One of the arguments made for why LIV Golf players should not find themselves with an easier path into the major championships has often been the quality of the league which features a number of legends of the game coming towards the end of their careers at the highest level.
LIV Golf may have a number of major champions including the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka, but it is still arguably fighting for credibility in the current game. The league receives no world ranking points, while many of those who decided to join are now relying on exemptions and invites to appear in the sport’s four biggest events.
Of course, DeChambeau proved at the US Open that playing on LIV is helping a number of players. So it is intriguing to see the statistics which allow comparisons between the LIV players and those on the PGA Tour.
You would be forgiven for assuming that DeChambeau is the best off the tee in the current game. The two-time major winner hits it an absolute mile, and can be extremely accurate given the swing speeds he is producing. However, according to Data Golf, it is another name on LIV who leads the way for strokes gained off the tee.
Henrik Stenson takes top spot for strokes gained off the tee in 2024
Perhaps surprisingly, it is Henrik Stenson who is the best player off the tee across LIV, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. The Swede gains 1.7 shots per round from the tee.
| Player | Strokes gained off the tee |
| 1. Henrik Stenson | +1.7 |
| 2. Bryson DeChambeau | +1.52 |
| 3. Bubba Watson | +1.28 |
| 4. John Catlin | +1.15 |
| 5. Matt Jones | +1.04 |
| 6. Tim Widing | +1.01 |
| 7. Scottie Scheffler | +0.97 |
| 8. Sam Horsfield | +0.96 |
| 9. Rory McIlroy | +0.89 |
| 10. Jon Rahm | +0.88 |
What is interesting about that statistic is that Stenson is not a long hitter. While LIV shows that DeChambeau averages 323.5 yards, Stenson is down in 49th in the league for driving distance at 295.5 yards.
A throwback
Stenson is known for being one of the best three wood players in the game. The 2016 Open champion went through a spell when he seemed incredibly reluctant to use the driver, particularly when his game did experience a dip just over a decade ago.
It is also shown by LIV that Stenson is in top spot for fairways hit this season. He has hit 382 fairways throughout the year. To put that into context, Cameron Smith has hit 268.
It just shows that distance is not necessarily everything, even in this modern era of the game.
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