We have all heard the phrase “drive for show and putt for dough”, but the fact is that the top 10 in strokes gained off the tee on the PGA Tour in 2023 out-earned the top ten putters by a fair margin. This suggests that owning one of the best drivers might be more directly linked to success than purchasing one of the best putters.
With that in mind, I wanted to take a look at the drivers these players used to gain their advantage from the teeing ground. So without further ado, here is the top ten rundown…
10. Hayden Buckley - Titleist TSR3
Buckley gained 0.611 of a stroke per round from the tee using his Titleist TSR3 driver.
Fitted with a UST Mamiya Lin Q M40X Blue 6F5 shaft, the TSR range from Titleist was one of the most played on all professional tours in 2023. Buckley has clearly found his optimal launch conditions using the 9 degree head to find that perfect blend of launch and spin.
This is one of four Titleist models making up the top ten.
9. Luke List - Titleist TSR3
Luke List trusts Mitsubishi with its Diamana DF 80 TX shaft in his Titleist TSR3 driver. He used this to gain 0.641 strokes per round against the field.
A recent winner at The Sanderson Farms Championship, List is renowned for his long hitting and as strokes gained factors in both length and accuracy, it would suggest that he is finding his fair share of fairways too.
8. Viktor Hovland - Ping G425 LST
What a year for Norway’s finest! Hovland is one of a number of players in the top ten that trusts an older model in his big stick. He uses the G425 model from Ping and has a Fujikura Speeder 661 TR X installed, which is also a few generations old.
Hovland's incredible combination of distance and pinpoint accuracy was evident in his FedEx Cup victory.
7. Keith Mitchell - Mizuno ST-Z 230
Sweet swinging Mitchell, or “Cashmere Keith” as he has affectionately become known, uses Mizuno’s ST-Z 230 Driver fitted with a Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5 shaft. With this combo. Mitchell has gained nearly three quarters of a shot per round on the field average in 2023.
Interestingly, he hasn’t made a switch into the new Mizuno ST-G driver which many of the tour staff have due to its low spin characteristics. I guess if it ain't broke, don’t fix it as they say!
6. Kevin Yu - Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond
Yu gained 0.803 of a shot using his Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond driver in 2023. He was a fairly late convert to Paradym from his previous Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS model which had been in play for a long time.
Yu is another player that trusts Mitsubishi to be the engine of his driver, choosing the very stable Tensei 1K Pro White shaft in TX Flex.
5. Brent Grant - Srixon ZX7 Mk II
Sneaking in just ahead of Kevin Yu is another relatively unfamiliar name in Brent Grant. Srixon staffer Grant used the ZX7 MK II driver model with 8.5 degrees of loft to gain 0.806 of a shot over his average competition this season.
Much like Yu, he entrusts Mitsubishi Golf with his driver shaft, choosing the Tensei 1K Black model at 75 grams in TX Flex.
4. Patrick Cantlay - Titleist TS3
Whilst he didn’t necessarily endear himself to the home crowd at The Ryder Cup, he certainly wielded his driver well as one of the US teams better performers.
Another player to trust an older model, Cantlay has played Titleist’s TS3 driver for a few seasons now and shows no sign of a change. If I was gaining 0.852 of a shot over the PGA Tour average, I would probably stick with what I had too! Another Mitsubishi shaft in play here with the Diamana ZF 60 TX.
3. Rory McIlroy - TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus
Rory has long been known as one of the greatest drivers of a golf ball in the game and is consistently up near the top of these rankings year after year. His incredible combination of length and accuracy are the foundations of his game and to achieve that he currently uses the TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus.
McIlroy tinkered around a little earlier this year with his set-up, going to a shorter and slightly softer shaft than he normally used. He switched from the Fujikura Ventus Black 6X into a shorter and softer Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X.
2. Ludwig Aberg - Titleist TSR2
Aberg burst onto the golfing scene in 2023 and made history by becoming the only player to ever play in a Ryder Cup before he has even competed in a major!
Seasoned pros have been startled by his prowess off the tee since turning professional earlier this year. Aberg uses a Titleist TSR2 driver to gain almost a full shot on the field every time he tees it up at 0.982 strokes gained. Another notch in the shaft count here for Fujikura with a Ventus Black 6X powering Aberg’s drives.
1. Scottie Scheffler - TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus
Top of the list and another place in the top ten for both Taylormade and Fujikura with the Stealth 2 plus and Ventus Black 6X respectively.
Scheffler is the only man on tour to gain over a full stroke per round over the field, gaining 1.021 strokes off the tee every time he heads out on the course. Whilst he has had his troubles on the green this season, his driving has been exemplary in another strong season.
It will be interesting to see how quickly Scheffler switches into the new 2024 Taylormade driver, as it seems fellow Taylormade staffers Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood already have.
