports)

The third major of the year heads to one of golf’s most iconic stops, with Pinehurst No. 2 welcoming a field of 156 to the 2024 U.S. Open.

The Donald Ross layout is a course-design masterclass, a 7,550-yard test featuring demanding fairways winding through sandy waste areas and longleaf pine. What awaits at the end of each tee shot and approach are lighting-fast greens—often referred to as “turtle-backs—that have allowed a combined four rounds under par after 72 holes of in three U.S. Opens.

While distance off the tee might not play the most critical role, a shorter approach into nearly impossible-to-hold greens won’t hurt.

With that in mind, here are the top 50 driving distance leaders—when combining the PGA Tour, LIV, DP World Tour, and Champions Tour—in the 124th U.S. Open field…

50. Harris English

(Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 299.2

49. Viktor Hovland

(Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 299.5

48. Max Homa

Avg. driving distance: 299.7

47. Adam Schenk

(Barbara J. Perenic-USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 300.0

46. Matthew Fitzpatrick

(Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Network)

Avg. driving distance: 300.1

45. Mac Meissner

(Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 300.3

44. Thomas Detry

(Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 300.4

43. S.H. Kim

Avg. driving distance: 300.8

42. Scottie Scheffler

Avg. driving distance: 301.1

t-39. Erik van Rooyen

Avg. driving distance: 301.3

t-39. Robert MacIntyre

t-39. Jason Day

38. Keegan Bradley

(USA TODAY)

Avg. driving distance: 301.7

37. Taylor Moore

Avg. driving distance: 302.7

t-35. Tyrrell Hatton

(Matt Stone-USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 303.3

t-35. Sahith Theegala

34. Nick Dunlap

Avg. driving distance: 303.5

t-32. Sergio Garcia

(Edgar Su/Reuters via USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 303.6

t-32. Davis Thompson

31. Sam Burns

Avg. driving distance: 304.0

t-29. Grant Forrest

(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Avg. driving distance: 304.5

t-29. Cameron Young

28. Rikuya Hoshino

(Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 304.8

27. Xander Schauffele

Avg. driving distance: 305.0

26. Kurt Kitayama

Avg. driving distance: 305.2

25. Jordan Spieth

Avg. driving distance: 305.5

t-23. Richard Mansell

(John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 305.7

t-23. Brooks Koepka

22. Adam Scott

Avg. driving distance: 306.3

21. Adrian Meronk

Avg. driving distance: 306.7

t-19. Max Greyserman

(Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 307.0

t-19. Ludvig Aberg

18. Justin Thomas

Avg. driving distance: 307.1

17. Rico Hoey

Avg. driving distance: 307.5

16. Tony Finau

Avg. driving distance: 307.6

15. Jake Knapp

Avg. driving distance: 307.9

14. Nicolai Højgaard

(Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 308.0

13. Ryan Fox

Avg. driving distance: 308.8

t-11. Stephan Jaeger

(Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 309.0

t-11. Dustin Johnson

10. Taylor Pendrith

Avg. driving distance: 310.0

9. Sam Bairstow

(Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Avg. driving distance: 310.6

8. Gary Woodland

(Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 311.5

7. Min Woo Lee

Avg. driving distance: 312.3

6. Wyndham Clark

(Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports)

Avg. driving distance: 313.4

t-4. Byeong Hun An

Avg. driving distance: 313.7

t-4. David Puig

3. Dean Burmester

Avg. driving distance: 315.1

2. Rory McIlroy

Avg. driving distance: 317.5

1B. Bryson DeChambeau

Avg. driving distance: 320.9

*1A. Gordon Sargent

(Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports)

While we only have a small sample size for the pwoerful Vanderbilt satr, we’d be amiss not to list him based on the data from the 2023 Masters and U.S. Open.

Avg. driving distance: 323.9

Most Popular

'sopranos' stars who have died, notable athletes and sports figures who have died in 2023, 25 of the most memorable moms in television and film history, 50 largest cities in the united states by population 2024, the 50 most popular beers in the united states, national beer day: the most popular beers of 2024 (so far), celebrities who have june birthdays.

Please enter an email address.

Thanks for signing up.

Please check your email for a confirmation.

Something went wrong.

Share a link to this question

This answer is live and will keep updating

a]:underline [&>a]:text-team-secondary"> Rory McIlroy had the longest average driving distance in 2022-23, at 326.3 yards.

