Opinion & Analysis
A statistical analysis of what makes Jordan Spieth great
This story was selected as one of the 15 best GolfWRX stories of 2015!
With Jordan Spieth winning the first two majors of the year, I am often asked, “What makes him so good?” Spieth’s game seems to puzzle most people as I have had several Tour clients, some of whom have played with Spieth, ask me that question as well. And the typical commentary from announcers and analysts is to the effect of “He’s not great at anything, but he’s not weak at any part of the game either.”
I wanted to give a thorough analysis of Spieth’s 2014-15 season and see what exactly makes the potential Grand Slam winner so good.
For starters, let’s take a look at his scoring metrics (rankings based out of 202 golfers).
The most important statistic with regards to Tour success is Adjusted Scoring Average. Spieth has the lowest Adjusted Scoring Average on Tour. As far as Adjusted Scoring Average goes, Adjusted Par-4 Scoring Average has the strongest correlation of any of the other scoring metrics. In essence, we can see that Spieth’s success is not smoke and mirrors. His weakest scoring metrics is the Adjusted Par-5 Scoring Average where he still ranks 11th. And he does not rank higher most likely due to him not being a bomber off the tee. But, he is still an exceptional player on the par-5’s. Spieth simply makes a ton of birdies and pars and very few bogeys.
Remember when critics said last year that Spieth was “choking” on the weekends? That’s certainly not the case anymore. But the real key to these scoring metrics is his performance in the first two rounds. When it comes to a correlation to total Adjusted Scoring Average, Rounds 1 and 2 have the strongest correlation to Total Adjusted Scoring Average. Rounds 3 and 4 have a significant drop-off in their correlation to a Tour player’s success. As I’ve mentioned many times before, the real “moving day” on Tour occurs on Thursday and Friday and not on Saturday. But, what Spieth does so well is he continues to score better than the field average on the weekend and progresses up the leaderboard or extends his lead.
Driving Metrics
Driving Effectiveness is based on distance (all drives), hit fairway percentage, average distance to the edge of the fairway, hit fairway bunker percentage and missed fairway – other percentage. It is also based on the level of difficulty of the courses the golfer has played. For instance, if two golfers each average hitting 290 yards off the tee, but Player A is playing courses where the average distance is 275 yards off the tee and Player B is playing courses where the average distance is 295 yards off the tee, Player A is actually much longer off the tee than Player B as the average is the baseline to serve the comparison.
Last season, Spieth ranked 88th in Driving Effectiveness. He had issues with his driver head cracking and not being satisfied with the replacement. We can see that by his Hit Fairway Bunker Percentage and Missed Fairway – Other Percentage that he still has some occasional issues off the tee. Last year he was fourth in Tee Shot Aggressiveness which measures how often a player is laying up off the tee. This year he is still quite aggressive, but not nearly as he was last season and perhaps last season’s regression off the tee had something to do with it.
We are in the infancy stages of understanding performance on straightaway versus dogleg par-4s, but it appears that driving ability and curvature of ball flight has something to do with it. Spieth’s performance on dogleg lefts indicate that he prefers to hit a little draw. And his small dip in performance on straight away par-4s indicates that some occasionally errant tee shots pop up from time to time. But overall, he’s still an elite driver of the ball.
The radar metrics above indicate an upward strike. Based on previous data acquired, I would say that Spieth’s attack angle when he is playing in an event is probably in the +1.5 degree to +2.5 degree range.
Related: Understanding dynamic loft, angle of attack and launch angle.
This is critical to understand because if his attack angle was flat (0 degrees) he would likely have the same ranking in driving distance (using traditional driving distance measurement of two drives per round) that he has in club head speed (97th). Instead, he ranks 72nd in the traditional driving distance measurement which more accurately reflects how far he hits the ball when he has the driver in his hands. But, since he is aggressive off the tee and does not leave the driver in the bag very often, he is effectively the 42nd-longest player on Tour despite ranking 97th in club head speed.
