Is Distance Entertaining?

We mustn't forget the distance debate in all of this anchoring nonsense. One of my favorite claims of those eager to see drives continue to expand is the argument that fans would be turned off by shorter drives.

This assumes that golfers in person or on television can tell the difference between 280 and 320 unless they are informed of the distance the ball was struck.

But as usual, Geoff Ogilvy put this argument to bed by mentioned the Lord AP himself to John Huggan in a Scotland on Sunday column (by Huggan) about the current state of governing the game.

“It is absurd to imagine that professional golf would be less entertaining if we hit our drives 30 yards shorter,” confirms former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy.

“I’ve heard multiple players argue that we are entertaining because we hit the ball so far. But Arnold Palmer hit his drives maybe 280 yards and he was the most entertaining golfer in history. It’s unbelievably arrogant to imagine that anyone on tour today is more entertaining than Arnold.”