"It’s just not true" - Brandel Chamblee debunks a major myth surrounding the PGA Tour

Irish Legends presented by McGinley Foundation - Day One - Source: Getty
Former PGA Tour pro Brandel Chamblee in Irish Legends - Day One - Source: Getty

Brandel Chamblee, a veteran golf analyst and a former PGA Tour pro, debunked a major myth on X that fans still carry regarding the Tour. He challenged the idea that greater driving distances were a winning factor in the tournaments.

Ad

Chamblee has been around long enough in the world of golf. Back in the day, he was also a part of the Tour as a professional golfer. His post on X reflected a widespread belief regarding achieving success in the Tour.

Highlighting his take on X, the golf analyst shared an example, citing the average ball speed of the top 10 pros:

"It’s just not true that one has to be amongst the longest hitters to make it on the PGA Tour. The average ball speed ranking of the current TOP 10 IN THE WORLD is 78.2, or just a little better than the tour average.
Ad
"Nor is it true that the majority of PGA Tour players carry the ball 300+ yards. The average carry distance on the Tour is 286.4 yards..."

Chamblee also cited data that claimed that only 15 players on the Tour have an average carry distance of 300 yards or more.

Ad

From 1985 to 2003, Chamblee was an active player on the PGA Tour. The former professional golfer made 370 starts and boasts one victory on the Tour, the 1998 Greater Vancouver Open.

Chamblee even achieved the 57th spot on the Official World Golf Rankings once, which was by far his career best rank. For seven consecutive years (1995 to 2001), he found his place in the top 100 names of the PGA Tour money list.

Following his pro golf exodus, Brandel Chamblee became the lead analyst for Golf Channel in 2004. Later, he started taking up important roles for NBC.

Ad

When Brandel Chamblee offered his take on speed being a factor behind PGA Tour success

There have been a lot of myths when it comes to achieving success on the Tour. Before today, Chamblee also once talked about average ball speed as a factor behind success in professional golf.

Back in April, the veteran golf analyst cited examples from the top 20 names on the Total Strokes Gained standings of the Tour. He brought up names of popular pros, including Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, and the World's No. 1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler.

Ad
"Of the Top 20 in Strokes Gained total on the PGA Tour, 15 players have right at average tour ball speed (174 mph) or below."
"The professional game, at the highest level, is not all about speed 1) Rory McIlroy 184.87.. 2) Scheffler 175.42.. 3) Morikawa 171.57..."

Not only with his commentaries, but Chamblee also remains unfiltered when it comes to sharing opinions through his X account.

Quick Links

Edited by Hitesh Nigam
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications