Editor's Note: The article was originally published in 2006.
Seven thousand, four hundred and forty-five—Not too long ago, that number was as distant as the Sun and
as
far-fetched as 460cc drivers and a player more than halfway to Jack Nicklaus’
record of 18 majors before his 30th birthday. But now, as 30-year-old
Tiger
Woods goes after his 11th major wielding a driver as big as his
head, Augusta
National Golf Club’s 7,445-yard layout doesn’t even seem
that long.
Still, it’s big news every time Augusta National changes its
layout,
and most of the build-up prior to the 70th Masters, which begins April
6, will focus on the lengthening of six holes—1, 4, 7, 11, 15 and
17—for a total
of 155 additional yards. Among the talking points will
be whether the added
length will help or hurt Woods’ chances of winning
his fifth Masters, whether
the change is good for the game and the
possibility of a rolled-back, uniform
“Masters ball.”
But forget those questions. There’s another one that’s more
intriguing. Whether attending the event or watching on television, who
among us
hasn’t wondered: “What would I shoot?”
The answer, or at least the question, provides a window into
an
ongoing trend: the disparity in the pros’ and amateurs’ games. The average
driving distance on the PGA Tour went from 260 yards in 1993 to 290
yards last
year. At the top, John Daly averaged 289 yards per drive in
1993, nearly nine
yards longer than second-place Davis Love III. Last
year, Daly averaged 310
yards per drive, good for fifth place; Scott
Hend’s average of 318.9 yards led
the tour.
At the same time, amateurs’ distances have remained stagnant.
According to Golf Digest, the average driving distance of amateur
golfers in
1993 was 193 yards. In a 2004 study conducted by former U.S.
Golf Association
Technical Director Frank Thomas, the average driving
distance of male golfers
shooting from 90 to 95 is 192 yards.
The pros’ increase has resulted in a change in the way they
play the
game, even at majors, normally the most difficult playing conditions
tour players encounter all year. Rather than worry about precision,
long the
quality major winners used to negotiate these demanding
setups, the bombers hit
their drivers as far as they can.
At last year’s U.S. Open, Woods’ coach, Hank Haney, told Golf
World,
“The game has changed because everybody plays the power game. They’ve
realized it’s better to be in the rough 100 yards from the hole than it
is to be
in the fairway with a 5- or 6-iron in their hands.”
In 2005, two of the biggest proponents of this strategy,
Woods and
Phil Mickelson, won three majors between them. Defending U.S. Open
champ Michael Campbell isn’t exactly a bunter either: His average
driving
distance at Pinehurst was 294.3 yards.
“It’s just a smash, just a slog,” says Campbell.
“There’s no
finesse in the game. I played with Tiger in the first two
rounds at the PGA, and
he’s hitting it so far it’s frightening. He’s
40, 50 yards past me.” In short,
winning golf is more John Daly, less
Ben Hogan.
In response, the game’s officials have fortified classic
courses in
advance of nearly every recent major championship, moving tees back
and
narrowing fairways. As layouts get longer, power becomes more important as
well, prompting more lengthening—and creating a vicious circle. No
venue
provides a better example than Augusta National during the
Masters, golf’s
most-watched event. It’s held on the same course year
after year, so any changes
are instantly apparent and much
discussed.