There are two other key radar metrics that need to be mentioned. For starters, he hits the ball high. All other things being equal, the numbers have shown over the years that the player that hits it higher on Tour will tend to be more successful. The other is that he generates an adequate spin rate with the driver. Typically the leaders in Driving Effectiveness each year generate roughly 2,400 to 2,800 rpm Spin Rate. While everybody wants high launch and low spin, on Tour there is a negative effect from not generating enough spin with the driver. Lastly, Spieth’s miss bias is 54.7 percent to the right. The most effective drivers of the ball tend to have their miss bias within a 55/45 range.
Approach Shot Metrics
I break the approach shot distances into zones. Here are the zones ranked in order of strongest to weakest correlation to Tour success:
- Red Zone (175-225 yards)
- Yellow Zone (125-175 yards)
- Green Zone (75-125 yards)
- 225-275 Yards Zone
For Tour players, the typical Tour event will usually place emphasis on approach shots from 150-200 yards or 175-225 yards. When we start to get into the majors is when we see more of an emphasis on shots from 175-250 yards. As we can see, Spieth is quite strong from every Approach Shot Zone. It is unique that he performs better from the Red Zone and Green Zone than he does from the Yellow Zone. When that happens, that is usually an indicator that golfer’s driver can go awry on occasion and he is having to hit those Yellow Zone shots from more difficult positions and from more difficult lies.
The metrics above show that Jordan’s approach shot game is not smoke and mirrors. He’s exception from the fairway and the best on Tour from the rough. He has gone for par-5s in two shots 57.53 percent of the time. My calculations based on past 10 seasons of PGA Tour data show that a player of his distance off the tee should be going for par-5s roughly 57 percent of the time. So, Spieth is right on the money with his level of aggressiveness on the par-5s.
Short Game Metrics
The Short Game is where Spieth has improved the most since becoming a professional. He had a good short game in his previous two seasons on Tour, but now it is arguably the best on Tour. Combine that with his iron play which I think is the best part of his game, he’s going to make it very hard for him to make any bogeys. He’s simply hitting too many greens, leaving himself with a lot of makeable birdie putts and when he does miss on the approach, he has the short game to hit it close and almost guarantee the par save.
Putting Metrics
Here is where I find Spieth’s game very interesting. Overall, he’s a decent putter from 5-15 feet, but he’s elite from 15-plus feet. Normally, Tour players do not sustain their ranking in make percentage on putts outside 15 feet for very long. Regardless of their skill level with the putter, most Tour players tend to make a lot of putts outside 15-feet one season, then regress towards the mean the next season. Conversely, they may struggle to make putts from outside 15-feet one season and then progress towards the mean the following season.
The other interesting facet is that usually the putts from outside 15+ feet are birdie putts. But, when we break down Spieth’s putts from 5 to 15 feet between birdie and par+ putts, he is a mediocre birdie putter from that range and one of the very best par putters from that range.
The trend is that good birdie putters tend to have a very aggressive speed and the good par putters tend to be more conservative with their speed. So these numbers indicate that Spieth is aggressive with his speed on putts outside 15+ feet, but more conservative from the 5-15 range. The only other plausible explanation is that Spieth is incredibly clutch with the putter, nailing the bombs for the much needed birdie and drilling those crucial par saves.
Final Synopsis
What makes Jordan Spieth great?
Everything.
He’s a great driver, great iron player, has a great short game and is a great putter. He is far more than being “average” at every part of the game. He’s in the top-90th percentile on Tour in EVERY part of the game that is critical to a Tour player’s success.
There’s no reason why he can’t win the Grand Slam. In fact, I think one of his greatest assets is that he has a game fit for almost any golf course that the Tour players. He can play a bomber course like Augusta and win a precision course like Colonial or Harbour Town where the bombers tend to avoid like the plague because they have to lay up off the tee more often. He has gotten by Augusta and Chambers Bay which clearly favored the long hitter, so St. Andrews and Whistling Straits are there for the taking.
