No One Man Should Have All That Power
DP World Tour pro scorches iron 286 yards, drives green on par 4
Apart from the ongoing LIV Golf saga—which took another strange turn this week thanks to a Portland realtor and a flash mob—the biggest debate in golf right now is golf-ball “rollback.” In response to increasingly ludicrous swing speeds and distance averages across the upper echelons of golf, this spring the USGA and R&A announced plans to reduce golf-ball distances by 20 or more yards in professional competition.
The proposal was met with a colorful rainbow of reactions from players and fans alike, but for now it remains only that: A proposal. In the interim, the sluggers can keep slugging, just as Jordan Smith did at the Made in Himmerland on Friday, driving the green on the par-4 14th … with AN IRON.
The Englishman had this iron custom made for the event and apparently it paid off, carrying the front-right bunkers at a quaint 270 yards before rolling out to a cozy 286—longer than most mere mortals hit their driver … downhill … with a helping wind.
Whether or not you find this kind of thing awesome or sickening says a lot about who you are and where you’re coming from. Did you grow up watching Bonds, McGwire and Sosa park balls in the seats every third at-bat? Or did you marvel at Koufax and Seaver as they mowed batters down like cowboys at a carnival shooting gallery? Only you can decide where you stand, but juiced ball or dead ball, I think we can all agree one thing:
Jordan Smith has some serious pop.