“Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are pliable.”
— Mark Twain
Looking over the 2016 PGA Tour statistics, something jumped out at me. Statistically, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott enjoyed outstanding years in 2016.
Rory finished 5th in scoring average and 11th in greens in regulation. Adam Scott was even better: 4th in scoring average and 3rd in greens in regulation — a terrific performance.
What stood out? Their putting stats: Rory was ranked 163rd in total putting while Adam was 158th.
Now, there is a problem with putting statistics: the more greens you hit in regulation, the fewer opportunities you’ll have to get the ball up-and-down. You won’t see as many putts inside 5 feet as the player who’s scrambling frequently.
To lend further credence to Mark Twain’s quote above, the PGA Tour’s “putting average“ statistic for the same two players paints a very different picture:
- Rory McIlroy: 19th (tie)
- Adam Scott : 67th (tie)
Regardless, let’s look at several stats for the (15) leading scorers on the PGA Tour in 2016:
| Player | Scoring Rank | Scoring Average | Total Putting Rank | Greens In Reg. Rank | Scrambling Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dustin Johnson | 1 | 69.48 | 42 | 43 | 70 |
| Jason Day | 2 | 69.71 | 1 | 53 | 26 |
| Jordan Spieth | 3 | 69.72 | 8 | 146 | 9 |
| Adam Scott | 4 | 69.8 | 158 | 3 | 74 |
| Rory McIlroy | 5 | 69.97 | 163 | 11 | 88 |
| Phil Mickelson | 6 | 69.97 | 2 | 84 | 4 |
| Steve Stricker | 7 | 69.98 | 20 | 158 | 1 |
| Alex Cejka | 8 | 70.04 | 88 | 39 | 3 |
| Matt Kuchar | 9 | 70.04 | 16 | 44 | 34 |
| Charles Howell III | 10 | 70.07 | 66 | 38 | 44 |
| Roberto Castro | 11 | 70.12 | 116 | 19 | 62 |
| Brooks Koepka | 12 | 70.13 | 46 | 59 | 152 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 13 | 70.15 | 84 | 36 | 46 |
| Patrick Reed | 14 | 70.15 | 44 | 116 | 8 |
| Rickie Fowler | 15 | 70.17 | 35 | 15 | 22 |
In any case, should Rory or Adam happen to get hot with the flat stick in 2017, look out.
— Billy