If there is a concern about Spieth it would be his putting from 3 to 15 feet. His putting from 3-5 feet has been poor and he has struggled to make birdie putts from 5-15 feet. If he doesn’t quite have it with the par putts from 5-15 feet, I could see him losing a major because he can’t quite get the putter going. But other than that, he has as legitimate of a chance of winning the Grand Slam.
Related: Jordan Spieth WITB 2015
Opinion & Analysis
Brandel Chamblee PGA Championship Q&A: Rose’s huge McLaren risk, distracted LIV pros and why Aronimink suits the bombers
PGA Championship week is here, and Brandel Chamblee did not hold back in our latest discussion ahead of the season’s second major.
In our 2026 PGA Championship Q&A, golf’s leading analyst made the case that PIF pulling LIV’s funding has left its players competing in a state of confusion, called Justin Rose’s mid-season equipment switch a huge risk at 45, and explained why Aronimink will be a bombers’ delight this week.
Check out the full Q&A below.
Gianni: With the PIF confirming that they’re pulling funding from LIV at the end of the season, what impact do you expect that to have on the LIV players competing at the PGA Championship?
Brandel: I would imagine that they have all been thrown into a state of confusion, and will be distracted, not knowing where they are going to play next year and not knowing exactly their road back to either the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour. Or in Rahm’s case, being tied to a sinking ship for the next few years, likely playing for pennies on the dollar in events that no one cares about or watches.
I doubt this would put him in the best frame of mind to compete at his highest level. Keeping in mind, however, that majors are the only time that LIV disciples get to play in events that matter, so never disregard the motivation they have to prove to the world they are still relevant.
Gianni: Justin Rose switched to McLaren Golf equipment mid-season while playing some of the best golf of his career. What do you make of the change?
Brandel: I don’t really know what to make of Rose switching equipment. It seems a huge risk on his part, even though it is likely, in my opinion, that the clubs he’s playing are similar, if not the exact grinds, to what he was playing previously, with a McLaren stamp on them.
Having said that, at best, it is a distraction when he seemed to be as dialed in with his game as any 45-year-old could be and trending in the majors to perhaps do something that would definitely put him in the Hall of Fame. At worst, given the possibility that these clubs aren’t just duplicates of his old set stamped with McLaren on them, he’s made an equipment change that would take time, and 45-year-old athletes don’t have the time to do such things.
Gianni: Aronimink has only hosted a handful of professional events since it hosted the 1962 PGA Championship. What kind of test does it present, and does a course with less recent major championship history tend to level the playing field?
Brandel: Even though Aronimink has only hosted a handful of meaningful professional events, it has been fairly discerning in who can win there. When Keegan Bradley won the BMW Championship on the Donald Ross masterpiece in 2018, he was the 2nd best iron player on tour coming into that week. When Nick Watney won the AT&T at Aronimink in 2011, he was 2nd in strokes gained total coming into the week.
In 2020, Aronimink hosted the KPMG Championship, and Sei Young Kim won. On the LPGA that year, she was first in greens in regulation, putts per green in regulation, and scoring average on the way to being the LPGA player of the year. And then there is the 1962 PGA Championship won by Gary Player, who eventually became just one of a few players to win the career grand slam on the way to winning 9 majors. It is a formidable test, and if it’s not softened by rain, it will bring out the best in the upper echelons of the game.
Gianni: Is there a specific hole at Aronimink that you think will do the most to decide the winner?
Brandel: The hardest hole at Aronimink in each of the three tour events that have been played there since 2010 has been the long par-3 8th hole, with the par-4 10th being the second hardest, so most of the carnage will happen around the turn, but with the par-5 16th offering opportunities for bold plays and the tough closing holes at 17 and 18, the finish is likely to be frenetic.
Gianni: The PGA Championship has always sat in the shadow of the other majors. What does the ideal PGA Championship look like in your eyes, and what would it take for it to carve out its own identity?
