PGA Tour: A Look At The Stats

Now that the PGA Tour season is officially over, a trip through the 2012 statistics has provided some eye opening facts that I find somewhat strange, but true. For instance, one of the truth is stranger than fiction moments comes when plotting the Scoring Average against the Money List. It certainly lays claim to the difference between the have and have nots.

Rory McIlroy finishes at the top of both lists, but check this out. With 60 rounds in the books on the PGA Tour, McIlroy had a scoring average in 2012 of 69.63, and Stephen Gangluff, who is 191st, and last on this list, finished with an average of 72.75. If you do the math, that is only a difference of 3.12 stroke per round. Rory McIlroy will most likely win the player of the year award, and I’m not sure if anyone has ever heard of Stephen Gangluff.

Let’s take the scoring average, and play it against the Money List to see what happens. McIlroy also leads the Money List by taking home $ 8,047,952 this year. By contrast, Gangluff put $ 58,702 in his pocket. That is a difference of  $ 7,989,250. If you further break it down, the 3.12 stroke per round is worth $ 2,560,657.05.

Let’s beat this horse a little longer. McIlroy, with a total 3760 strokes this year, has been paid $ 2140.41 per stroke, while Gangluff , who took 4001 swings, was paid $ 14.67 per stroke.

It has been pointed out this year that Tiger Woods has struggled with his short irons, and distance control. If you take a look at the following statistic, you can see that the analysis is correct. The stat is Birdies made from 125 yards or less. Tiger is 104th on this list, while Rory McIlroy in 30th.

With 143 opportunities, Tiger made 32 birdies for an average of 22.38%, while Rory made 37 birdies in 145 tries, for a 25.52% average. Tiger finished second on the money list, and Rory first. Zach Johnson leads in this stat by making 81 birdies in 257 opportunities for a 31.52%.

Another Statistic that caught my eye was scoring average in the final round. Rory McIlroy is tied with Jason Day for 11th place. With twelve rounds in the books, they took 838 strokes for an average of 69.83 strokes per round. Tiger Woods finished in 32nd position. He took 1056 strokes in 15 rounds for a 70.40 average. Scott Brown leads in this stat with a 868.14 average, and Luke Donald is in at number two with more rounds at 60.07. This is why Donald is always hanging around the top of the money list.

With Sam Snead’s old saying “Drive for show, putt for dough” we couldn’t have a complete analysis without averages with the flat stick. Unfortunately the saying doesn’t hold water this year. The statistics show us that Tiger is a better putter than Rory, but he finished second on the money list behind Rory.

Tiger ended 2012 in 28th position on the Total Putting list, and Rory finished 65th. This stat doesn’t tell us a lot, so I decided to use the strokes gained-putting as a yard stick. I felt this stat provided a better overall look at the affect putting has on a players round.

At 69 rounds in the books, Tiger Woods is 35th in this category with an average of .355 per round gained. Rory McIlroy is in 82nd position at .087 gain with a putter in his hand. This statistic further shows that Tiger is a better putter than Rory, but Rory’s wallet is a little thicker.

It probably doesn’t come as a surprise, but Brandt Snedeker leads in this stat. He made up almost a stroke a round on the greens at .860. That proves out as Snedeker’s putter won  the FedEx Cup for the 2012 season. Mr. consistency, Luke Donald is third.