3 wood Ernie Els--314 yds 18th hole off the tee

besides the Obvious, questions

1-Is a driver worth the money

2-can you construct a 3 wood with the right shaft to get it where you can tee off and drive it 250 -270 yds

3-Using Science, is it possible because of 460 cc club heads it causes a lot of drag

mind you I am learning about golf equipment on the fly.I never owned a driver because I been working on the fundamentals of golf and developing my swing.The only driver I used to practice are the ones the driving ranges offer.I am able off the tee at a driving range with the old drivers  with the small club head and steel shaft that I have become a custom to, I average 230-to 240 yds

I was just blown away by Els using 3 wood a why he wouldn't use it all time and what was the thought process behind his decision

I am ready now to purchase a driver but I am not on tour and I want respectable distance.My thoughts more bang for your buck.Leaning towards a Titleist 909 d2 440 cc club head so it wont look as alien with me.

Several things to consider:

1. Direction of wind

2. Shape of hole

3. Type of turf

4. Els is a Man-Beast

I didn't see this shot, but chances are 3 wood was a safer play for the shape of the hole.  It's unlikely Els would hit his 3-wood 300+ on each tee, and this was likely a factor of favorable wind and fairway conditions.

Remember that distance is all about ball speed, launch angle and spin.  Modern drivers impact different launch characteristics than 3-woods, and you'd be hard pressed to find a tour pro who would give up the driver on a windy day.

The driver is the longest club in the bag, at least for most tour players. Being long with the driver is an advantage on long courses, which a lot of the tour courses are.

Driver it is.... Thank you