Rory McIlroy is one of the longest hitters in the game today, and he has been for a while. At one point, he was comfortably the best driver of a golf ball in the world, when combining both distance and accuracy (total driving).
However, his accuracy in recent years has waned, primarily because his draw shape is no longer as reliable as it once was. This has introduced a two-way miss into his game, which can be very difficult for a professional golfer to overcome.
In this post, we outline Rory McIlroy’s driving distance stats, from the beginning of his career on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. If you’re a Rory fan, you are in for a treat.
Rory McIlroy Driving Distance PGA Tour
| Year | Distance | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 319.3 | 2 |
| 2020 | 314 | 4 |
| 2019 | 313.5 | 2 |
| 2018 | 319.7 | 1 |
| 2017 | 317.2 | 1 |
| 2016 | 306.2 | 10 |
| 2015 | 304 | N/A |
| 2014 | 310.5 | 3 |
| 2013 | 302.2 | 8 |
| 2012 | 310.1 | 5 |
| 2011 | 307.2 | N/A |
| 2010 | 300 | 12 |
| 2009 | 305.2 | N/A |
| 2008 | N/A | N/A |
| 2007 | 295.5 | N/A |
Rory McIlroy Driving Distance European Tour
| Year | Distance | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 317 | 5 |
| 2020 | N/A | N/A |
| 2019 | 315.48 | 3 |
| 2018 | 320.83 | 2 |
| 2017 | 313.45 | 2 |
| 2016 | 303.71 | 5 |
| 2015 | 301.23 | 17 |
| 2014 | 307.92 | 2 |
| 2013 | N/A | N/A |
| 2012 | 302.43 | 3 |
| 2011 | 301.2 | 7 |
| 2010 | 302.26 | 5 |
| 2009 | 301.57 | 5 |
| 2008 | 295.29 | 15 |
- McIlroy has capped the PGA tour’s driving distance stats twice in his career (2017 and 2018).
- Rory’s longest season ever was in 2018, when he averaged 319.7 yards on the PGA Tour and 320.83 yards on the European Tour.
- Rory’s second-longest season was 2021, when he averaged 319.3 yards on the PGA Tour and 317.0 yards on the European Tour.
Rory McIlroy Carry Distance PGA Tour
| Year | Average Carry Distance | Longest Carry Distance |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 311.7 | 352.1 |
| 2020 | 303.3 | 366.2 |
| 2019 | 285.7 | 334.9 |
| 2018 | 305.6 | 342.3 |
| 2017 | 305.1 | 342.3 |
| 2016 | 296.5 | 335.4 |
| 2015 | N/A | N/A |
| 2014 | 296.1 | 342.7 |
| 2013 | 296.2 | 327.6 |
| 2012 | 296 | 340.2 |
| 2011 | N/A | N/A |
| 2010 | 284.7 | 324.3 |
- Rory McIlroy’s drives carry about 305 yards, on average. This is about 25 yards further than the average PGA tour Pro (280 Yards).
- In 2021, he recorded his longest average carry distance ever, with 311.7 yards.
- Rory’s longest recorded carry distance on the PGA tour is 366.2 yards.
Rory McIlroy Longest Recorded Drives - PGA Tour
| Year | Longest Drive | Tournament |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 379 | the Memorial |
| 2020 | 412 | WGC Mexico |
| 2019 | 410 | WGC Mexico |
| 2018 | 420 | WGC-Bridgestone |
| 2017 | 403 | Northern Trust |
| 2016 | 388 | Wells Fargo |
| 2015 | 364 | Wells Fargo |
| 2014 | 379 | BMW Championship |
| 2013 | 366 | The Barclays Championship |
| 2012 | 409 | WGC-Bridgestone |
| 2011 | 374 | Honda Classic |
| 2010 | 366 | The Open Championship |
| 2009 | 383 | PGA Championship |
