I would also speculate that today's players are MUCH bigger and stronger than yesteryear. Not only equipment, but physical strength of the players causes the huge increase in distance.
Totally agree. I watched the match last night, the players have much shorter swings too. Fairways are cut longer, which I'm sure has a material affect on how far the balls roll out. But the biggest reason, IMO, for distance gain is that today after a round many players eat a soy tofu kelp bar and hit the gym. Yesteryears saw them w/ a burger and beer in hand.
New equipment certainly helps, but I think it helps the most in off-center hits. Which then allows a player to have a longer swing, swing harder and ultimately gain distance.
Back to topic. I really enjoyed the match. I wish every hole was shown, but that's tv I guess. I love the special effects they needed to employ because cameras couldn't follow the ballflight. Nelson hits a low, smoking drive......cuts to the next frame of a ball being gently thrown on the ground by a stage hand just a few feet off frame.
I too thought Gene was going to call it the Devil's Arsehole, but pulled back at the last second. It didn't look as penal as it does in modern pictures, but that could be from the weird angle they showed.
CPS