It pays to hit it longer on the PGA Tour

It does appear that the longest hitters on the PGA Tour are earning the most money. But what do the numbers say?

Geoff Shackelford pointed us toward this article at Golf.com where David Dusek crunches the numbers to compare driving distance with money earned on the PGA Tour.

It’s no secret that PGA Tour players are hitting the golf ball longer than ever before. And it may not be surprising to know that there is a trend towards the longer hitters earning the most money – and it’s been going on like this for many years.

…the 20 longest hitters on the PGA Tour averaged more than $3.5 million in prize money last season, which was 164 percent more than the Tour average.

As massive as that percentage may seem, it falls within a range that goes several years. In 2017, the 20 longest hitters on the PGA Tour averaged 123 percent more prize money than the PGA Tour average. In the three seasons before that, they earned about 150 percent more…

What is the lesson here?

Well it depends on who you are talking to.

If you are talking to anyone thinking about the PGA Tour – or parents of anyone thinking of the PGA Tour, then start making sure you can hit the ball a long way. Distance is everything.

But if you’re the USGA or R&A? Well I’m not sure they’re paying attention to this lesson.

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