Pasted as rich text. According to Golf.com, golfers with a handicap between 13 and 20 average about 200 yards of driving. [size="5"]3-iron: 195-210 yards[/size] Now add in a longer liteweight graphite shaft, hugmongous titanium head, the 20+ yards - longer balls andlet's just say he'd be tough to beat today. [size="5"]6- iron: 155-170 yards[/size] And not once in the entire decade has a player ranked top 50 in fairways hit while also being among the top 10 in distance. RBZ 25* hb; RBZstage 2 19* hb. It's all relative. But even that feels like a conservative estimate. XXIO X Series 5 Wood! Here is how far male PGA Tour professionals hit their clubs in average. You'll discover it's more than just a golf lesson. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you. Home About Shop Blog Search. Forty years ago, the TOUR started compiling reliable data to calculate this metric. Weiskopf was definitely longer during the '70s. So how much ish, could an in-his-prime Nicklaus have earned as a brand ambassador in the 2020s? In 1980, Nicklaus ranked 10th in driving distance and 13th in accuracy, giving him a TOUR-leading total driving figure of 23. Brandt Snedeker, who is slightly shorter than average, played back-to-back rounds on the Sea Island Plantation coursefor an article that appeared in USA Today. However, they tend not to be as accurate, and not as accurate means they miss about one more fairway per round. Vokey 54.10, 2009 58.12 M, Testing TM MG2 60* TW grind and MG356* TW grind. [/size] I believe he used to hit his driver 250 "but could get it out to 260 without tearing too many muscles" (some quote close to that). I don't think he's fat in those photos. And that further adds to Tavatanakits challenge of winning a first major title. Although the report has been polarizing, Jack Nicklaus sounded off with a ringing endorsement of the work done on the project by the games two governing bodies. He was very, very long early in his career but decided that scaling back the distance and being more precise was a better way to play. I was actually more impressed with how accurate she was, Feng said about the rookie. MEMBER REVIEWS: Cleveland Frontline Elite Putters! Sergio Garcia averaged 299.2 and Ernie Els averaged 288.1 yards. At least that's the conventional thinking. You can see this by looking at the top drivers on the PGA Tour, who tend to hit roughly 20 yards further on average. "If they do that on roughly 14 Par 4s and 5s in a round, theyve gained 1.4 strokes on the field based on their 20 yards extra distance. PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks.
A recent study also sheds light on the subject. She leads by five strokes with 18 holes to play. Even 15 years later he still hit drives that distance in a Shells Wonderful World of Golf match against the equally long-hitting Sam Snead. The simplest solution is change the frigging golf ball, Nicklaus said. I remember one year -- probably 1978 -- the Doral third round had just started when rain fell heavily. His number that season combining. Now, we're talking persimmon, he played 42/3/4" long steel shaft driver (a 1/4 inch short). There, nestled between David Peoples and Nicloas Thompson, youll find the name Jack Nicklaus, ranking No. [size=5] Golf's distance dilemma has been debated for years. Today, such drives are routine. He's one of the inventors ofthe strokes gained metricwhich has moved golf analytics into the modern age. Greatest event I've ever seen in person. If we translate that advantage to last season, he'd have. Yes, but always somewhat behind Weiskopf & Pohl. Ping G425 Max 17.5 5 Tensei Orange 75 X [/size] There were some out there, but the money he could have earned with a Nikethose just werent there.. Here is the rest of the top 5: Having the fastest swing speed and winning the long drive contest does not necessarily mean a player is going to win the PGA Championship every year. I can remember watching the 1st skins game, which was I think in 1982 he was pounding it 265+, back then that was very long. The Official PGA TOUR Profile of Jack Nicklaus.
PGA Statistics - Drive Distance | NBCSports In fact, he didnt have it measured until he was a Champions Tour veteran. [size=5]Pitching wedge: 80-130 yards[/size] Discover golf near you.
PGA tour - players with longest average driving distance 2022 - Statista I did everything I can to keep it a little bit calmer, because I know I'm getting excited.
The Most Powerful Player in the History of the Game For those of us who grew up in the 2000s, our image of Jack Nicklaus is, well, that of an older gentleman. Tiger did the same thing.
