Top 5 Longest Drives in PGA Tour History

Modern golf is all about hitting long drivers.

As the sport continues to evolve and players get fitter, strength, and conditioning are the keys to success.

The PGA Tour implemented ShortLink’s laser tech to measure shots in 2000, making it easier to pinpoint the exact length of a drive.

Let’s take a look at the five longest hits in PGA Tour history.

5. Davis Love III – 476 Yards

The former world number 2 hit the fifth-longest drive in 2004, at the Mercedes Championships – now the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Love’s drive happened on the 18th hole of the fourth round. It remained as the second-longest drive in the ShortLink era until 2018.

4. Dustin Johnson – 489 Yards

Johnson is among the longest drivers on the PGA Tour, and he showed it again at the 2018 Sentry Tournament of Champions.

DJ hit a 489-yard shot from the tee, which slid down the fairway before stopping just short of the hole. It was only a few yards away from matching the record for the longest drive in the ShortLink era.

The shot happened on the 12th hole of the third round.

3. Tiger Woods – 498 Yards

Woods still holds the record for the longest drive measured by ShortLink, a mark he set in 2002. Much of his success came from the ability to hit these long drives on a consistent basis.

Unsurprisingly, the mark was also set at the Mercedes Championships. Woods’ athleticism and strength helped revolutionize the sport and were the driving force behind modern golf’s shift towards long drives.

2. Mike Austin – 515 Yards

The top 2 in this list is still disputed, as the measurement was done manually. Additionally, unusual circumstances also played a role in this.

One thing is certain – Austin’s 515 yarder is still credited by Guinness as the longest drive in professional golf history.

The 64-year old hit the ball at the 1974 Seniors Open Championship. Austin’s long drive held the PGA Tour record for 18 years.

While Cooper holds the record for the longest drive, it’s worth saying that while his ball ended up 787 yards off the tee, it had some help to travel the distance.

At the 1992 Texas Open, Cooper’s ball ended up on a concrete cart path, which also happened to have a steeper angle. As a result, the ball rolled downhill and stopped 787 yards away from the tee.

In other words, while the drive itself was credited as a 787-yard hit, the lack of laser technology made it impossible to determine how far the ball actually traveled.

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