Each week on GolfChannel.com, we’ll take a detailed look at the players who pounded the farthest and fastest drives on the PGA Tour. Here are the five most important distance-related stats from the Sony Open, won by Jimmy Walker:
Driving distance: Jimmy Walker, 319.5 yards
Walker led the field in this category, only the second time since 1980 that a player has done so en route to winning the Sony Open.
Recent leaders: Hyundai: Dustin Johnson, 297 yards (T-6).
Longest drive: Charlie Beljan, 368 yards
One of the longest hitters on tour, Beljan couldn’t parlay this big blast – on the 460-yard fourth hole in Round 3 – into a strong finish at Waialae. He tied for 38th in the first full-field event of the year. It still represented his best result of the new wraparound season.
Recent leaders: Hyundai: Webb Simpson, 397 yards (T-3)
Carry distance: Charlie Beljan, 286.4 yards
Beljan had the biggest carry distance, but it’s the rest of his game that has let him down so far in 2013-14. He ranks outside the top 100 in both fairways and greens hit.
Clubhead speed: Charlie Beljan, 123.23 mph
A fixture in this category a year ago, Beljan topped this category for the second time in the wraparound season. He also led the field in clubhead speed at the Frys.com Open, with 123.20 mph. Interestingly, three of the four players who have led this statistic have finished 38th or worse in that event.
Ball speed: Charlie Beljan, 178.62 mph
No surprise, Beljan also led this category for the second time this season. The best this season belongs to Jhonattan Vegas, whose ball speed was 183.16 at the Vegas event.
