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USGA, R&A study: Driving distance not on the rise

The USGA and R&A have released the findings of a joint study which concluded that, despite the seemingly increased prevalence of ultra-long tee shots, driving distance is not exactly on the rise in the professional game.

The study looked at driving distance across seven different professional circuits. It concluded that from 2003-2015, distance off the tee rose slightly on four circuits (PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions, Web.com Tour and European Tour). That increase, though, was nominal - reportedly only 0.2 yards per year, or a 1 percent increase.

Additionally, three of the tours (Japan Golf Tour, LPGA Tour and Ladies' European Tour) actually saw driving distance decrease slightly over the same period.