Golf Club Distance Chart: By Skill Level, Age & Gender [size=5]9-iron:105-135 yards[/size] Wishon 929 HS 14.5*, 19* 0.5 Open In the past if you were a long hitter, youd expect them to hit less fairways than we do but now, they actually hit it long, and they're accurate, and they hit greens, and they're able to get up and down, and everything is good., Highlights: Tavatanakit leads at ANA Inspiration. In 2020, in her first stint as a rookie on the LPGA Tour (2020 rookies are also rookies this year), she finished T-64. There's good reason to believe that Nicklaus' record will never be approached again. Jack was very long, a very powerful swing. Now with hybrids, everyone can do that. I don't believe the distance gap between the average joe and the touring pro was as large in the 1970s as is it today. This driving distance from professional golfers is far greater than the average driving distance for amateur golfers of all levels, who average about 215 yards. Consider this: In 1963, Nicklaus won the long-drive contest at the PGA Championship with a 341-yard blast. [size=5]5-iron: 170-185 yards[/size] [/quote] And that fairway costs them about three-tenths of a stroke. He often overpowered courses much in the same way todays longest hitters do, and he did so that week. Someone with a copy of the book handy could give you the entire breakdown. I was shocked at Jack's height, definitely below 6 feet. Junior is broadcast nationally, as is the U.S. She won three times on the Symetra Tour in 2019. Throughout his career, Nicklaus would consistently hit mammoth 330-yard drives. His former World Cup partner, Davis Love III, led the PGA Tour in 1986 at age 22, averaging 285 yards per drive. And she plays a game with which many have never seen.
Who will win the US Open in 2021? Odds, betting favorites, expert picks [b]Definitely one of, if not the longest out there. Truth is a lot of us played pretty well with that old stuff, and I think the memory of that versus the lack of results with modern equipment especially compared to all of the hype is why there's a revival of interest in classic equipment. His average drive with the Byron Nelson wooden driver went 247 yards. Now that they have clear findings obtained from century of collecting data & its impact on all levelsfrom golf played at highest level to recreational golfI look forward to supporting industrys collaborative effort to find solutions that are in best interest of games future. Golf Digest estimates that the average driving distance has increased by 15.5 yards over the past 10 years, a period of time where metal drivers have been used. Players such as J.B. Holmes, Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson are perennially among the longest hitters on tour. This chart shows you the average distances per skill level for senior golfers. Jack won it with a poke of 330 yards. [size="5"]4-iron:185-200 yards[/size] The PGA of America is one of the world's largest sports organizations, composed of PGA Professionals who work daily to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. If you played during the days of persimmon woods, blades and especially balata balls, then you know that you absolutely [b][i]had[/i][/b] to deliver that clubhead square or else! For the season, Nicklaus won $316,911. Tiger Woods averaged 298 yards per drive in 2000, arguably the best season of his career. He would often hold back on power to achieve this, but had a power advantage over most rivals through the set, so that he could hit a 3-wood or 1-iron from the tee with increased accuracy to avoid trouble, with sufficient length to keep up with the drivers hit by most rivals. Afterwards, Bobby Jones, the tournaments co-founder, marveled at the way the Golden Bear dominated Augusta National Golf Club. This record lasted more than 20 years. crazy to think how good he would have been with new equipment and balls Average PGA Tour Players Driving Distance. There's no question in my mind that the touring pro has benefitted far more from the advances in clubs and particularly in balls than average joe has. Nicklaus had an endorsement deal with MacGregor Golf, and he played the manufacturers clubs and balls during all 18 of his major victories. Smash Factor relates to the amount of energy transferred from the club head to the golf ball. That was with the old MacGregor persimmon and the old Tourney ball, which was known to be pretty much a dud (the ball). The latest news & stories from PGA Amateur Programs. 