Have hope. It’s never too late to gain distance. Francesco Molinari proved that in his career-changing 2018 campaign.

A drastic increase in driving distance helped the 35-year-old Italian have a dream season. He became the first player to win a major and go 5-0 in the Ryder Cup in the same year. He won his first PGA TOUR title and qualified for his first TOUR Championship, as well.

Putting instructor Phil Kenyon and performance coach Dave Alred have received a lot of credit for Molinari’s success, and rightfully so. His 20-yard gain since 2015 -- including a 10-yard increase since 2017 -- was an underreported aspect of his rapid ascension into to the game’s elite ranks, though.

Molinari is proof that the incremental impact of longer tee shots -- though more difficult to observe than the effect of improved putting -- adds up over the course of a tournament and a season.

For many years, Molinari was known for his laser-straight tee shots. They helped him have a strong career. He was a two-time Ryder Cup participant and owned four victories on the European Tour, including the 2010 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, before this season.

This week, Sheshan International is the site of Molinari's 2018-19 debut. He arrives in Shanghai after nearly doubling his career victory total in a single season. He won The Open Championship and Quicken Loans National, as well as the European Tour's flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship. He reached career-highs in the FedExCup (17th) and world ranking (5th). He went undefeated at Le Golf National after going winless in his first two Ryder Cups.

Molinari and his longtime swing coach, Denis Pugh, started the search for extra yards several years ago. There were some obvious ways for Molinari to hit it farther, but such a change doesn’t come without risk. Several players have lost their way in the quest for extra yardage.

Molinari changed his swing, his equipment and strategy.

“My swing was very compact and very simple so it was probably easier for me than some other guys to find ways to get more swing speed and ball speed,” Molinari said. “It’s a very delicate work.”

He also hit the gym.

“I was more of a couch guy a few years ago,” he said.