Ryder Cup 2023 - Which Team Drives The Ball Furthest?

The driver, it's the club in the bag that is the most macho and the club that causes the most arguments when it comes to the question of 'who hits the ball further?'

It's an egotistical thing, how far you hit the ball off the tee and, at the Ryder Cup, we see the top 24 players from Europe and USA face off for the most prestigious prize in golf. 

Within the 12 man sides, there are a number of huge names and some of the best ball strikers on the planet. However, which team hits the ball furthest? Which player has the longest drive? Well, in this piece, we have taken a look through all the statistics to bring you that exact information.

TEAM USA DRIVING DISTANCES

It's worth noting that these statistics are taken from the PGA Tour website for the 2022-23 season, with the majority of the 12-man USA side plying their trade on the PGA Tour. The only player who doesn't feature on the Tour is Brooks Koepka, who is a member of the LIV Golf League.

When it comes to driving distance, Team USA averages 305.7 yards between the 12 of them, with Wyndham Clark the longest hitter at 313.5 yards. The US Open winner is also joined in the top 20 by Sam Burns, who averages 311.4, with World No.1, Scottie Scheffler, rounding off the podium positions with 310.3.

In contrast, Brian Harman is the shortest hitter in the squad at 293.9 yards, not that it mattered when he cruised to a six-shot victory at The Open Championship earlier this year though. Along with Harman, Collin Morikawa is the only other US player to average less than 300-yards, with the two-time Major winner averaging 294.7. Again though, Morikawa ranks highly in a number of approach statistics. 

Overall, the majority of the players sit between the 300 - 310 range and, aside from Harman and Morikawa, all 10 sit inside the top 71, which is highly commendable.

TEAM EUROPE DRIVING DISTANCES

It's worth noting that these statistics are based on the 2022-23 PGA Tour season.

Off the bat, Team Europe average 308.2 yards off the tee, which is a whole 2.5 yards further than their American counterparts. In the table, Rory McIlroy leads not just the European side, but also the PGA Tour driving distance charts, with the four-time Major winner setting a new PGA Tour driving distance record with his average of 326.3 yards. That's further than Bryson DeChambeau's previous best.

Along with McIlroy, Swedish sensation, Ludvig Aberg, averages a colossal 317 yards off the tee, which is 1.9 yards further than fellow European rookie, Nicolai Hojgaard, who sits at 315.1 yards.

Justin Rose is the shortest hitter, according to the stats, with 295.2 yards, but that didn't stop the Englishman from returning to winning ways at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this year. He, alongside Sepp Straka, are the only two Europeans to average less than 300 yards.

WHO IS THE LONGEST HITTER AT THE 2023 RYDER CUP? THE TOP 5

WHICH SIDE HITS IT FURTHER?

Well, according to the stats, it's the European side who slightly edge it, with four of their players featuring in the top five! What's more, with Marco Simone Golf & Country Club being made longer in 2021, it may be of benefit come Friday when the tournament gets underway. 

According to US vice captain, Stewart Cink, it's unlikely that players will play all four sessions before the Sunday singles, with the Major winner stating: "I think the golf course is going to solve some of that problem because it's so hilly and the temperature could be pretty hot, too.

“I think guys are going to be happy to probably rest. There's not going to be a lot of disappointment for not playing. It's probably the most demanding physically of any Cup course I've ever seen that I've been a part of."