“At what yardage do you think a PGA Tour player averages even par from the fairway?” - Tour pro Michael S. Kim reveals insight

PGA Tour pro Michael S. Kim recently shared a post about the average even par distance for professional golfers on the PGA Tour from the fairway. The American golfer provided insight into the fairway and rough distances needed for an even-par score on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

Michael S. Kim revealed that for professional players, the distance from the fairway should be 170, while from the rough, it should be 105. He also advised players to aim for the middle of the green when taking a shot from the rough. He wrote:

"At what yardage do you think a pgatour player averages even par from the fairway? What about from the rough? From the fairway it’s about 170. About 8i for tour pros. From the rough, it’s about 105(!) About a 56 degree. Anything more than a sand wedge in the rough, the world’s best average over par. When you’re in the rough, you should just be looking at hitting the middle of the green."

He further offered advice to players on how to take the best shot, adding:

"Btw this does not mean you should be conservative off the tee. Remember even with the “safer” club, fairway is never guaranteed and the more aggressive club is very often the better option."

Having turned professional in 2013, Michael S. Kim has won one PGA Tour event in his career. He claimed victory at the 2018 John Deere Classic after shooting four rounds of 63, 64, 64, and 66.

Kim currently plays on the PGA Tour, but he failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs, finishing outside the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings.

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A look into Michael S. Kim's performance in 2024

Michael S. Kim competed in 23 PGA Tour events in 2024. However, it wasn't a favorable season for him as he largely struggled with his game. The 31-year-old started his season at the Sony Open, where he finished in a tie for 42nd place, shooting four rounds of 69, 69, 66, and 68 to secure his position on the leaderboard.

Kim later played at The American Express, where he recorded an impressive finish, tying for sixth place. Despite a strong start to the season, Michael S. Kim struggled afterward, missing three consecutive cuts at the WM Phoenix Open, the Mexico Open at Vidanta, and the Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach.

He made 13 cuts this season and secured only one top-10 finish. Kim's last event of the season was the Wyndham Championship, but he withdrew from the competition after three rounds.

He has earned $862,648 this season and finished in 117th position in the FedEx Cup standings. However, as only the top 70 qualify for the playoffs, he did not make it to the FedEx Cup playoffs.