Brandel: The PGA Championship, to whatever degree it suffers from the comparison to the other three majors, is still counted just as much when adding them up at the end of one’s career. Almost 1/3 of Nicklaus’ major wins were the five PGA Championships he won. Walter Hagen won 11 majors, five of which were PGA Championships.
Tiger Woods twice in his career won back-to-back PGA Championships, and those four majors count just as much as the other 11 he won. The PGA may not have the prestige of the other three, but it carries the same weight. Having said that, I preferred the identity that it had as the last major of the year.
Gianni: You nailed your Masters picks. Rory won, Scottie finished solo second, and Morikawa surged to a tie for seventh. Who are your top 3 picks for the PGA Championship and why?
Brandel: I am not a huge fan of majors played on golf courses that have been shorn of most of the trees, although I understand some of the agronomic reasons for doing so and of course the ease with which it allows members to play after errant drives. However, at the highest level, it all but eliminates any strategy off the tee and turns professional golf into an even bigger slugfest. That means that it will likely be a bomber’s delight this week, but fortunately, Scottie Scheffler is long enough to play that game and straight enough to play it better than anyone else.
The major championships give us very few surprises anymore, going back to the beginning of 2012, so the last 57 majors played, the average world rank of the winners has been better than 15th in the world. So look at the highest ranked and longest drivers who are on form coming into the PGA Championship who also have great short games as the surrounds at Aronimink are very challenging. That’s Scottie Scheffler by a mile and then McIlroy and Cameron Young with a far bigger nod towards DeChambeau than I gave him at the Masters.
In this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, we dive into one of the most interesting flatstick releases of the year with a full review of the new TaylorMade SYSTM 2 putters. After spending time on the greens, I break down what makes this design stand out, where it performs, and why it has me completely torn between loving it and fighting it. If you are into feel, alignment, and consistency, this is one you will want to hear about.
We also take a look at some of the putters in play on the PGA Tour last week. From familiar favorites to a few surprising setups, there is always something to learn from what the best players in the world are rolling with under pressure.
To wrap things up, I walk through the process of building a set of JP Golf Prime irons paired with Baddazz Gold Series shafts. From component selection to performance goals, this is a deep dive into what goes into creating a unique custom set and why this combo has been so intriguing.
This year my 50th birthday. Gosh, where has the time gone?
As a teenager in rural Missouri, some of my junior high and high school years felt interminable. Graduation seemed light years away. But the older I get, the faster life seems to fly by.
I’m also increasingly aware of my mortality. My dad died recently. Earlier this year, a friend and fellow PGA of America professional and I were texting about our next catch-up. The next message I received was news of his unexpected passing at 48. Shortly after, a woman I dated in college succumbed to cancer at 51.
Certainly, one can share perspective at any age. Seniors help freshmen, veterans guide rookies. But reaching this milestone feels like as good a time as any to do one of those “what would I tell my younger self?” articles.
I’ve had a uniquely varied career in golf. I started as a 27-year-old, average-length-hitting, 14-handicap computer engineer and somehow managed to turn pro before running out of money, constantly bootstrapping my way forward. I’ve won qualifiers and set venue records in the World Long Drive Championships, finished fifth at the Speedgolf World Championships, coached all skill levels as a PGA of America professional, built industry-leading swing speed training programs for Swing Man Golf, helped advance the single-length iron market with Sterling Irons®, caddied on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, and played about 300 courses across 32 countries.
It’s been a ride, and I’ve gone both deep and wide.
So while I can consult and advise from a lot of angles, let me keep it to a few things I’d tell the average golfer who wants to improve.
1. Think About What You Want
Everyone has their own reason for picking up a golf club.
Oddly, as a professional athlete, I’m not internally driven by competition. That can be challenging, as the industry currently prioritizes and incentivizes competition over the love of the game.
