Dawson: "As we predicted, the distance issue has plateaued"

From Sporting Life:

But Peter Dawson, the R&A's chief executive, said today that data gathered from the American and European tours has shown that "as we predicted, the distance issue has plateaued.

"In the last three years it has hardly moved. The 2005 season was one of the most exciting we have seen, and there are no symptoms of a game in decline.

"The top players are still coming to the top, but if there is one issue that does concern us it's the dis-connection between success and driving accuracy."

Mr. Dawson might be wise to check out these numbers with regard to his "hardly moved" remark. And as for symptoms of a game in decline, well, perhaps he's speaking of golf's popularity in the greater St. Andrews area.

And as for flogging ("the disconnection between success and driving accuracy"), the numbers might not be so bad if fairways returned to the 30 to 35-yard widths that we saw back in the mid-90s. But then, scores would go way down, and Lord knows, that's one area of the sport where progress must be halted at all costs.