As the best players on the PGA TOUR enjoy a rare break, Compleat Golfer dishes out five stats from the season that you need to know.
First time’s the charm
There were more than a dozen (14) first-time winners this season. Four short of 2002’s record and tied fourth most since records began in 1970.
Going low (often)
As many as 16 players averaged less than 70 strokes a round for the year. The leader? The reigning FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy at 69.057. The Northern Irishman also led the strokes gained per round category (a staggering 2.551) with the highest total since Tiger Woods achieved 3.189 back in 2009.
Flatstick supremo
Jordan Spieth enhanced his reputation by ending with the most putts made from 25+. He drained 28 of them and also topped the average ‘putt made’ distance at just under five feet. Speaking of that range, Jon Rahm made 98.42% of putts from inside five feet to end the season on top in that category.
60% of the time
Third-round leaders (or co-leaders) won only 25 of 42 tournaments. That number drops to 18 when you look at second-round leaders and just eight for first-round pacesetters. The highest winning score in relation to par? That belongs to Paul Casey, who won the Valspar Championship at eight under par.
Million dollar club
From Nick Watney ($1,008,964) to Brooks Koepka ($9,684,006) and the 110 players in between. The PGA TOUR gave out a lot of money this year.
*** BONUS STAT
Webb Simpson went 361 holes without a three-putt to move top of this class and to sit third in the last 10 years on tour. He remains well off the best-ever mark … that stands at 542 under the name of Freddie Jacobson.