For me, I love walking and being outdoors. Nature helps balance my energy. I prefer courses that are integrated into the natural beauty of their surroundings. I’m comfortable practicing alone. I’m a deep thinker, and I genuinely enjoy investigating the game, using data and intuition to unearth unique, often innovative insights. I’m fortunate to be strong and athletic, so I appreciate the chance to engage with my abilities. Traveling feels adventurous. I could go on.
You don’t have to overthink it like I do. For you, it might be as simple as hitting balls to escape work, hanging out with friends, and playing loosely with the rules and the score.
The point is to give yourself permission to play for your own reasons, and let that be enough.
But if improvement is your goal, thinking about your destination—and when you want to get there—is important, because it dictates the steps you need to take. When I set out to go from a 14-handicap to the PGA TOUR as quickly as possible, the steps I needed were very different from those of a working golfer trying to break 90 in six months. That’s also different from someone who just wants a few peaceful hours outside each week, away from work or family.
None of these goals are better than the others, but each requires a different plan that you can work backward from.
2. There Are Lots of Things That Can Work
One of the challenges of golf is that, although there are rules for playing, there aren’t clear, industry-wide standards for how to best play the game. There’s a lot of gray area.
You might hear a top coach or trainer insist that a certain move is the best way to swing or train. Then you dig a bit deeper and, much to your confusion and frustration, another respected coach or trainer says something completely different. I don’t think anyone is trying to confuse you—at least I hope not. It’s just where the industry is right now.
You have to be careful with advice from tournament pros, too. They might be great at scoring, but they’re also human and sometimes just as susceptible as amateurs to believing things that don’t really move the needle. Tour players might describe what they feel, but that’s not always what they’re actually doing when assessed with technology.
I recently ran a test on my YouTube channel (which connects to my GolfWRX article “How to use your hands in the golf swing for power and accuracy”), and, interestingly, two of the most commonly taught hand actions produced the worst results in the test.
Coaches can certainly help. If you find someone you connect with to help navigate, that’s great. But there are many ways to get the ball in the hole. In the current landscape, you may need to seek multiple opinions, think critically, and use your own intuition to discern what seems true and whose advice resonates with you.
I’d recommend seeking someone who is open-minded and always learning, because things constantly change. Absolutes like “correct” or “proper” should raise a red flag. AI can be useful, but it tends to confidently repeat popular advice, so proceed with caution.
3. Get Custom Fit
If you’re serious about becoming a better player, getting custom fit is hugely important. There’s no sense fighting your equipment if you don’t have to. Most better players get fit these days and, if they don’t, they’re usually skilled enough to work around clubs that aren’t ideal.
If you plan to play for a long time, it’s worth spending a little more upfront to get something that truly fits you and your game, rather than continually buying and discarding equipment.
Equipment rules haven’t really changed significantly since the early 2000s. To stay in business, manufacturers keep pushing those limits. If you pull a bunch of clubs and balls off the rack and test them, you’ll find differences. I’ve tested two new drivers and seen a 30-yard total distance gap. Usually, the issue isn’t bad equipment; it’s that the combination of components simply isn’t the best fit.
It’s like wearing a new pair of floppy clown shoes. Sure, they’re shoes—but you won’t sprint your best in them compared to track shoes that fit perfectly.
Be wary of what’s called custom fitting, too. Sometimes the term is used as a marketing strategy rather than an actual fitting. In some retail settings, fitters may be incentivized to steer you toward higher-priced components. That doesn’t automatically mean it’s not the best fit, but you should be aware of potential biases.
I learned a version of this lesson outside of golf. Years ago, I bought a tennis racquet at a big box store from a seemingly knowledgeable employee who thought it would suit me best. The racquet gave me tennis elbow, and I spent months recovering with rest and acupuncture. The next season, I invested more time and money to find what actually fit me, and I walked away with something amazing that I still play with years later.
So if you’re going to get fit, be smart about it.
