Speed Is on the Way

The John Deere Classic has an identity. It’s a showcase for up-and-coming talent hosted by a loyal sponsor in the Midwest, a region of the United States that doesn’t see as much professional golf as it probably should. Those who tune into the action at TPC Deere Run won’t see too many demanding golf shots, but they will get a window into the talent ready to burst onto the scene and rise its way up through the professional ranks. And in the current moment in time, it’s a window into the speed revolution that’s already entered the game and continues to take root.

25-year-old Davis Thompson, a player with a strong pedigree who has been trending in a positive direction all season, broke the 72-hole record to win this week’s John Deere at -28. However, Davis Thompson isn’t the only young golfer whose performance this past weekend should turn heads. In just his third start since turning professional, 22-year-old Michael Thorbjornsen finished T-2. Joining him at T-2, 20-year-old Luke Clanton closed with a final round 63, becoming the first amateur since 1958 to finish in the top 10 in back-to-back weeks on the PGA Tour.

Sure, there’s a conversation to be had that with the current fracturing of the sport and the stratification of PGA Tour events into signature and non-signature categories, finishing in the top 10 at the John Deere Classic is easier than in past years. But that shouldn’t distract from what Thompson, Clanton, and Thorbjornsen’s success signals: a wealth of talented young golfers with optimized swings and a ton of speed are on the horizon.

Throughout the week, Thorbjornsen and Clanton routinely touched ball speeds in the low to mid 180s, figures that would put them in the top-15 ball speeds on tour. At just 20 years old, Clanton touched 185-mph ball speeds at least four times (note: radar didn’t pick up speeds for all of his tee shots) at the Deere on a golf course that takes driver out of your hands on many holes. For reference, Wyndham Clark ranks 4th on tour with a 185-mph ball speed. In Saturday’s round, Clanton’s first three drives of the day traveled 334 yards, 373 yards, and 350 yards. Yes, the second hole is downhill which boosts distance, but conditions were also soft. These are the kinds of distances that are coming down the pike in professional golf. Related, scoring records are being shattered on tour with regularity. In Thursday’s opening round, Hayden Springer shot a 59, the 14th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history and the second sub-60 round in the last three weeks.

This wasn’t the first golf tournament with soft conditions. So much youth and speed is coming. De-skilling the game isn’t doing the product any favors. pic.twitter.com/bf31heWdlI

— Joseph LaMagna (@JosephLaMagna) July 8, 2024

So if you like speed, 350-yard drives, and scoring records dropping like flies, this year’s John Deere Classic is an exciting glimpse into the future of the sport. And if watching golf courses get decimated by Trackman-equipped athletes swinging modern equipment concerns you, then let this year’s John Deere Classic serve as a warning sign of what the future holds. Luke Clanton and Michael Thorbjornsen have arrived, and they aren’t unicorns. Other speedy, Trackman-fluent golfers are on their heels. If the current set of rules and regulations doesn’t pose a proper challenge to the generation on the doorstep, the time to act is now.

This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.