air up there
Rory McIlroy blasts drive over BMW Championship range net, is enjoying the Colorado altitude
Warren Little
No matter what happens this year at the BMW Championship, we know one thing for certain: It’s going to be long. 8,130 yards to be exact. Not only is Castle Pines the lengthiest course in PGA Tour history, but it’s set to host the first tour event over 8,000 yards.
To be fair, it is in Colorado where the altitude is as high as its residents and the best players in the world (Rory McIlroy very much included) can hit the ball further than most mortal golfers could ever dream of. While warming up, the second-longest hitter on tour this season showed off some of his best stuff, giving the BMW Championship driving range a run for its money.
No, you’re not imagining things. That’s Rory McIlroy blasting a shot OVER the range net at Castle Pines with his TaylorMade Qi10 Driver. wasn’t the only drive that made it that far, either. “The general rule is that for every 1,000 feet of elevation, the thinner air adds 1.7% of distance,” according to Golf Monthly. “So, in theory, a 300-yard drive should go about 332 yards.”
McIlroy won the BMW Championship back in 2012 back at Crooked Stick and is looking to bounce back from a nine-over T-68 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. It would be fitting for him to show off his driving aptitude at one of the longest courses in the United States and get back to his winning ways after an up-and-down season.
The main challenge this week might actually be hitting the ball a little bit shorter. We know that McIlroy and co. can hit it long, but as Wyndham Clark pointed out, it might come down to control vs. the altitude.
When Golf Digest began its annual Best New Course awards in 1983, the review panel selected Castle Pines as the Private Course winner, but Bill Davis, co-founder of Golf Digest and founding father of all its course rankings, didn’t care for the course and vetoed its inclusion. So no private course was honored that year. Davis soon recognized his error, and in 1987—its first year of eligibility—Castle Pines joined America’s 100 Greatest and has remained there ever since.
“If you see us airmail some shots over the green by 10, 15 yards, it’s not because we’re bad,” Clark said. “We’re just not used to playing at this altitude. That’s going to be the biggest challenge is distance control and making sure our 8-iron is flying the distance we want and so on.”
No matter what, we already have proof that McIlroy can hit it as far as nearly anyone in the sport. The range nets at Castle Pines are well aware of this. Pretty soon, the rest of the field will know it too.