Tour Golf stats last 20 years

[CMAC]

Heres a very interesting link to a stats comparison for the last 20 years....

Despite all the innovative new technology the summary is...
Driving distance, better- no surprise
Driving accuracy, worse
GIR, worse
Scrambling, worse
Putts per round, better
Scoring average, marginally better last 10 yrs

Link http://americangolf.globalgolfpost.com/americangolf/20120123/?pg=17&pm=1&u1=friend

 

[Monty_Brown]

Interesting. I know technology has played a big part in pros hitting it further, but I also think pros simply hit it harder these days. I mean they still have technically amazing swings, but the likes of Rory have a right old lash at the ball. Is that why they are more wayward?

Also of course, longer distance off the tee allows less marging for error on hitting fairways.

Then to conteract the perceived "threat" of longer hitting, tournament organsiers increase rough height and green speeds, hence worse GIR, and scrambling?

But greens are truer, so putting stats get better?

Total specualtion on my part. Anyone have any proper theories? :mmm:

 

[Philm]

courses are longer.

Phil

 

[Scottjd1]

Wait till they add in Steves 325 yard drives - all on the fairway.

 

[Mattyboy]

Its techology and rules changes IMO.

Sure, technology has made driving longer. Previously, the cost for missing fairways was little. Higher spinning balls initially were then followed by lower spinning balls but square grooves (hence restoring the higher spin rate). Now we have a case of neither high spin balls or square grooves - hence scrambling is affected also.

Interesting to see the changes in putting (probably due to a combination of technology and green care advances).

 

[HogansAlley]

I wonder if more professionals hit irons off the tee back in 1991. You don't see it quite as much these days. I remember Faldo hitting a 1 iron off just about every tee in the 1990 US Open.

It was harder to hit a straight drive back then, so players hit long irons. Courses are so much longer now, so players have to the driver more often. Even taking into account how much straighter modern drivers hit the ball, it may still have led to a decrease it the percentage of fairways hit.

Just a thought. Interesting stats.