It all starts with the tee shot. Modern professional golfers attack holes right from the start using a combination of power and accuracy in an attempt to create easier approach shots and scoring chances.
The U.S. Golf Association and the R&A have determined that distance is playing too large a role in golf, and the game’s governing bodies are researching what should be done to stop the trends of players hitting the ball farther and courses growing longer. While they investigate various options, pros continue to grip it and rip it.
No one drives the ball better than the 10 players listed below, the leaders in strokes gained off the tee in the 2019-20 PGA Tour season. See which clubs they use to gain an edge over the competition.
A strokes gained average of 0.5 means a player gains half a shot against the field average. So a player with a strokes gained off the tee of 0.5 would be two shots better than average over the span of a four-day tournament.
10. Boo Weekley, 0.655
DRIVER: Callaway Epic Flash (9 degrees), with Project X EvenFlow Black shaft
9. Bubba Watson, 0.699
DRIVER: Ping G410 Plus (9 degrees set at 6.8), with Grafalloy Bi-Matrix X shaft
8. Scottie Scheffler, 0.673
DRIVER: Ping G400 LST (9 degrees), with Fujikura ATMOS Black shaft
7. Viktor Hovland, 0.678
DRIVER: Ping G410 LST (9 degrees), with Project X HZRDUS Black 62 shaft
6. Rory McIlroy, 0.718
DRIVER: TaylorMade SIM (10.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Kuro Kage XTS 70 X shaft
5. Jon Rahm, 0.745
DRIVER: TaylorMade SIM (10.5 degrees), with Aldila Tour Green 75 TX shaft
4. Jhonattan Vegas, 0.869
DRIVER: TaylorMade SIM (9 degrees), with Motore X F1 7X shaft
3. Bryson DeChambeau, 1.009
DRIVER: Cobra King LTD Black (7 degrees), with LA Golf Shafts Tour B.A.D VD3 75TX shaft
2. Cameron Champ, 1.135
DRIVER: Ping G410 LST (9 degrees), with Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 70 TX shaft
1. Sergio Garcia, 1.222
DRIVER: TaylorMade SIM (9 degrees), with Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Blue 80 TX shaft
