Dear Folks,
Stats consistently show that the combination of putting and ballstriking is what wins and earns Tour money. So, here are 4 questions about the performance of Tour players in 2009.
QUESTION 1: Which players are top 50 in Putts per GIR and also top-50 in GIR?
2009 PGA TOUR Putting Average
Select Year:
Y-T-D statistics through: Through Week Ending: 09/21/2009 Sep 20, 2009
Rank
This
Week Player Rounds Avg GIR Rank
1 Luke Donald 75 1.725 T120
2 Steve Stricker 77 1.727 31
T3 Anthony Kim 74 1.728 153
T3 Joe Ogilvie 75 1.728 168
T3 Charlie Wi 84 1.728 97
6 Dean Wilson 67 1.730 161
7 Daniel Chopra 79 1.735 176
8 Harrison Frazar 79 1.736 90
9 Greg Chalmers 73 1.737 T105
T10 Scott Verplank 84 1.738 23
T10 Tiger Woods 60 1.738 11
T12 Dustin Johnson 77 1.739 61
T12 Corey Pavin 65 1.739 164
14 David Duval 48 1.740 188
T15 Brian Gay 84 1.741 170
T15 Justin Leonard 87 1.741 58
T15 Chris Riley 61 1.741 149
T18 Kevin Na 87 1.742 72
T18 Vaughn Taylor 78 1.742 130
T20 Jason Day 61 1.743 89
T20 Jim Furyk 78 1.743 95
22 Kris Blanks 52 1.744 67
23 Zach Johnson 86 1.745 25
24 Charley Hoffman 89 1.747 54
T25 Stephen Ames 67 1.748 41
T25 Aaron Baddeley 56 1.748 190
T25 Geoff Ogilvy 74 1.748 100
T25 Jeff Quinney 66 1.748 158
T29 Brian Davis 91 1.751 109
T29 Webb Simpson 82 1.751 177
T29 Mike Weir 77 1.751 160
T32 Brad Faxon 51 1.752 193
T32 Pat Perez 70 1.752 162
T32 Brandt Snedeker 69 1.752 171
T32 Bo Van Pelt 84 1.752 79
T36 David Berganio 43 1.753 26
T36 Tim Clark 73 1.753 57
T36 Paul Goydos 71 1.753 154
T36 Jerry Kelly 82 1.753 96
T36 Michael Letzig 88 1.753 116
T36 David Toms 86 1.753 T17
42 Ryuji Imada 79 1.754 182
43 Bob Heintz 45 1.756 146
T44 Fred Couples 50 1.758 T36
T44 Bob Estes 78 1.758 111
T44 Retief Goosen 70 1.758 163
T44 Bubba Watson 71 1.758 T107
48 John Mallinger 80 1.760 T120
T49 Ben Crane 77 1.761 T140
T49 Lucas Glover 89 1.761 59
T49 Matt Kuchar 74 1.761 T140
Answer: only 8 Players
2 Steve Stricker 77 1.727 31
T10 Scott Verplank 84 1.738 23
T10 Tiger Woods 60 1.738 11
23 Zach Johnson 86 1.745 25
T25 Stephen Ames 67 1.748 41
T36 David Berganio 43 1.753 26
T36 David Toms 86 1.753 T17
T44 Fred Couples 50 1.758 T36
Average GIR rank of top 9 putters: 122.3 out of 195 total.
Average GIR rank of top 17 putters: 113.12 out of 195 total.
Average GIR rank of top 31 putters: 109.35 out of 195 total.
Average GIR rank of top 51 putters: 111.12 out of 195 total.
QUESTION 2: What sort of putting rank do the top 50 players in GIRs have?
GIR Rank Name Rounds GIR% Putts/GIR Rank Putts/GIR
1 John Senden 92 70.65 T116 1.784
2 Joe Durant 56 70.37 T120 1.785
3 Jay Williamson 57 69.50 T191 1.845
4 Greg Owen 83 69.19 T177 1.814
5 Jonathan Byrd 75 69.17 T52 1.762
6 Robert Garrigus 69 69.06 T127 1.787
7 Charles Warren 57 68.85 T170 1.810
8 Jason Bohn 76 68.71 T113 1.783
9 Scott Sterling 51 68.60 T155 1.802
10 Briny Baird 79 68.59 T145 1.796
11 Tiger Woods 60 68.49 T10 1.738
12 D.J. Trahan 80 68.47 T151 1.800
13 Steve Marino 92 68.37 T52 1.762
14 Hunter Mahan 86 68.25 T52 1.762
15 Paul Casey 42 68.21 T102 1.781
16 Robert Allenby 69 68.06 190 1.839
T17 Chad Campbell 82 68.02 T124 1.786
T17 David Toms 86 68.02 T36 1.753
19 Jeff Maggert 69 67.87 180 1.821
20 Sean O'Hair 76 67.82 T116 1.784
21 Patrick Sheehan 47 67.81 T158 1.803
22 Kenny Perry 88 67.69 T94 1.778
23 Scott Verplank 84 67.64 T10 1.738
24 Chris Stroud 76 67.59 135 1.792
25 Zach Johnson 86 67.46 23 1.745
26 David Bergan 43 67.38 T36 1.753
27 Marc Leishman 83 67.37 57 1.763
28 Jason Dufner 86 67.21 64 1.767
29 Kirk Triplett 54 67.08 T183 1.825
30 Rich Beem 65 67.06 T160 1.804
31 Steve Stricker 77 67.04 2 1.727
32 Kevin Stadler 61 66.98 165 1.806
33 Boo Weekley 79 66.81 T177 1.814
34 Spencer Levin 61 66.76 T133 1.791
35 J.J. Henry 89 66.73 T167 1.809
T36 Michael Allen 65 66.67 T61 1.765
T36 Fred Couples 50 66.67 T44 1.758
T36 Camilo Villegas 76 66.67 T107 1.782
39 Kevin Sutherlan 92 66.61 T74 1.771
40 Troy Matteson 83 66.60 149 1.797
41 Stephen Ames 67 66.58 T25 1.748
42 Davis Love III 82 66.53 T151 1.800
43 Y.E. Yang 79 66.44 T102 1.781
44 Heath Slocum 83 66.39 T120 1.785
45 Glen Day 67 66.38 173 1.811
46 Casey Wittenbg 59 66.34 T141 1.795
47 Ernie Els 66 66.22 T145 1.796
48 Ricky Barnes 55 66.19 T191 1.845
49 Vijay Singh 71 66.18 T170 1.810
50 Tom Lehman 47 66.15 193 1.857
Average Putts/GIR rank of top 10 ballstrikers: 136.6 out of 195 total.
