Quick Links
Golf is called the game of kings. The nature of the game means that players should be patient, subdued and generally classy. Probably one of the few times that players can let out their emotions is while they are in their tee shots. The opening drive allows them to just whack on the ball, trying to get as much distance as possible even as they try to position the ball on the right spot of the fairway.
John Daly was legendary with his monster drives that helped him win two major titles, the 1991 US PGA and the 1995 British Open. These days, Daly’s driving distance seems to be matched by more players, as one needs to average at least 300 yards to barge into the list. Here now is a list of the top 10 golfers with the longest drives. Numbers are average yards as of August 25, 2013.
10. Rory McIlroy – 301.3 yards
Rory McIlroy is a Northern Irish golfer considered as one of the most exciting prospects in the sport. At the age of 24, he has already won two major championships. He won the 2011 US Open by eight strokes while setting a record score of 16-under par. The following year, he won the PGA title by a record eight strokes. He is considered as one of the most marketable athletes in the world, and he cashed in on it by signing with Nike for $100 million.
9. Ryan Palmer – 301.7 yards
Ryan Palmer has been a professional player for 13 years and has been part of the PGA Tour since 2004. He has won three titles on the PGA Tour to go along with a win in the Web.com tour. He achieved his best results in the majors in 2011, when he placed in the top 10 in the Masters tournament.
8. Robert Garrigus – 302.1 yards
Robert Garrigus is a member of the PGA Tour where he has won one time. This was during the 2010 season when he grabbed the title in the last event of the year, the Children’s Miracle Network Classic. His play is marked with long drives, with Garrigus earning the distinction of being one of the few players who can drive a ball more than 350 yards. He led the tour in driving distance in both 2009 and 2010 when he averaged 312 and 315 yards, respectively.
7. Keegan Bradley – 302.1 yards
Keegan Bradley is a golfer who won Rookie of the Year honors in the PGA Tour in 2011. That was also the same year that he won the PGA Championship, becoming one of only three golfers to win a major debut. He has also recorded two other wins in the tour, namely the 2011 HP Byron Nelson Classic and the 2012 WGC Bridgestone Invitational. He also briefly broke through the top 10 of the official world golf ranking.
6. Jason Kokrak – 302.8 yards
Jason Kokrak is a professional golfer on the PGA Tour. Though he has yet to break through the main tour’s winner’s circle, he has won six times in other professional tours, including the 2010 Cabarrus Classic, 2011 Donald Ross Championship, 2011 Albertsons Boise Open and the 2011 Miccosukee Championship.
5. Dustin Johnson – 303.5 yards
Dustin Johnson is a professional player who has consistently been ranked as one of the top five longest drivers in the PGA Tour in each of his five years of playing. He was once considered as one of the top five players in the world. He has won prominent tournaments like the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am two years in a row in 2009 and 2010, the 2010 BMW Championship, the 2011 Barclays, the 2012 FedEx St. Jude Classic and the 2013 Hyundai Tournament of Champions. His best finish in a major was second in the 2011 British Open.
4. Bubba Watson – 303.9 yards
Bubba Watson is one of the few left-handed golfers in the PGA Tour. He is considered as one of the tour’s longest hitters, as he is capable of hitting the ball over 350 yards. He once averaged more than 315 yards per drive in a single season. Watson has won four times on the tour, namely the 2010 Travelers Championship, 2011 Farmers Insurance Open, 2011 Zurich Classic of New Orleans and most importantly, the 2012 Masters Tournament. He has been ranked as high as number four in the ranking of world’s best golfers.
3. Gary Woodland – 304.6 yards
Gary Woodland has been a professional golfer since 2007. He was able to join the PGA Tour a couple of years later. He has recorded four wins already, namely the 2008 Southwest Kansas Pro-Am, the 2011 Omega Mission Hills World Cup, the 2011 Transitions Championship and the 2013 Reno Tahoe Open. The latter two, however, were the only ones in the main tour. His best finish in a major was 12th place in the 2011 PGA Championship.
2. Nicolas Colsaerts – 305.7 yards
Nicolas Colsaerts is a Belgian golfer who plays in both the PGA and European Tours. He has been playing professionally since 2000, and he has already racked up nine tournament victories. He first gained fame in 2000 when he won the 2000 World Travel Open as an amateur. He was also the 2002 Belgian Match Play champion, before winning the 2003 Omnium of Belgium, 2005 Open International de Bordeaux, 2009 SK Golf Challenge, 2009 Dutch Futures and the 2010 Mauritius Golf Masters. In 2011, he achieved success with the Volvo China Open. He followed it up with his biggest victory when he won the 2012 Volvo World Match Play Championship.
1. Luke List – 306.3 yards
Luke List is an American golfer who turned professional in 2007. He joined the Nationwide Tour in 2010 where he recorded several top 10 finishes. He then won the 2012 South Georgia Classic. He is one of the most popular players in the tour because of his ability to drive the ball and his aggressive style of play.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEq6CcoJWowW%2BvzqZmrKifp8G0e9OhnGasn6V6cnyMoKalnpWnwG7DyK2fZqyYmnqtu82gnKysXZm%2FqsLErGY%3D