• Who won the PGA Championship?
• Who won the Masters in 2022-23?
• Who won the Masters?
• See trending

PGA TOUR Stat Leaders 2024

Statistics are updated nightly

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Disney Ad Sales Site
• Work for ESPN
• Corrections

U.S. Open analysis: What to know as the world’s best invade Pinehurst

The third men’s major championship of the year sees the U.S. Open return to a Donald Ross North Carolina masterpiece, Pinehurst No. 2.

Brutal wiregrass awaits those who miss wildly with driver. Lightning-fast, crown-shaped putting surfaces make for a uniquely torturous test. The native areas at No. 2 have visibly matured in the decade since the world’s best convened here for back-to-back weeks at the 2014 U.S. Open and Women’s Open. Maybe the only star guaranteed to outshine Scottie Scheffler this week is the golf course.

Advertisement

Here are the top numbers and notes to know ahead of the 1,000th USGA championship ever played – the 2024 United States Open.

1. This is the fourth U.S. Open contested at Pinehurst No. 2, and the second since an extensive restoration by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw took place early last decade. In 2014, Martin Kaymer spent the first two rounds in a full sprint ahead of the field, setting the Open’s 36-hole record for scoring (130) and tying the largest ever second-round lead (6 shots). While Kaymer won by eight, 10 players finished the week between 1-under and 2-over, including Rickie Fowler (T2), Brooks Koepka (T4), Dustin Johnson (T4), Jason Day (T4), Henrik Stenson (T4) and Adam Scott (T9).

While fairways are accessible (the field hit them 70 percent of the time in ’14), the penalty for an errant drive at Pinehurst is immense. Players who hit the fairway off the tee in the 2014 U.S. Open then found the green in regulation 66 percent of the time. Following a missed fairway, that number plummeted to below 38 percent. Each of the three previous U.S. Open winners here ranked in the top 10 in the field that week in percentage of fairways hit.

In each of the previous three Opens held at Pinehurst No. 2, the field scrambled at a rate of less than 50 percent. Play around the greens is almost always more significant amidst a comprehensive exam like the U.S. Open. Complete strokes gained data is available for this championship going back to 2017. In that span, players who have finished in the top five have gained 19.5 percent of their total strokes with shots around the greens. In all other PGA Tour events in that span, that number is just 12.6 percent.

Putting these ‘upside-down cereal bowl greens’ is no picnic, either. By the traditional metric of putts per green in regulation, Pinehurst was either the most difficult or second-most-difficult course to putt in each of the 1999, 2005 and 2014 PGA Tour seasons. Ten years ago, the field successfully converted their birdie opportunities just 20.6 percent of the time, a steep decline from the season average (28.5 percent).

2. Another week, another Scottie Scheffler superlative.

Scheffler’s victory at the Memorial Tournament last week was his fifth of the 2024 season, the fastest any player has reached five PGA Tour wins in a calendar year since Tom Watson in 1980. Scheffler is just the second player since 1950 to enter a U.S. Open with at least five PGA Tour wins that season including a major. Arnold Palmer did it twice – when he won at Cherry Hills in 1960, and two years later when he lost in a playoff to Jack Nicklaus at Oakmont.

Scheffler’s distance control with his irons has been worth drooling over this year. He leads all players in average proximity to the hole, sticking it nearly four-and-a-half feet closer than the tour average. He’s not just the best from 150-175 yards away (21-6), he’s the best with a wedge in his hand, too (First from 50-125).

One of the less heralded facets of Scheffler’s greatness is his ability to avoid mistakes, one of the hallmarks of a U.S. Open setup. This season after hitting a fairway on a par 4 or 5, Scheffler has then gone on to make bogey just 5.1 percent of the time, the lowest rate of any player on the PGA Tour. Scheffler is 153-under-par in those situations this season, 25 strokes better than any other player. Good luck, y’all.

The lesson of Scottie Scheffler at this U.S. Open, from the man who taught him

3. Few players in modern history have been as consistently good at the U.S. Open without winning it than reigning PGA Champ Xander Schauffele. Not only is Schauffele the only player to finish in the top 15 at the U.S. Open each of the last seven years, he’s the first player to begin his U.S. Open career with seven top 15s in a row since Bobby Jones. Since World War II, only Jack Nicklaus (12) and Sam Snead (9) have a streak longer than Schauffele’s at any point in their careers. Schauffele’s career scoring average at the U.S. Open is 70.25, the best of any player the last 50 years with at least 20 rounds under their belt.

