The PGA of America is breathing new life into the saying “drive for show.”
PGA of America president Ted Bishop announced this week that the long-drive contest for players during PGA Championship week is being brought back.
The long drive had been an on-and-off part of PGA Championship week until 1985, when it became a separate event now known as the Remax World Long Drive Championship.
“It was brought to our attention just a few weeks ago that Jack Nicklaus is actually carrying a money clip from the long-drive contest that he won at the 1963 PGA Championship,” Bishop said. “So we are going to reintroduce a long-drive contest during the week of the PGA Championship. It’s probably going to be on Wednesday.”
Nicklaus hit a drive 341 yards with a persimmon driver and wound golf ball to win the event in ’63, the same week he won his first PGA Championship. For the victory, he received a money clip engraved with the words “Driving Distance Winner” that he cherishes to this day, according to his website.
The 96th PGA Championship will be played Aug. 7-10 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.
If they should choose to participate, some early favorites for the event based on average driving distance on Tour this year would be Bubba Watson (313.2 yards), Dustin Johnson (311.8 yards) and Nicolas Colsaerts (308.7 yards).