In the modern game, hitting a long ball is intrinsically linked to success.
More than half of the top-20 in driving distance average on the PGA Tour last season have a PGA Tour win to their name, and many have multiple, but that doesn't mean you can't compete as a shorter hitter.
In fact, some incredibly successful players have utilised other areas of their game to make up for a relative 'lack of distance' off the tee - including Major Champions like Zach Johnson, Collin Morikawa and Brian Harman.
The PGA Tour's driving distance average has crept up around 10 yards in the past 20 years, highlighting the modern professionals ambition to boost clubhead speed and power, but there is more than one way to win a golf tournament.
With so much attention focused on that end of the spectrum, let's instead explore the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour and what helps to make them successful...
How Far Does The Shortest Hitter On The PGA Tour Hit Driver?
The title of 'shortest hitter on the PGA Tour' for the 2025 season goes to Brian Campbell, who has an average of 278.4 yards off the tee.
That works out 24.4 yards shorter than the PGA Tour average for the same season, ranking 180th out of 180 players in that category.
With a clubhead speed of 108.34 miles per hour (mph), he again ranks in the bottom five for that measure and is around eight mph slower than the PGA Tour average.
As referenced above, however, that doesn't mean that Brian Campbell is struggling to contend in tournaments against some of the biggest hitters on tour.
In fact, Campbell secured two PGA Tour wins in the 2025 season. The first victory came at the John Deere Classic, on a track which favours strategy and accuracy over distance, but the second came at the Mexico Open on a very different style of course.
In Mexico, Campbell beat Aldrich Potgieter in a play-off.
Aldrich Potgieter is the longest player on the PGA Tour, averaging 325 yards off the tee and ranked 1st in the driving distance table, slightly ahead of Rory McIlroy.
So, how did he do it? The Strokes Gained data tells an interesting story.
Unsurprisingly, Potgieter gained one stroke over Campbell off the tee across the four rounds, but whereas the South African only marginally gained on approach (+0.16) and lost strokes around the green (-0.14), Campbell gained almost one and a half strokes in each area across the tournament.
Campbell's consistency throughout the bag, his excellent approach play and strong short game carried him over the line for a second PGA Tour win, demonstrating you don't necessarily always have to smash it off the planet to win golf tournaments.
Successful PGA Tour Players Who Drive The Ball Less Than 300 Yards
When you look at the list of players on the PGA Tour who have a driving distance average of less than 300 yards, it's incredible how many extremely successful players feature.
As mentioned before, 2023 Champion Golfer of The Year Brian Harman falls into that category, but so does Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa and Shane Lowry.
Fleetwood, Morikawa and Lowry make up for that lack of distance (if you can call 298+ yards a lack of distance) with stellar approach play - each ranking in the top-6 for SG: Approach.
As amateurs, we would love hit the ball like Rory McIlroy or Bryson DeChambeau, but there is also room to idolise the accuracy, consistency and ball striking prowess of others in the game who may be hitting in from a slightly bigger number.
