Aldrich Potgieter, a rookie on the PGA Tour, has made quite the splash in the golfing world, courtesy of his powerful drives. The Mexico Open bore witness to Potgieter’s remarkable skill, as the 20-year-old South African golfing virtuoso stunned spectators with his extraordinary hitting prowess. In 2025, Potgieter emerged as the longest player on the PGA Tour, even surpassing Rory McIlroy’s average by two yards.
During the Mexico Open’s second round, Potgieter’s prowess was on full display. His pair of powerful strikes on the 661-yard par-five 12th hole, especially his 325-yard drive off the fairway, left the audience in awe. This young South African’s ascendancy in the golfing world aligns with the progressive surge in the average driving distance on the PGA Tour.
Rewinding back to 1991, John Daly was the benchmark for driving distance. Prior to Bryson DeChambeau’s breathtaking 350-yard drives, Daly was the pioneer, being the first to average over 300 yards on the PGA Tour. According to My Golf Spy’s data, in 1991, Daly emerged as the Tour’s longest player with an average drive of 288.9 yards. Coincidentally, he won the PGA Championship the same year. He continued to top the charts until 1994 when Davis Love III dethroned him.
From 1994 to 2002, Daly, affectionately known as “Wild Thing,” was the dominant force in driving distance. He first crossed the 300-yard mark in 1999, averaging 305 yards for the season and famously won the Open Championship at St Andrews in 1995.
In 2003, Hank Kuehne set the new gold standard on the PGA Tour, averaging 321 yards off the tee. Post Daly’s reign from 1995 to 2002, Bubba Watson emerged as the new attraction with his power off the tee. Watson averaged over 315 yards between 2006 and 2008, reclaiming his position as the PGA Tour’s longest player in 2012 and 2014.
DeChambeau pushed the limits further, setting new records between 2020 and 2021, as the first player to average over 320 yards on the PGA Tour. However, the crown for the longest player in Tour history doesn’t belong to the American. Rory McIlroy holds that honor, averaging 326.3 yards off the tee in 2023. This Northern Irishman has been, statistically, the PGA Tour’s longest player thrice. Last season, the title went to Cameron Champ, who averaged 323 yards.
For Potgieter to clinch the title by the end of September, he’ll need to up his already impressive average. Given his recent performances, this is a feat the South African is more than capable of achieving.