238 yards On the 72nd hole of the 1967 U.S. Open at Baltusrol, Jack Nicklaus blasted perhaps his greatest single shota sky-scraping, pin . Wedges now are 43 to 47 degrees, in jacks day they were 50 and 52. The leader in distance, Bubba Watson at 315.5 yards, was 9.1 percent longer. Clay Long Personal Edition SW 58* TTDyn Gold X100 8i shaft John Daly, by the way, became the first golfer to average 300 yards off the tee in 1997, last person to win a major with a persimmon driver was Bernhard Langer, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Here are the findings for 2019: Average Driving Distance By Age in 2019: 10-19: 234.2 yards 20-29: 239.7 yards 30-39: 233.7 yards 40-49: 225.9 yards 50-59: 215.4 yards 60-69: 204.5 yards 70+: 190.4 yards See trending; Company. Again, same short persimmon steel shafted driver. Privacy Policy. So much has changed. He averaged 268.7 yards in driving distance, which was eighth on the PGA Tour. Todays era benefits from lighter shafts, larger clubheads with springy faces and a solid core multi-layered golf ball. Dent's feat was highly publicized in the local media. An incomprehensible 73 top-ten finishes in the majors, 25 more than any other player. 5-G [/quote] [/b] I have collected all the essential club distance charts for you in this article. Just like Nicklauss victory in 1965, a win by Tavatanakit would signal a new era in the womens game. and he was one of the longest hitters of his dayimagine what your average joe hit the ball then? He was great then and he would be great now. Best Driving Irons In 2023 - Straighter And Further Off The Tee Best Golf Balls For Mid-Handicappers switch from liquid-filled balls to the current solid-core construction in the mid-2000s, 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times, 2023 RBC Heritage: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times, 2023 Valero Texas Open: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times, 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times. Needless to say, Snedeker and his cohorts are glad they dont have to play for a living with equipment from a previous era. To understand exactly how, lets look at two stats: average driving distance and average driving accuracy (percentage of fairways hit). Only two players since 2000 have replicated that feat: Tiger Woods in 2000 and Henrik Stenson in 2015. 1 in the world. But thats exactly what he was in his heyday. In 1980, Jack Nicklaus was the 10 th longest driver . Jack Nicklaus had 49 top ten finishes in his career. You mindlessly race through your feed before a certain blond-haired junior golfer catches your eye. But theres another relevant data point here, and it paints a slightly different picture. If he was having the success he was having in this day and age, hes in that super-high echelon. Snead remained flexible and powerful into his 60s due to a daily yoga routine. In the end, nobody cares if you placed the ball 3 feet from the hole with a 6 iron or a 9 iron. Nicklaus and Weiskopf were paired together for 36 holes the next day. That would rank as the third-highest single-season total in PGA Tour history, behind only Scottie Scheffler's 2021-22 and Jordan Spieths 2014-15.
2022-23 PGA Tour - Drive Distance Leaders - CBSSports.com Yes, but always somewhat behind Weiskopf & Pohl His hands were so high he seemed taller than he was. 1963 Masters winner, with Palmer Professional Years: 1962 - 2003 73 OFFICIAL TOUR VICTORIES 58 SECOND PLACE OR TIES 36 THIRD PLACE OR TIES 118 TOTAL VICTORIES AROUND THE WORLD 21 HOLES IN ONE $5,723,192 So there you have it: Had Jack Nicklaus played today, he would have been an amateur phenom, he would have been one of the longest hitters on tour, and he would have made boatloads of money. We choose that season because it was maybe the best of Nicklaus careerhe won seven times, including the Masters and the U.S. Open. Nicklaus was consistently among the longest and straightest hitters on the PGA Tour during his prime.One early example was winning the official long drive contest at the 1963 PGA Championsip with a belt of 341 yards, 17 inches (312 meters). A driver two inches longer and two ounces lighter enabled Campbell to generate more speed. Added together, you get a total driving number the lower that number, the better you are overall driving the ball (i.e. In 2009, Couples was a 49-year-old with a decade-and-a-half battling serious back problems. Sounds about right.