Find someone you believe has deep knowledge—possibly with certifications, but not necessarily. Make sure there’s a wide inventory across many brands. Check recent reviews for the individual fitter if possible. Make sure you trust that the fitter has your best interests at heart. If they’re wearing a hat or shirt with a specific brand’s logo, proceed with caution. Unless you specifically want a certain brand or look, be wary of upsells, especially if two options perform nearly the same.
Also, while golf is called a sport of integrity, there’s a thread of manipulation in the industry. I once drafted an equipment article for an industry magazine, structured just like one of their previous popular stories, with matching word count and great photos. The assistant editor loved it; it was useful to readers and required little work on his part. But the editor-in-chief nixed the story. When I asked why, I was told it was because I wasn’t an advertiser. It turned out the article I’d modeled mine after was a paid ad cleverly disguised as editorial content.
I really dislike games, clickbait, and fear-based manipulation. I hope this changes, but golfers deserve to know it exists.
4. Distance and Strategy Matter
There’s a real relationship between how far you hit the ball and your scoring average, even at the PGA TOUR level.
I experienced this early in my pro career. I started as a power hitter, swinging in the high 120s and breaking 200 mph ball speed with a stock driver.
Back then, some instructors advised swinging at 80%, so I tried slowing down for more accuracy. That worked fine on shorter, tighter courses. But on longer setups, I was coming into greens with too much club, and par 5s stopped being
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Andy
Jul 23, 2015 at 5:14 pm
Hi Rich,
Awesome insight from some very interesting analysis. Wondering, where do you get the data for your analysis?
Thanks!
golfiend
Jul 2, 2015 at 11:52 am
I think it can be a fun endeavor, but we tend to over-analyze golf. I’ve even seen amateurs do this which sometimes seems to take the fun out of playing golf (but I think they get some fun out of pretending they are a pro). But this statement says it all, “Spieth simply makes a ton of birdies and pars and very few bogeys.”
Paul Burke
Jul 2, 2015 at 9:36 am
Jordan is playing extremely well at this time. He deserves to be #1 because of his consistency of play. Love your analysis.
Jerome Marquez
Jul 2, 2015 at 9:34 am
Hi Rich, this is Jerome from jeromemarquez.com. Great analysis!
Clearly Jordan’s confidence is extremely high and this contributes significantly towards the achievement of the stats depicted above. In my view, his consistency of play is to be commended and kudos must be given to his caddie and instructing team (coach, family etc.). Far too often we tend to forget how critical a good caddie and support team is towards the success of their ‘bag’.
I remember when Stephen Ames won the 2006 Player’s Championship and, while be broadcast on TV, you heard his caddie (his brother Robert Ames) say in the background “Now just go out and have fun with the shot”. This was his approach shot to the 18th green on the final day. Now who would not feel good about and with themselves when you have a caddie that is just amazing. (BTW, I am not a caddie. 🙂 )
KK
Jul 1, 2015 at 11:06 pm
I like Jordan’s old man game. Seems like it will stand the test of time. What will be his major/win total by the time he’s done with the PGA? i think it could be 12/40.
Matt
Jul 1, 2015 at 4:44 pm
To have said Spieth is not great at anything but has no real weakness was not to say every aspect of his game is average. There is a lot of room between average and great.
When people ask what has made Spieth so successful, the best (short) answer borne out by your analysis is “He has a great short game, and is very good with his irons” No need to devote three paragraphs to “He scores lower than most”. “He is the very best out of the rough” is a little more interesting, but still not very satisfying.
The question here is how you define “great”. Is a “great” driver or “great” putter one who ranks in the top 20 or so players during a given season, or might that be more aptly described as “strong” or “very good”? If you did a similar analysis on Tiger when he was most dominant would we be surprised to learn he ranked no better than about third to 20th in driving, putting, or approach shots, or that he was at the top in only one little-known stat? I’d find that very interesting.
