"I don't get much roll anyway"

The Times-Picayune's Fred Robinson offered a few interesting bits related to the myth of distance in the game today, starting with this from Bubba Watson.

And when Watson, the longest driver on the PGA Tour, tees it up today in the first round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, he knows long drives on the rain-soaked English Turn golf course could lead to low scores.

"It'll help me because it's wet and you're not going to get much roll," said Watson, who is averaging 318.5 yards on drives, nearly eight yards more than J.B. Holmes, the second-longest driver on tour. "I fly the ball, and I don't get much roll anyway."

Huh, and here I thought it was all athleticism and roll.

And this....

David Toms, whose 22-under-par 266 score won at English Turn in 2001, said distance is a factor, but so is experience.

"Certainly, I'd like to have 20 more yards," Toms said. "I don't know if it would be good to have 60 or 70 more yards."

When Toms turned pro in 1989, he said he was driving the ball about 269 yards. Today, his average is up to 285.5 yards and is tied for 102nd in driving distance. Much of it, he said, is due to ball and club technology.

"It's more of a power game today," Toms said Wednesday. "Most of the guys who do well on the tour are pretty powerful players. They don't have to be tops in driving distance, but I think that they have the ability to overpower golf courses."

Get this man a copy of the Distance Myths memo. Oh, we better get one to Robinson too...

In 11 of the 17 tour events this season, the winners averaged at least 290 yards off the tee. Five times the winner's average drive was more than 300 yards.