Rory McIlroy smashes BMW Championship shot, basks in Colorado’s height | Golf News & Tour Information

No matter what happens at the BMW Championship this year, one thing is for sure: It will be long. 8,130 yards, to be exact. Castle Pines is not only the longest course in PGA Tour history, but it is also set to host the first tour event to exceed 8,000 yards.

To be fair, Colorado is as high as its residents, and the best players in the world (including Rory McIlroy) can hit the ball farther than most mortal golfers could ever hope to. The second-longest player this season showed off some of his best stuff during the warm-up, giving the BMW Championship Driving Range a reason to cash in.

No, you’re not imagining it. That’s Rory McIlroy hitting the ball OUTSIDE the net at Castle Pines with his TaylorMade Qi10 driver. It wasn’t the only drive that went that far. “A general rule of thumb is that for every 1,000 feet of elevation, thinner air adds 1.7 percent to the distance,” according to Golf Monthly. “So, theoretically, a 300-yard drive should travel about 332 yards.”

McIlroy won the BMW Championship in 2012 at Crooked Stick and is looking to rebound from a nine-over T-68 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. It would be fitting for him to showcase his skills on one of the longest tracks in the United States and get back on the winning track after a season full of ups and downs.

The main challenge this week may be hitting the ball a little shorter. We know McIlroy and company can hit it far, but as Wyndham Clark pointed out, it may come down to control versus height.

“If you see us sending some shots 10, 15 yards over the green, it’s not because we’re weak,” Clark said. “We’re just not used to playing at that height. That’s going to be the biggest challenge, controlling the distance and making sure our 8-iron is going the distance we want it to go, etc.”

Regardless, we already have proof that McIlroy can hit the ball as far as almost anyone in the sport. The Castle Pines shooting nets are well aware of that. And it won’t be long before the rest of the field finds out, too.