The test facing Schauffele and the field this week will be vastly different than the birdie bonanza at Valhalla. In his win last month, Schauffele became the first player in men’s professional golf history to finish 21-under-par. In the previous three U.S. Opens held at Pinehurst, there have been four players – combined – who finished better than par.

Schauffele is one of the few players with the truly complete skill set that reveals itself at a venue like Pinehurst: He is the only man on the PGA Tour this season ranked in the top 40 in strokes gained off-the-tee, approach, around the green and putting.

U.S. Open Big Board: After Scottie Scheffler, how does the field stack up at Pinehurst?

4. One trend worth keeping tabs on this week is whether or not length off the tee continues to strengthen its significance at the U.S. Open. From 1984 through 2015, the average driving distance rank of U.S. Open champions for the week was 27.6. Just 44 percent of those winners ranked in the top 15 for the championship. That has changed dramatically: the last eight champions have a driving distance rank of 6.8, with each ranking in the top 15 (at least) that week.

For past winners at Pinehurst, we have seen a mixed bag when it comes to driving distance. In 1999, Payne Stewart ranked 50th of the 68 players who made the cut that week in average length off the tee. Michael Campbell was middle-of-the-pack (36th) in 2005, while Kaymer ranked seventh the week of his win. And while Johnson (4th in driving distance) and Scott (9th) finished in the top 10 here a decade ago, Erik Compton (40th) tied for runner-up.

5. If Wyndham Clark was Scheffler’s main foil earlier in the season (runner-up at Bay Hill and The Players), then Collin Morikawa has taken that mantle more recently (shared the final pairing at the Masters and the Memorial). The two-time major winner is the only player to finish in the top five this year at both the PGA and Masters. Sunday was his toughest day at both Augusta and Valhalla this year: in Rounds 1 through 3 at those two majors, he gained 4.45 strokes on the field per round. In the final round, that number dropped to -1.63.

Morikawa is one of the most improved short-game players on the PGA Tour, up from 88th in 2023 to ninth this year in strokes gained around the green. One of his other strong traits will benefit him greatly around this place: he’s second on tour in both fairways hit and distance from the edge of the fairway on tee shots.

6. Thursday will be the 149th men’s major championship round contested since Rory McIlroy won the 2014 PGA. In recent years, McIlroy has been at his best at the U.S. Open. Since 2019, his strokes gained average of +2.94 is nearly a full shot better than any of the other three biggest events in the game. McIlroy is the only player to finish in the top 10 each of the last five years at this championship. In fact, the last player with a longer streak was Jack Nicklaus, who did it in six straight from 1977 to 1982.

McIlroy leads all players in strokes gained ball striking and strokes gained total per round at the U.S. Open since 2019. A year ago at LACC, his 72-hole total of 271 was the lowest score in the history of the championship by a player who didn’t win. His 20 top-10 finishes in majors since his last win are the most of any player in that span. Each of these pieces of information pale in comparison to the simple number draped around his neck for nearly a decade running: 4. His major total.

7. At Valhalla, Bryson DeChambeau earned the ill-starred distinction of being the only player in golf history to finish a major 20 strokes under par and not win. He didn’t leave with the Wanamaker, but DeChambeau was unquestionably one of the week’s big winners. Fittingly, the closest thing the sport has to a professional wrestler has executed a reverse heel turn, eliciting arguably the loudest cheers of anybody last month in Kentucky.

Oh, by the way, he’s still an extremely good player. Nobody has gained more strokes off the tee at the majors this year than DeChambeau, which isn’t surprising. What might be, though, is that he is one of just three players to make the cut in both the Masters and PGA this year and average at least 0.3 strokes gained per round in each of the key denominations (the others are Morikawa and Tommy Fleetwood). DeChambeau is more balanced, statistically speaking, than he probably gets credit for. Can the scientist unlock another U.S. Open puzzle?

'I'm just hoping not to mess it up': Inside Johnson Wagner's meteoric rise to golf media stardom

8. While Brooks Koepka has finished outside the top 15 in each of the four majors held since his win at Oak Hill, to make him a footnote entering Thursday’s opening round is foolish. The only other time since 2016 that Koepka went four major starts in a row with no result in the top 15, he went T2 at the 2019 Masters and then won the PGA.