What impact does swing speed have on distance? One of the things that he probably never had the opportunity to endorse is the influx of the shoe and apparel endorsement companies. 338 in career earnings with $5,734,031. THE MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, TRANSMITTED, CACHED OR OTHERWISE USED, EXCEPT WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. 2023 DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Why Jack Nicklaus would dominate modern-day golf, In his prime, the Golden Bear was the one everyone chased. The last person to win a major with a persimmon driver was Bernhard Langer at the 1993 Masters. He had an average driving distance of 321.4 yards, just ahead of Rory Mcllroy in second place with an average driving distance of 320.4 yards. While well never get a precise answer, its safe to assume Nicklaus would have been Rory McIlroy-type long were he playing today. RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. When 25-year-old Jack Nicklaus won the 1965 Masters Tournament, he finished nine strokes clear of the field and set a new 72-hole scoring record. This year at age 52, Love was one of the eight golfers who had a 400-plus drive. Since 1980, play from the tee box has changed drastically in professional golf. We charted the average scoring per round during the same time periods: In the late 1980s, average scoring on PGA Tour events plummeted by more than one stroke per round, but that drop seems to have no correlation with a change in driving distances. Patty Tavatanakit is the whole package.
Jack Nicklaus continues his campaign that the golf ball goes - Golfweek Ping G400 Testing G410. 1 for at least two years. He would have shot in the 50's regularly. [size="5"]5-iron: 170-185 yards[/size] His bounce-back campaign was remarkable: The Golden Bear won the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship, becoming the first forty-something to win multiple majors in the same season since Ben Hogan in 1953. The latest news & stories from PGA Member Events. I was 58, and I was out at either Titleist or Callaway and I was 118 miles an hour. According to Forbes, Woods earned $68 million in endorsements in 2022. [/quote] Those numbers tell a different story from the current perception of golf. Heres the part where we state the obvious: Nicklaus was never in the AJGA rankings because the AJGA didnt exist when he was a junior. Although average drive and carry distance statistics haven't been meticulously kept throughout golf's history, Jack Nicklaus routinely hit drives well over 300 yards and was always among the tour's longest drivers. What Jack had was tremendous arc. And I said, Wow, thats pretty good, I guess. . Was there a Jack Nicklaus Whats in the bag article back in the 70s or 80s??? All the latest stories & news from the Major PGA Championships. Your link has been automatically embedded. No one in the modern history of golf was as straight off the tee as Calvin Peete (right). Upload or insert images from URL. Hes 16 years old, and he just used a third-round 64 to beat a field of professionals and win the Ohio Open. Such a sustained run as the worlds best non-professional is unheard of these days because phenom-level American or international college players usually turn professional before receiving their degree. He was just better than anybody else. Born in Columbus, Ohio in 1940, Nicklaus possessed obvious athletic ability from an early age.
Lob wedges on the other hand are designed to propel the ball into the air and present a steep angle of descent. These conditions were not achievable by Jack . Ping G430 MAX 9* Ventus BLUE TR 7 STIFF Jack was very long, a very powerful swing. I applaud the USGA and R&A for their comprehensive research, as well as their continued hard work and efforts. A 118-mph clubhead speed would have ranked around 38th on the PGA Tour in 2019, and Nicklaus was nearing Social Security retirement age when he swung it that fast. Clear editor. Ping Glide 3.0 50 56 60. Interpreted as: How many missed cuts . But with equipment overall, and relative to distance, I'm not so sure. "He plays a game with which I am not familiar,'' Jones famously said about Nicklaus. and he was one of the longest hitters of his dayimagine what your average joe hit the ball then? Jack I think during his prime, could easily hit his driver 250 to 275 if he had to. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus shared a friendship and rivalry that lasted more than . Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. Not short chips ins; 60-80 yards twice for eagle. Each club has a unique loft. The only tee shots weve seen him hit at Augusta National are of the ceremonial variety. Nicklaus brings up a valid point on the modern golf balls effect on distance. [size="5"]3-wood: 235 yards and up[/size] Who has the biggest driving distance average this season? GOLF DIGEST MAY EARN A PORTION OF SALES FROM PRODUCTS THAT ARE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR SITE AS PART OF OUR AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH RETAILERS. He didn't seem as strong as the photos earlier in this thread. 