Tour's Longest Drive Stat

Not a big fan here of the PGA Tour's "longest drive" stat since Kapalua, Colorado and cart paths skew the numbers. Still, I found these numbers interesting in light of the USGA/R&A's 2002 "any further significant increases in hitting distances at the highest level are undesirable" benchmark:

1992 PGA Tour Longest Drive Stat
0 drives over 400 yards
3 at 350 yards or higher

1993
0 drives over 400 yards
18 over 350 yards

1994
0 drives over 400 yards
4 over 350 yards

1995
0 drives over 400 yards
22 over 350 yards

1996
0 drives over 400 yards
13 over 350 yards

Bored yet? Hang in there.

1997
0 drives over 400 yards
28 over 350 yards

1998
5 drives over 400 yards
46 over 350 yards

1999
1 drives over 400 yards
112 over 350 yards

2000
0 drives over 400 yards
42 over 350 yards

2001
1 over 400 yards
79 over 350 yards

2002
1 over 400 yards
80 over 350 yards

2003
1 over 400 yards
118 over 350 yards

2004
32 over 400 yards
210 over 350 yards

2005
19 over 400 yards
978 over 350 (but list stops at 357!)

Okay, before you go what the $%*& (like I did), consider this: in 2005, the Tour apparently started using ShotLink for the longest drive stat. So instead of taking the long drives from the two measuring holes, 2005 encompasses all of the drives hit. Still, you are probably talking about a significant number of drives over 350 yards hit in 2005. (I've asked for the number from the Tour, as well as the possibility of finding out the tally from the two measuring holes only.)

For another comparison that shows just how much those work out programs and brick hard fairways are compensating for the lousy clubs and balls, the Nationwide numbers still just worked off of two measuring holes in 2005:

2002
3 drives over 400 yards
125 over 350 yards

2003
9 drives over 400 yards
199 over 350 yards

2004
4 drives over 400 yards
138 over 350 yards

2005
4 drives over 400 yards
303 over 350 yards

Nearly double the number of tee shots over 350 yards since 2002 when the line was drawn?  

Something's going on. Either we're talking about optimization of launch conditions, better workout programs, widespread use of performance enhancing drugs, really firm fairways, or, did I mention optimization launch conditions?