Brooks sandwiched a LIV Golf win in Singapore between ninth-place finishes in Adelaide and Houston. Despite the recent run of un-Brooksian major form, he’s still a combined 92 strokes under par in the majors since 2016, 16 shots better than anyone else in that span. Koepka’s 2.44 strokes gained total per round are the third-most of any player with 20 or more rounds at the U.S. Open the last 50 years, trailing only Schauffele and Tom Weiskopf.

9. Jon Rahm was forced to withdraw due to a foot infection, an understandable predicament that only emphasizes how incredible Adam Scott’s current streak in the majors is.

While it was in question for a bit, Scott is in the field this week – making his 92nd consecutive major championship start. The last major without the affable Aussie in the field was the 2001 U.S. Open, won by Retief Goosen at Southern Hills. Nick Dunlap – who won earlier this year on tour – was born more than two years later. Scott is grouped with Billy Horschel and Chris Kirk for the first two rounds.

10. In Koepka, Clark, Brian Harman, Scheffler and Schauffele, the men’s game has had five different American winners of the last five majors. It’s the first time that has happened since a run from the 1983 U.S. Open through the following year’s U.S. Open at Winged Foot (Larry Nelson, Tom Watson, Hal Sutton, Ben Crenshaw and Fuzzy Zoeller). If a sixth different American player wins this week, it will be the longest such streak since the late 1970’s.

It’s been especially difficult to recover at major championships recently after a tough opening round. Thirty-nine of the last 41 men’s major winners have opened with week with a round under par. The average first-round deficit of major champions in that stretch is a mere 2.8 strokes.

The test at Pinehurst begins Thursday morning.

(Top photo: Andrew Redington / Getty Images)

Get all-access to exclusive stories.

Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.

Justin Ray is a contributor at The Athletic and the Head of Content for Twenty First Group, a sports intelligence agency that works with players, broadcasters, manufacturers and media. He has been in sports media for more than 10 years and was previously a senior researcher for ESPN and Golf Channel. Follow Justin on Twitter @ JustinRayGolf

The eight best bets to win this year’s U.S. Open

Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa are among those with good form, good U.S. Open history and the ability to hit the ball long and straight off the tee.

The U.S. Open returns to Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina for what should be a stern test. One of the country’s most renowned courses, Pinehurst features challenging turtleback greens and zero rough, and its length and wiregrass-littered sandy waste areas should make for a challenging four days.

Pinehurst hasn’t hosted the U.S. Open since 2014, so we can’t read a whole lot into course history. Instead, we will look for some combination of good form, good U.S. Open history and the ability to hit the ball long and straight off the tee.

Here are some recent trends:

• Each of the past 13 U.S. Open winners was ranked in the top 32 of the Official World Golf Ranking, with last year’s winner, Wyndham Clark , setting the low bar among recent champions at No. 32 entering the tournament at Los Angeles Country Club.
• Thirteen of the past 14 winners had a top-25 U.S. Open finish on his résumé. Only Clark didn’t, having missed two U.S. Open cuts before his breakthrough. You have to go back to 2009 to find another such outlier with Lucas Glover, who had three missed cuts in three appearances before his victory.
• Eleven of the past 12 winners made the cut in his previous U.S. Open start and in his previous major appearance (Clark, as is becoming a theme here, was the outlier.) Before him, Rory McIlroy was the previous champion who couldn’t claim that, having missed the cut in 2010 before winning in 2011.
• Seven of the past nine winners and 10 of the past 14 posted a top-10 finish in at least one of his previous two majors.
• Eight of the past 10 winners and 10 of the past 14 had a top-15 finish in one or both of his previous two starts. This is one in which Clark fit the bill, having finished 12th in the tournament that preceded last year’s U.S. Open.
• Twelve of the past 15 U.S. Open winners were first-time major champions. This is another box Clark checked.

As you can probably tell, Clark wasn’t one of my choices entering last year’s U.S. Open (he previously had never finished better than 75th at a major championship), but he came out of relative nowhere to nip McIlroy by a stroke. Hey, it happens, and two years ago this system identified winner Matt Fitzpatrick. Here’s hoping we can get back on track.

All odds were taken Wednesday morning from DraftKings Sportsbook .