260 - 270 yds was usually plenty to get him to scoring club distance.. R11S 8* square; Stock stiff. But we recently came across an article from the January 1968 issue of Golf Digest that suggests Jack's distance advantage with the driver wasn't all that great. Of course, this undertaking is meant as a fun exercise into alternative reality; it is not possible to accurately predict how Nicklaus would have developed or measured up to todays professionals. It wasnt until 1962 , after hed finished T-2 and T-4 in the 1960 and 61 U.S. Open as an amateur, that he decided playing golf was a better option than selling insurance. [size=5]From Golf My Way p. 31[/size] Keeeeeep scrolling. Nicklaus was 2.15 percent longer than the rest of the top 10, meaning there was a bit of a gap between he and the next-longest players. What year was it? Since Nicklaus was in his prime, distance gains have changed the way the game is played and viewed substantially. [size="5"]7-iron: 140-155 yards[/size] There have been other changes to the game as well more advanced balls and more physically fit players none of which have effects that are simple to quantify, but a change in drivers seems the most directly related. I was getting excited and I know that. Still, the question lingers, how far would golfs legends hit the ball with todays equipment? Paste as plain text instead, ). The victory takes him to No. In the last 20 years, it exploded. All the latest stories & news from the Major PGA Championships. That, no doubt, came at the instruction of her mental coaches, Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott of Vision54, who have been on-site with her this week. THE MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, TRANSMITTED, CACHED OR OTHERWISE USED, EXCEPT WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. 2023 DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Ever wondered what the average golf club distance chart is for amateurs and pros? Golf courses used to be firmer and we got more roll than we do now, but the people I was around hit the ball a lot further than 200 yards. How much money has Jack Nicklaus won in his career? He nearly managed it again, only yards shy. In 2021, the average LPGA Tour pros (female golfers) driving distance was 256 yards. [quote name='YipMaster' timestamp='1302706286' post='3149778'] Ping BeNi Anser 4 34.5" or Ping BeNi Scottsdale Anser. [quote name='tElihu' timestamp='1306158032' post='3255647'] You must remember that a 7i loft was 1.5 to 2 iron weaker than the irons today, perhaps more. To understand exactly how, let's look at two stats: average driving distance and average driving accuracy (percentage of fairways hit). Thats way more accurate than most amateurs, even when theyre hitting it as far as theyre hitting it. That would have ranked 188th on Tour in 2019. Jack was someone who could've been considered a true athlete that took up the game of golf. I mapped them to different skill levels, ages & genders. For example, drivers are built for distance, hence they have a low angle of loft. That drive was 341 yards, 17 inches. The same could be said about Patty Tavatanakits performance this week at Mission Hills Golf Club. Tavatanakit looks to 'keep energy level up' for final round. [size=5] I believe he used to hit his driver 250 "but could get it out to 260 without tearing too many muscles" (some quote close to that). [size="5"]1-iron: 215-235 yards[/size] A member of golf's. [size=5]3-iron: 195-210 yards[/size]
Averaging 326 yards off the tee, Patty Tavatanakit distances self from The data is based on the average taken from over 26 million shots hit from golfers from scratch level to a 25 index. But larger metal driver heads and lighter graphite shafts became the norm, and by the late 90s, virtually no one had a persimmon driver in the bag. Odyssey Pro #1 black A players total driving number looks at his season-long ranking in both driving distance and accuracy. There are only five instances since 1980 where a player ranked better than 40th in fairways hit while still ranking in the top 10 in average distance. By signing up, you agree to the A bigger part of that, however, is because Nicklaus was one of the best amateurs of all time. Hitting a ball into the wind might balloon it into the air, taking away length. [/quote] [quote name='titleistfan14' timestamp='1302833449' post='3154660'] An exceptional example of this came in the final round of the 1966 Open Championship at Muirfield, on the 17th hole, a 530-yard par 5 hole. Nicklaus ranked 10th in driving distance and won two majors during that 1980 campaign, but his 269 yards off the tee would have been dead last on Tour in 2019. NAME EVENTS TOP 10 WINS ROUNDS MONEY; Jack Nicklaus: 331: 49: 5: 797: $2,325,208 . Where are you on this chart? Chad Campbell averaged 291 yards off the tee in 2009, ranking 70th on the PGA Tour. She represents the all-around athlete; a player who puts a premium on her physical as well as mental fitness, has a surgical short game and a mystifying long game. [size=5] Ping G410 20.5 7 Wood Tour 75, Ping G425 5H Tensei Blue TX (Nicklaus did four years at Ohio State but finished a few courses short of a degree; he was granted an honorary one in 1972).
