McIlroy joins in long drive competition

Speaking to the press, Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland expressed his ambition to complete the CJ Cup using his ability to hit long drives. The CJ Cup on the PGA Tour will be held at Shadow Creek, Las Vegas, the United States from Friday.

McIlroy became the longest driver on the 2018 PGA tour by recording the longest average driving distance. However, he was replaced by Bryson DeChambeau who gained strength after putting on 20 kilograms. DeChambeau, who was the lead in driving distance last season, is leading the current season with an average driving distance of 344.4 yards. McIlroy is ranked 11th.

Inspired by DeChambeau, McIlroy has focused on improving his driving distance in the run up to the CJ cup. Based on the picture he posted on his social media, his ball speed was 186 miles per hour and his carry was 340 yards. McIlroy’s average ball speed was 178.24 miles per hour last season, whereas DeChambeau’s average ball speed was 184.73 miles per hour.


Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com