The new PGA Tour season is here! That means it’s time to start thinking about what players you’re going to consider every week. Like every sport, golf is packed with important stats that you need to be aware of as things have changed over the years.
If you’ve been playing or watching golf for a while, then you’ve probably heard of stats such as Greens in Regulation and Fairways in Regulation. Then there are putting averages, stats for birdies made, and more. Then there’s the incredible amount of information that can be numbers gleaned from Strokes Gained statistics.
The great thing about golf statistics is that the PGA has all of this information on its website. Head to PGATOUR.com, click on the stats tab, and be prepared to be slightly overwhelmed! They’ve got stats for everything including “streaks” which is one of my favorite categories to look over.
So, to help you cut through the numbers fog, here are the top three PGA Tour stats to pay attention to when betting.
No. 3 – Greens in Regulation
Let’s start with a classic! Greens in Regulation (GIR) is an easy percentage stat to understand. GIR starts on the GIR stroke minus 2 from the hole’s par. If it’s a par 3 hole, it’s expected that the player will hit the green on their tee shot. If a par 4, then the player should be on the green after two strokes, after three strokes on a par-5 hole. That’s all there is to GIR. If any portion of the golf ball touches the putting surface then that ball is on the green. This is an “old-school” stat but you’ll hear TV and radio announcers referring to it frequently.
No. 2 – Scrambling
This is my personal favorite stat. How many times have we watched the game’s great names miss the green in regulation but still walk away with par or better? That’s what scrambling is! The player is off the green in GIR but pulls out a great wedge shot or something to put the ball in play for a stroke-saving putt. Or, the ball rolls in after an awkward chip from the rough after the approach shot lands in the gallery. A player’s ability to “scramble” from around the green without additional strokes is a skill set that wins tournaments.
No. 1 – Strokes Gained
Ok, this is a whole bunch of stats tucked nicely under an umbrella of “strokes gained total” stats. Strokes gained are broken down into areas of the game such as strokes gained off the Tee (SG: OTT) or putting (SG:P) and strokes gained approach (SG: APP), around the green (ARG), and more. Add all of the categories up and that’s called strokes gained Total (SG: TOT) – you get the idea.
Why is this different than GIR and FIR? Here’s this history. Back in 2011 Mark Broadie (Columbia University) turned the light on for stat junkies. Broadie invented the concept of “Strokes Gained” for the PGA TOUR by using real-time ShotLink data which is the way the PGA keeps track of where players hit their shots. His system blows right past FIR and GIR by breaking down the entire game from tee to cup. He also penned the book.
Because SG stats use real-time data, the numbers are more up-to-date and extremely accurate as it analyzes how a player is doing in the rest of the field in several categories. It also takes into consideration how a player does from a hazard or even what type of grass is being played on. Here’s an extremely shortened description of strokes gained categories as I’m completely ignoring all of the math behind strokes gained.
PGA Statistics Explained
Off the Tee (OTT)
Determined by tee shots by a player over the course of a round and is a combination of distance and accuracy.
Approach (APP)
Determined by shots into the green on Par 3s, Par 4s, and Par 5s – closer to the hole drives this stat.
Around the Green (ARG)
Similar to APP but is determined by using shots from inside of 30 yards to the putting surface of the green. Shots from the fairway, hazards, and rough are all considered. Think scrambling.
Putting (P)
Determined by putts starting at 10 feet away using a scale of 1.5 strokes, a player will gain. Plus .5 if they make the putt, minus .5 if they miss the putt.
Tee to Green (T2G)
Determined by every stroke taken from the tee to the green before putting.
Ball Striking (BS)
Determined by combining OTT and APP.
Total (TOT)
Determined by combining all of the SG categories. Then, compare it to the field average.
What Is 3-Ball Betting in Golf?
Choosing Which PGA Stats to Use?
The great thing about golf stats is that they are easy to find. As mentioned above, the PGA website is a treasure trove of information. You can reach stats by visiting the site and clicking on the proper tab. Get ready for a flood of info. And, when you pull up a player by name all of their stats are right there. And there are plenty of other websites that have PGA Tour stats. The issue is what stats should you look over?
The stats I mentioned above are what I tend to lean on. But I never regulate myself to only those. Remember that I also mention that I like diving into the “streaks” section within the stats section on the PGA Tour website? Why? Because when I’m overwhelmed by info, or feel like the normal stats I look to are not working for me, it’s great to check out what type of streaks players are on.
Such as 3 putts, consecutive cuts, sand saves, consecutive GIR and more. I suggest looking over the PGA Tour website and other sources for stats to find what works best for you.
