Rory McIlroy Breaks Bryson's Best To Set New PGA Tour Driving Distance Record

Rory McIlroy set a new PGA Tour driving distance record with his average of 326.3 yards beating Bryson DeChambeau's previous best

Rory McIlroy taking out his driver
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Paul Higham
By Paul Higham
published

Rory McIlroy has broken the PGA Tour record for driving distance in a single season with a new average mark of 326.3 yards, breaking Bryson DeChambeau's previous best by three yards.

McIlroy finished a full five yards ahead of his nearest challenger for driving distance champion on the PGA Tour, with Brandon Matthews coming in at 321.2 yards and Cameron Young third on the list with his average of 316.9 yards off the tee.

The four-time Major champion, who has even been unhappy with his driver set-up at times this season, has been mainly launching bombs off the tee in typical fashion all season.

DeChambeau, who now plays in the LIV Golf League, owned the previous record of 323.7 yards from the 2020-21 season, but even the American's bulked-up best was eclipsed by McIlroy's incredible big hitting this season.

One of McIlroy's main strengths has always been him wielding the big dog, and again he was miles ahead of the field with the PGA Tour average driving distance during the season being 299.9 yards.

The Northern Irishman, who has TaylorMade's Stealth 2 Plus driver in the bag at the moment, has been sending some serious missiles off the tee all season.

Although the wait for a fifth Major goes on, McIlroy challenged in the final three after missing the cut at the Masters, and won twice during the season, at the CJ Cup in October and Scottish Open in July.

McIlroy showcased his driving prowess when pipping Robert MacIntyre in Scotland - smoking one drive 427 yards at the Renaissance Club during the tournament.

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Top 10 player in driving distance on the PGA Tour in 2023

  • 1. Rory McIlroy - 326.3 
  • 2. Brandon Matthews - 321.2
  • 3. Cameron Young - 316.9
  • 4. Cameron Champ - 316.1
  • 5. Matti Schmid - 315.8
  • 6. Byeong Hun An - 315.6
  • 7. Trevor Cone - 315.1
  • 8. Jon Rahm - 314.0
  • 9. Gary Woodland - 313.8
  • 10. Wyndham Clark - 315.5
  • 10. Kyle Westmoreland - 315.5
Paul Higham
Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush. 

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