Rory McIlroy was seen hitting a massive drive over Castle Pines’ range netting on Tuesday.
As he gears up for the BMW Championship in Colorado, Rory is set to break some records. Known as the second-longest hitter of 2024, just behind Cameron Champ, he’s already averaging 319 yards this season. But at 6,000 feet above sea level, those numbers might skyrocket even more.
Castle Pines Golf Club is no joke; it’s the longest course in PGA Tour history with a max length of 8,130 yards. The altitude and other factors like heat and humidity will help shots travel further. Typically, for every 1,000 feet of elevation, you get an extra 1.7% distance. So a 300-yard drive could end up being around 332 yards!
McIlroy has already shown what he can do with these conditions. During practice, he hit one drive out of the range and another that went a total of 378 yards! Fans are probably thinking this might be his best performance yet.
Record-Breaking Drives:
A video on social media showed him smashing drives of 347 yards (362 total) and another at 341 yards (352 total). In his press conference on Tuesday, Wyndham Clark mentioned how in Colorado you can “sometimes just hit one forever.”
Clark explained that while players will get comfortable with the altitude by Thursday, it’s tricky because elevation isn’t as consistent as sea level. A shot that normally goes 185 yards might go anywhere from 200 to 210 yards here due to thin air and altitude changes.
Rory McIlroy hitting absolute bombs on the range at Castle Pines! Clearing the fence and then some. McIlroy always powerful with his driver and this week he's got altitude too 💯@BMWPGA @McIlroyRory #BMWCHAMPS
— Romi Bean (@Romi_Bean)
“If anyone seems to err,” Clark said, “it’s probably because of trajectory.” This inconsistency will be the main challenge for everyone.
If McIlroy manages to hit one over 455 yards during competition, he could land himself among the top-10 longest drives in PGA Tour history. Most record-breaking drives happened at Kapalua’s Plantation Course but favorable conditions can make it happen anywhere.
Patrick Cantlay commented on how physically demanding Castle Pines is due to its hilly terrain which may lead to longer walks despite fewer strikes required. “It’s a longer walk,” Cantlay said. “There are going to be some tired caddies at the end of this week.”
What do you think? Will Rory break more records?