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Both those players accomplished much before they turned professional, but their amateur rsums dont come close to being as stout as Nicklaus.
Thatsslightlyless accurate.
Jack Niklaus Driving Average By Year | StatMuse Pretty good, indeed. With 18 holes to play, Tavatankit leads by five at 14 under par. A Mammoth drive for persimmon!
7 Interesting Facts About Jack Nicklaus - Books Tell You Why, Inc. In 2017, with drives travelling an average of 293 yards, precise placement isn't as vital thus, the 60 percent driving accuracy across the Tour. Of course Jack had a mental edge and clutch putting, but from an equipment standpoint, I don't see where he would gain an advantage. The average driving distance among golfers in the PGA varies from event to event and from year to year, but typically stays within a few yards of the same number. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Get the PGA Tour schedule, results, rumors and more on NBCSports.com. He used brute force (those awesome legs) to hit those long irons high. In the end, I have also included the stock distances of famous pros! [/quote] PGA TOUR Stats, bio, video, photos, results, and career highlights Was he a long hitter back then? Even the 1986 Masters is highlight-reel fodder. . Max Homa won the PGA Championship long-drive contest in 2019 at Bethpage Black with a 318-yard shot, but that came on a cold and wet spring New York day. The PGA of America is made up of nearly 29,000 PGA Professionals who are ready to help you further your love for the game of golf. The golf ball goes so far, Augusta National is about the only place, the only golf course in the world that financially can afford to make the changes that they have to make to keep up with the golf ball. a player who ranks 10th in driving distance and 50th in driving accuracy would have a total driving number of 60). In 2009, Couples was a 49-year-old with a decade-and-a-half battling serious back problems. [size=5] He swung the 75-gram graphite shaft in his driver at 113 miles per hour. Tavatanakit is playing the course in a way that Rankin, the winner of the 1976 ANA Inspiration, has never seen before.
Jack in a relative way was probably as long as Tiger is/was. "I think a lot of people get it wrong," he said. He currently plays off a 4 handicap. 2023 That's upwards of a 25% increase. "Each of those extra 20 yards contributes one tenth of a stroke (gained)," Broadie said. [size=5]7-iron: 140-155 yards[/size] Technology made gradual progress for more than 60 years, according to Nicklaus. To put that into perspective, Brendan Steele led the PGA TOUR in total driving in 2018-19. The potent combination of Instagram, wall-to-wall TV coverage and the Internet has turned junior and amateur golfers into niche celebrities. We have partnered with GlobalGolf.com to offer you the best deals for Golf Clubs and accessories! The longest average driving distance to date by a golfer who led the tour is 323.7 yards, set by Bryson DeChambeau in 2020 and breaking his own record of 322.1 yards he set one year earlier. Its different these days, due in no small part to the fact that these guys know they want to be professionals from a young age. Throughout Saturdays round, Golf Channels Judy Rankin marveled at the places Tavatanakit placed the golf ball. The talk of the last day in the golf world has been centered around one thing: the long-awaited release of the USGA and R&As joint Distance Insights project. See it yet? This chart shows you the average distances per skill level for female golfers. In fact, several notable players are not among the top 20 in average driving distance, yet have won major tournaments and/or contend on a regular basis. Saturday, she allowed herself a few moments of excitement as she extended her lead at the top of the leaderboard.
GOLF - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com During the NCAA Championship in 1959 or 1960 he drove a ball nearly 380 on a downhill par four, and routinely hit his one iron 235-240 and quite high. I dont think anybody else could ever do it.. This chart shows you the average distances for LPGA Tour Players. crazy to think how good he would have been with new equipment and balls Early in Jack's career, he would have MacGregor "narrow" the grooves in his irons as the normal width v grooves spun too much for his liking. Golf Digest estimates that the average driving distance has increased by 15.5 yards over the past 10 years, a. I do remember that, too, he told Golf Channel in 2013. But he did shoot that 64 and win the 1956 Ohio Open as a 16-year-old, and he most certainly was the best junior golfer in America.