Scottie Scheffler (+280)

While there hasn’t been a sure thing in golf since Tiger Woods’s imperial era, Scheffler is getting pretty close to it. He has five wins this year, and all five came in elite-field events played on difficult courses (Masters, Players Championship, Arnold Palmer, Heritage and Memorial). The last golfer with at least five wins including a major entering the U.S. Open? Arnold Palmer in 1962.

Over his past eight tournaments, Scheffler has finished no worse than eighth. But more importantly, Scheffler’s game is a great fit for Pinehurst No. 2, which features turtleback greens that are exceedingly difficult to hold because there’s no rough to stop a ball from rolling away. The world’s top-ranked golfer is fourth this season on the PGA Tour in scrambling and is 14th in strokes gained around the green, key assets at Pinehurst.

Trend match: Scheffler matches five of six trends listed above; he wouldn’t be a first-time major champion. And while it’s no fun betting chalk — Scheffler is the biggest U.S. Open favorite since Woods was +200 in 2009 — it’s easy to think he gets it done this weekend (as long as he can avoid getting arrested ).

Xander Schauffele (+1000)

Hitting it long and straight is an avenue to success at the U.S. Open, where anything that misses the fairway can lead to calamity. And that’s Schauffele in a nutshell: The world’s second-ranked player is fifth in the PGA Tour’s total driving metric, which combines distance and accuracy, and seventh in strokes gained off the tee. And were it not for Scheffler’s superlatives this year, everyone would be talking about Schauffele’s run of elite play, with his major breakthrough at the PGA Championship and 12 other top-10 finishes. Plus, in seven U.S. Open appearances he has six top-10s, with the other finish a tie for 14th. (He’s the only player to finish in the U.S. Open’s top 15 each of the past seven years.) Back-to-back majors? I wouldn’t rule it out.

Trend match: Like Scheffler, Schauffele matches five of six trends, with the only strike against him (such as it is) being the fact that he has won a major championship.

Collin Morikawa (+1600)

Morikawa leads the PGA Tour in driving accuracy, and his irons have been firing since an early-season lull: He ranked fourth in strokes gained approach at the Masters (Morikawa tied for third, his best finish there) and also gained more than a stroke per round with his irons at the PGA Championship (he finished fourth), where he also ranked second in strokes gained around the green. Morikawa also is coming off a Memorial in which he nearly tracked down Scheffler on Sunday before settling for second place, his approach shots again sterling. His past three U.S. Open appearances have resulted in 14th-, fifth- and fourth-place finishes.

Trend match: Morikawa falls into the same group as Scheffler and Schauffele, meeting all of our trends except for first-time major champion. Morikawa won the PGA Championship in 2020 and the British Open in 2021.

Bryson DeChambeau (+2000)

DeChambeau is one of four golfers who have finished in the top 10 at both majors this season (Scheffler, Morikawa and Schauffele are the others), and his performance on the LIV Golf circuit has been encouraging, with four top-10s. He’s also a proven commodity on difficult courses, as evidenced by his 2020 U.S. Open win at Winged Foot, where he won by six strokes and was the only golfer to finish under par. DeChambeau’s length off the tee should be an asset on one of the longest courses anyone’s going to see this season, and if he can keep it on the fairway, watch out.

Trend match: DeChambeau is a match on four of six trends, though one of his misses should be taken with a grain of salt. LIV golfers do not accrue OWGR points, so DeChambeau has slipped to No. 38.

Tommy Fleetwood (+4000)

Fleetwood not only is near the top of the list of players who have yet to win a major championship, but he’s probably also the best golfer who has never won on American soil. (The world No. 13 has seven DP World Tour wins, however.) But you have to like his chances this week considering his accuracy off the tee (he’s third in that category in PGA Tour play) and around the green (he ranks 17th in strokes gained around the green). Fleetwood has finished in the top 10 in three of the past four majors — he tied for third at this year’s Masters — so he has been knocking on the door.

Trend match: Fleetwood fits five of the six trends, only missing out on a top-15 finish in one of his past two starts. (He was 21st and 20th.)