Richie Hunt
Jul 1, 2015 at 11:26 pm
I did an analysis of Tiger’s game throughout the years which can be found here: http://www.golfwrx.com/240225/hunt-advanced-break-down-of-tigers-stats-under-harmon-haney-and-foley/
During the Harmon years (with the data we have), he was the best driver on Tour. During the Haney years, his iron play was unparalleled and his putting stepped up tremendously, but his driving started to suffer. With somebody like Rory, he a decent putter at best and typically decent in the Short Game and struggles from the Green Zone. So, it’s rare to see somebody this good at everything.
Matt
Jul 1, 2015 at 3:44 pm
When people ask what aspects of his game make Spieth so great, I’d say the best (short) answer borne out by your analysis is that he has a GREAT short game. I don’t think devoting three paragraphs to “He scores lower than most” is really necessary. “He’s the very best out of the rough” is a more unexpected conclusion, but still not very satisfying.
To say he’s not great at anything but has no real weaknesses does not imply “every part of his game is average”. There’s lots of room between average and great.
As I see it, the problem is how does one define ”great”. Is a “great” driver or “great” putter, etc, one who ranks in the top 20 or so players in a particular season, or might that be more typically classified as “very good”? If we did the same sort of analysis of Tiger’s game when he was most dominant, would we learn that he also ranked no better than about 3rd to 20th in driving, putting, or approach shots? I’d find that very interesting
BTooth
Jul 1, 2015 at 10:03 am
Awesome article. I’m wondering how his averages compare with his major win stats? As Rory once said, he’d rather win 3 tournaments and miss 3 cuts than make 6 cuts and get 6 top 10s.
Rich Hunt
Jul 1, 2015 at 1:45 pm
Unfortunately, ShotLink is not available at the Masters, US Open and British Open. They did make it available for the PGA Championship last year.
Martin
Jul 1, 2015 at 1:06 am
Great article, Rich! Numbers always eliminate speculation and I am a big fan of sports metrics. It would be interesting to see the same numbers for Rory McIlroy just to get a feel of who’s better at what. Any chance you do so a side-by-side comparison? Thanks!
Rich Hunt
Jul 1, 2015 at 9:10 am
I’ve been getting requests for this, so I will probably do this in my next article.
Jp
Jul 1, 2015 at 12:36 am
Great spadework, Richie!
In your estimation, who on Tour comes in a distant second to YJS in all-round game according to many of the similar metrics from the article above?
Rich Hunt
Jul 1, 2015 at 9:09 am
Right now, McIlroy. McIlroy is a slightly better driver. Spieth is a better putter and is significantly better from the Green Zone (although that won’t game him many strokes since it is a small part of the game).
NYKnuckleballer
Jun 30, 2015 at 8:42 pm
I think golf has a huge ball park factor similar to Colorado Rockies players back in the day. Did you compare / sorta / crunch Spieth’s numbers versus the playing field for the tourneys he played? As you said, driving distances go down at Harbor Town and go way up at Kapalua.
Rich Hunt
Jul 1, 2015 at 9:08 am
All of my data, from Driving Effectiveness, to Zone play to Short Game and of course, Strokes Gained – Putting accounts for the fields and events they have played in.
JP Leahy
Jun 30, 2015 at 6:36 pm
Are there similar stats for Rory available?
Richie Hunt
Jun 30, 2015 at 8:17 pm
I have Rory’s stats as well. Maybe in a later date I will write an article on him.
Pat M
Jun 30, 2015 at 10:55 pm
Rory and Jordan are a great contrast and we are lucky to have both of them at young ages for years of entertainment. Rory is an amazing bomber and when he is on – he is arguably the best player in the world by far.
Jordan is so consistent it is frightening. Week in and week out. In 2014 at 20 years old, he was second place at the Masters and could have won it. The next year he dominates the Masters.
DaveD
Jun 30, 2015 at 3:20 pm
This is tangential, but an important aspect of his game that helps with his success is one you can’t measure- attitude. Doesn’t swear after a bad shot, throws his clubs, tweets his issues with the tournament, or complain about the course. Just goes out and plays his game, works the problems after a bad shot, and shows his respect for the audience and the game. An excellent role model for the kids that golf is trying to attract.