Average Putts/GIR rank of top 15 ballstrikers: 108.9 out of 195 total.
Average Putts/GIR rank of top 30 ballstrikers: 106.6 out of 195 total.
Average Putts/GIR rank of top 50 ballstrikers: 113.8 out of 195 total
Conclusion: Top putters in general suck at ballstriking; top ballstrikers in general suck at putting; top-10 ballstrikers suck at putting a little worse than top-10 putters suck at ballstriking. Only 8 players rank in the top-50 for both putts/GIR and GIR.
T10 Tiger Woods 60 1.738 11 COMBINED 21 #1Money
2 Steve Stricker 77 1.727 31 COMBINED 33 #2Money
23 Zach Johnson 86 1.745 25 COMBINED 48 #3Money
T10 Scott Verplank 84 1.738 23 COMBINED 33 #32Money
T36 David Toms 86 1.753 T17 COMBINED 53 #14Money
T25 Stephen Ames 67 1.748 41 COMBINED 66 #62Money
T36 David Berganio 43 1.753 26 COMBINED 62 #202Money
T44 Fred Couples 50 1.758 T36 COMBINED 80 #67Money
QUESTION #3: Which ballstrikers really need help putting -- ballstrikers with top-50 GIRs but putts/GIR over 1.8:
T151 Davis Love III 1.800 2
T151 D.J. Trahan 1.800 12
T155 Scott Sterling 1.802 9
T158 Patrick Sheehan 1.803 21
T160 Rich Beem 1.804 30
165 Kevin Stadler 1.806 32
T167 J.J. Henry 1.809 35
T170 Vijay Singh 1.810 49
T170 Charles Warren 1.810 7
173 Glen Day 1.811 45
T177 Greg Owen 1.814 4
T177 Boo Weekley 1.814 33
180 Jeff Maggert 1.821 19
T183 Kirk Triplett 1.825 29
190 Robert Allenby 1.839 16
T191 Ricky Barnes 1.845 48
T191 Jay Williamson 1.845 3
193 Tom Lehman 1.857 50
QUESTION #4: How do the top 25 on the money list perform with putts/GIR and GIR?
Money Rank Name Events Money Putts/GIR Rank GIR Rank Combined Rank
1 Tiger Woods 16 $9,698,163 10 11 COMBINED 21
2 Steve Stricker 21 $6,062,636 2 31 COMBINED 33
3 Zach Johnson 24 $4,427,213 23 25 COMBINED 48
4 Kenny Perry 23 $4,115,562 94 22 COMBINED 116
5 Phil Mickelson 17 $3,982,755 52 112 COMBINED 164 (overperformed)
6 Sean O'Hair 22 $3,798,993 116 20 COMBINED 136
7 Geoff Ogilvy 19 $3,710,270 25 100 COMBINED 125
8 Jim Furyk 21 $3,514,215 20 95 COMBINED 115
9 Lucas Glover 25 $3,490,080 49 59 COMBINED 108
10 Y.E. Yang 22 $3,339,516 102 43 COMBINED 145
11 Retief Goosen 19 $3,097,650 44 163 COMBINED 207 (overperformed)
12 Nick Watney 22 $3,047,421 89 55 COMBINED 144
13 Brian Gay 24 $3,030,195 15 170 COMBINED 185
14 David Toms 24 $2,835,053 36 17 COMBINED 53 (underperformed)
15 Dustin Johnson 23 $2,815,251 12 61 COMBINED 73 (underperformed)
16 Hunter Mahan 23 $2,737,949 14 52 COMBINED 66 (underperformed)
17 Stewart Cink 21 $2,677,030 89 131 COMBINED 220 (overperformed)
18 Rory Sabbatini 22 $2,607,791 74 117 COMBINED 191
19 Kevin Na 25 $2,604,825 18 72 COMBINED 90 (underperformed)
20 Paul Casey 12 $2,582,181 102 15 COMBINED 117 (underperformed)
21 Angel Cabrera 16 $2,451,472 94 159 COMBINED 253
22 Ian Poulter 17 $2,431,001 63 181 COMBINED 244
23 Jerry Kelly 24 $2,350,530 36 96 COMBINED 132 (underperformed)
24 Pad. Harrington 19 $2,298,377 102 179 COMBINED 281
25 John Rollins 24 $2,229,408 79 131 COMBINED 210
Average COMBINED for top 25 on money list: 146.72. Player who performed better or worse in earnings than the combined play indicates are noted.
Cheers!
Geoff Mangum
Putting Coach and Theorist
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