Matt Fitzpatrick (+4500)

Fitzpatrick is just two years removed from his U.S. Open win at the Country Club, and there are signs he might be in position for another title. He gained strokes in every category last weekend on his way to a tie for fifth at the Memorial, his best result since a fifth-place finish at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in March. And there might be something of a Pinehurst-Sawgrass connection: Of the 11 golfers to finish in the top 10 the previous time Pinehurst hosted the U.S. Open in 2014, five also have a Players Championship win on their résumé, including 2014 U.S. Open winner Martin Kaymer. Four others from that 2014 list have multiple top-10s at the Players as well. Fitzpatrick has two Players Championship top-10s over the past four years, and he ranks ninth on the PGA Tour in total driving.

Trend match: Fitzpatrick meets just three of the six trends, but we’re willing to look past that for a guy who has proved he can win in the toughest of circumstances.

Hideki Matsuyama (+3500)

Matsuyama’s U.S. Open track record is nearly as good as Schauffele’s. In 11 attempts, he has three top-10s and only one missed cut (he tied for 35th the previous time Pinehurst hosted the tournament in 2014). He’s also coming off a tie for eighth at the Memorial, where he gained strokes in every category and ranked second in strokes gained putting for the event. Matsuyama leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained around the green, and if he can fix an occasionally wonky driver, the Japanese star could be worth a look.

Trend match: The 2021 Masters champion is a match on four of six trends. His first two major championships this year resulted in a tie for 38th and a tie for 35th.

Keegan Bradley (+8000)

The thing that traditionally held Bradley back was his putting, but he has gained strokes on the greens in four straight starts. He’s also one of just eight golfers who have finished in the top 25 at both majors this season, and he has tied for second at two other tournaments (one of them the Charles Schwab in late May). The PGA Tour veteran has just two U.S. Open top-10s in his career, but one of them came in 2014, when he tied for fourth at Pinehurst No. 2. Bradley ranks 12th on the PGA Tour in total driving, and his overall ball striking has been impressive of late.

Trend match: Like Fitzpatrick, Bradley meets just three of six trends, but I like where his game is at.

As of Wednesday morning, here were the odds to win the U.S. Open of the leading contenders, according to DraftKings Sportsbook:

• Scottie Scheffler: +280
• Xander Schauffele: +1000
• Rory McIlroy: +1100
• Collin Morikawa: +1600
• Viktor Hovland: +2000
• Ludvig Aberg: +2000
• Bryson DeChambeau: +2000
• Brooks Koepka: +2200
• Hideki Matsuyama: +3500
• Tommy Fleetwood: +4000
• Justin Thomas: +4000
• Matt Fitzpatrick: +4500
• Sahith Theegala +4500

Ryan Gerard captures emotional victory at BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX

Daily Wrap Up

Change Text Size

GREER, South Carolina – Ryan Gerard lapped the field at the 2024 BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX, doubling his three-stroke 54-hole lead on the back nine of Thornblade Club en route to a six-stroke victory Sunday evening.

Gerard played his final 46 holes without a bogey, totaling 26-under 259 to tie Mark Anderson (2013) for the third-lowest 72-hole score in tournament history, only behind Mito Pereira’s 258 from 2021, and Michael Arnaud’s 257 from 2018. It also marked the second-lowest winning 72-hole score this season, trailing Tim Widing’s 31-under 253 from the Veritex Bank Championship.

Gerard finished six strokes ahead of runner-up Seth Reeves, marking the second-highest margin of victory this season. Only Isaiah Salinda’s eight-stroke victory at The Panama Championship was more decisive.

“I didn’t really know how many shots I had until No. 17 green,” Gerard said of his lead. “When I saw that, I figured I could get it in the house from there. It was cool to go bogey-free on the weekend.”

Holding a three-stroke lead after the third round, Gerard got a call from his father, Robert. A flight was already booked. Robert just wanted his son to know.

Although the two could not spend time together Sunday morning, Robert caught up with Ryan on the way to the driving range ahead of his 1:40 p.m. tee time.

“He had to be here,” Gerard said. “I’m glad he came, and (it) means the world that he got to be here to watch it.”

After Gerard rattled the flagstick with a putt from off the back of the 18th green and knocked in a 5-footer for par, capping a bogey-free 5-under 66, he acknowledged the crowd and headed toward the clubhouse. Gerard barely got off the back of the green before he spotted his father. Almost instantaneously, tears welled up in Gerard’s eyes.