Rich Hunt
Jun 30, 2015 at 4:13 pm
I agree. It’s funny because here’s a 21-year old kid that has won the first 2 majors of the season (1 in convincing fashion) and has a great shot at winning the Grand Slam and you don’t hear much about it. If it were Tiger at 30 years old or Rory, the hype surrounding it would be far more intense. Instead, he just seems to go about his business and keep the hysteria to a minimum. He doesn’t seem to let things fluster him.
Pat M
Jun 30, 2015 at 4:37 pm
Jordan also finished second at the Masters last year and could have won it.
My friend was a big Tiger fan. During Chambers Bay, he finally wrote off Tiger. He made switch to Jordan after the win at Chambers Bay. He put all of his TW gear on ebay and bought all Jordan Under Armour clothes. Apparently, a lot of Tiger fans are moving to Jordan.
Adam
Jun 30, 2015 at 9:11 pm
I’m almost there. Tiger’s golf game isn’t there right now. I don’t doubt he’ll make a small resurgence but he is past his prime so for the long term, I think Jordan is the new favorite.
prime21
Jul 1, 2015 at 7:01 am
Obviously, your friend was NOT a BIG Tiger fan. His actions sound more like an obsessive stalker than they do fan. Does he have the orange Rickie Fowler outfit too? Or was that just a crush?
Pat M
Jul 3, 2015 at 11:03 am
No. He is just one of those fan boy types who likes winners. He said that Tiger is now probably ranked 215th in the world now. He said that makes him a loser and he does not wear loser clothes. Yeah he is a jacked up but fan boys are like that.
Tony P
Jun 30, 2015 at 2:57 pm
We really don’t need to see these stats to know that the kids is a flat out winner! Nuff said
jedidiah's grandmother
Jun 30, 2015 at 1:58 pm
oh richie, plop your sweet cheeks on my face
Dave S
Jun 30, 2015 at 1:45 pm
I really wonder if his technique of looking at the hole on short putts has anything to do with his poor performance for that metric. You don’t really see any other tour pros doing that, and considering that he’s worse from 3-5 ft than 88% of pros, maybe he should re-think that strategy. Of course it’s very easy to armchair quarterback. In all likliehood I have no idea what I’m talking about 🙂
Great article btw, I love statistics and your commentary and analysis added a lot of value.
BTooth
Jul 1, 2015 at 10:00 am
It is weird, but if you’ve ever suffered from the affliction known as the yips, you’d know that he’d putt with his eyes closed before he’d putt from 3-5 feet under pressure looking at the ball and his putter head. He could possibly fight through it, but my guess is that this statistic would probably get worse if he didn’t use this technique.
astrang0327
Jun 30, 2015 at 1:43 pm
Great article Richie. His 155th ranking in “make % on birdie putts from 5-15 feet” indicates that he’s actually leaving a ton of birdies out on the course doesn’t it?
Rich Hunt
Jun 30, 2015 at 2:20 pm
Sorta.
If he was at the Tour average from those distances, he would have made 7 more birdies for the entire year so far. So on one hand, that’s not much more. But, 7 strokes over the course of the season typically equates to more money being made than most people think. However, he’s already made so much money I’m not sure how much it would help him. Lots of factors involved to determine the real value of his ‘struggles’ on birdie putts from 5-15 feet.
Tom
Jun 30, 2015 at 1:41 pm
He is 42nd in total driving not driving distance.
Rich Hunt
Jun 30, 2015 at 2:16 pm
He’s 42nd in driving distance on ‘all drives’: http://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.317.html
I don’t use ‘Total Driving’ since it is a mathematically flawed and incomplete metric. I used ‘Driving Effectiveness’ instead to best determine a player’s effectiveness off the tee.
marionmg
Jun 30, 2015 at 12:54 pm
So basically be 2nd on tour in birdies and don’t make bogies. Now I see why he’s winning everything!