“He’s been here for everything,” Gerard said. “My mom, too, but she can’t be here. He got me into golf. I wouldn’t be where I am without him. He taught me everything I know from a young age, and he’s been there for everything. It’s been tough, it’s been great, it’s been up and down, but he’s been there 100 percent of the time.

“I didn’t want to cry, but it’s just real special.”

Ryan Gerard sinks 27-footer for birdie at BMW Charity Pro-Am

Makeshift golf clubs were followed by what Gerard dubbed “Impossible Chipping Contests” with friends at Raleigh’s Wildwood Green Golf Club. The group held closest to the pin competitions after they intentionally gave each other the worst lies possible.

As Gerard played high school golf at Ravencroft School, he exceled on the junior circuit. Perhaps most notably, Gerard won the American Junior Golf Association’s Polo Golf Junior Classic, annually contested at PGA National Resort – host of the PGA TOUR’s Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches – in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Gerard eventually signed with University of North Carolina and played five seasons in Chapel Hill. He even broke Ben Griffin’s school record for career scoring average, finishing with a 71.65 average.

Following the 2022 NCAA Championship, Gerard turned professional and headed north for PGA TOUR Canada. A victory and two additional top-10s led to a No. 5 finish in the Fortinet Cup standings, earning him conditional membership for the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour season.

Gerard posted a T3 at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard, the fourth event of the 2023 season, setting himself up for a full schedule on the Korn Ferry Tour. Little did Gerard know, he would only return to the Korn Ferry Tour for one more start in 2023.

Nine days after his podium finish, Gerard survived a 5-for-3 playoff at the open qualifier for the 2023 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, earning a spot in the field. A solo-fourth finish at PGA National Resort got him into the Puerto Rico Open, where he finished T11 and moved tantalizingly close to Special Temporary Membership. A month after Puerto Rico, Gerard finished T56 as a sponsor exemption at the Valero Texas Open and earned Special Temporary Membership, enabling him to play the remainder of the 2022-23 PGA TOUR season.

While Gerard racked up nearly $1 million in official earnings, his non-member FedExCup points total was not enough for top 125 status on TOUR in 2024. A T71 finish at Final Stage of 2023 PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry once again left him with conditional Korn Ferry Tour status.

A return trip to the PGA TOUR became Gerard’s one and only goal.

Sunday’s victory, Gerard’s first top-10 of the season, moved him to No. 10 on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Points List. Although Gerard’s goal is far from accomplished, it’s no longer a blur in the distance.

“It gets me closer,” Gerard said. “Every shot matters, every point matters, everything matters. I’m just excited to win. It’s hard. It’s always great to finish with your name on top of the leaderboard, but the goal is to get that PGA TOUR card. I feel like my game’s in a good spot to keep trusting it and keep climbing.”

Final-Round Notes

• Coupled with Isaiah Salinda’s eight-stroke victory at the 2024 Panama Championship, this season is the first time since 2011 there were two Korn Ferry Tour events won by six-plus strokes (Steve Wheatcroft/12 strokes/2011 Melwood Prince George’s County Open; Jason Kokrak/seven strokes/2011 Miccosukee Championship)
• Korn Ferry Tour winner and two-time Korn Ferry Tour graduate Seth Reeves (2nd/-20) bounces back from third-round 2-over 73 with final-round 7-under 64 for his first runner-up finish on Tour, as well as his second top-10 of the season (T10/AdventHealth Championship)
• In his 38th career start, Cristobal Del Solar (3rd/-19) records a career-high finish and his third top-five finish of the season (4th/The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay; 5th/Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard); he recorded just one top-five finish as a rookie in 2023 (5th/NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank)
• Korn Ferry Tour winner Kevin Velo (T4/-18) records his second top-five finish of the season (Win/Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard); his season-high finish as a rookie on Tour last season was T12/2023 Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank
• Six-time PGA TOUR winner and 2011 FedExCup champion Bill Haas (T6/-17), finishes in the top-10 for the sixth time in his Korn Ferry Tour career in what was his first Korn Ferry Tour start since 2022
• Pontus Nyholm (T6/-17), who finished No. 69 on the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour Points list, records his first top-10 of the season
• Thomas Rosenmueller (T6/-17), now in his third season on Tour, posts the second-best finish of his Korn Ferry Tour career (3rd/2023 Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron) and his second top-10 of the season (T9/2024 Veritex Bank Championship); he entered this season with one top-10 in 45 career starts on Tour