Examining the PGA Tour’s Major Stat Categories After 5 Weeks

Five events into the PGA Tour season, we’ve learned some truths about a few players which might or might not be debunked over the next six months: Chris Gotterup isn’t a future superstar, he’s already there; Justin Rose can still get it done in his mid-40s; Collin Morikawa could be ready to win a third major championship; and Scottie Scheffler is still the game’s best player, a notion which has only seen more separation between him and everybody else over the past month.

We’re obviously still very early in this year’s schedule, but there’s enough of a sample size for most players that we can at least use this as a checkpoint to understand which guys are excelling in certain areas and which ones still need some work.

Let’s start, as one does, at the tee box.

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

If you’ve been reading my recent tournament previews closely enough, you know that last season’s driving leader in terms of SG: Off the Tee wasn’t Scheffler or Rory McIlroy, but Pierceson Coody, who split time between the PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry circuit.

So far this year, Scheffler has recaptured that crown as the only player gaining more than a full stroke on the field off the tee. That aligns with everything we’ve learned about strokes gained statistics. The long game – not short game and putting – is what separates the game’s best players. Scheffler is the best and so it should come as little surprise that it all starts with the big stick.

It should similarly come as no surprise that most of the other best players off the tee are repeat offenders. Driving is often sustainable, in that it’s very rare – if not impossible – for a player to go from short and crooked one season to long and straight the next. Or vice versa.

That explains why Harris English, Adam Scott and Nicolai Hojgaard are the next three on this list, followed by Gotterup, whose stat profile matches his two victories already this season.

The player in sixth on this list shouldn’t be a shock, either. While Marco Penge hasn’t played his best golf in the U.S. yet, he’s taken his driving prowess with him from the DP World Tour.

And next on this list? Well, I told you this stuff is sustainable. It’s none other than Coody, who’s enjoying a breakthrough campaign so far.

That’s the good news. For others, though, there’s still plenty of work to be done with the driver.

Viktor Hovland was caught on camera at Pebble Beach with what can only be described as swim floaties around his arms as he was attempting to find something on the range. Hey, whatever it takes: He currently ranks 155th off the tee.

Last season, Michael Kim enjoyed a nice resurgence, which was undoubtedly helped by his play off the tee, as his rank of 101st showed him above the average with driver in his hands. So far this season, though, he ranks a mere 166th.

The struggle has been real for Nick Dunlap, who’s dealt with driver yips over the past 12 months. If there’s a saving grace for him, though, perhaps it comes in that he doesn’t rank last in this category, instead just above Frankie Capan III and Pontus Nyholm, as the latter is losing an incredible 2.124 strokes per round off the tee.

Strokes Gained: Approach

Now let’s get to the iron play.

Again, this is a sustainable category. Again, this helps separate the best players. And again, it’s one of the world’s best who’s on top of this list.

Granted, it’s a small sample size for McIlroy, who’s only played four rounds on the PGA Tour so far, but his 1.703 number from Pebble Beach is more than four-tenths of a stroke better than Scheffler’s leading number from last season.

Of those rounding out the top-five, you might be able to name two of ‘em, but I can almost guarantee you wouldn’t get the other two.

Si Woo Kim has been terrific and ranks second this season – or first out of those who have played more than one tournament, if you want to consider McIlroy’s total too small to count.

Matt Fitzpatrick has also been very good lately, parlaying a couple of really good iron performances into top-15 results over the past two weeks.

And then there’s the other two, sandwiched in between those guys: Austin Smotherman and Zac Blair. If you had that on your Bingo card, just go collect your winnings right now.

The big surprise in this category is that Scheffler actually ranks outside the top-50, currently in 51st – behind the likes of Jordan Smith and Adam Svensson. If he’s going to have the kind of historic season many have predicted, the iron game will simply need to be better. And he knows it.

Among those near the bottom, Kevin Yu ranks 154th, despite being sneakily known as one of the better iron players in recent years. Penge sees a major drop-off here, ranking 156th with his new sticks.

And Brian Campbell, a two-time winner last year who often has to counteract his lack of length off the tee with a strong iron game, is only 167th. 

Then there’s poor Nyholm, who backs up his PGA Tour-worst play off the tee by ranking third-to-last in approach, only ahead of Gordon Sargent and Jhonattan Vegas.

Strokes Gained: Around the Green

Now let’s check out the SG: Around the Green category.

This season’s leader is Lanto Griffin, though it might be a bit of fool’s gold, as he’s only played two measured rounds so far. Same goes for Brandt Snedeker in third place on this list.

As I mentioned earlier, short game doesn’t often equate to success, but the other three in the top-five on this list are all world-class players who have a top-five result already this year.

Tommy Fleetwood ranks second, while Hideki Matsuyama (who’s led this season-long category in the past) is fourth and Sepp Straka is fifth.

Others up there on this list who have played well this year include Gotterup at ninth and Scheffler at 11th.

Big-name players who have struggled early with the wedges include (surprisingly) Justin Rose, who at 151st starts a murderer’s row of sorts that leads right to Nico Echavarria, Tom Hoge, Rico Hoey, Corey Conners and finally Michael Brennan at 156th.

Further down the list we find Penge again at 165th and (very surprisingly) Sam Burns at 172nd. Dead last so far is PGA Tour winner William Mouw, whose -1.199 number is more than double that of last season’s last-ranked player.

Strokes Gained: Putting

And finally, let’s get to the flatstick.

If you’ve still got a favorite uncle who loves crowing, “Drive for show, putt for dough!” every time someone makes a 5-footer on TV, just show him the players leading those other lists, then compare ‘em to the guys leading this one.

The best putter statistically so far this season? None other than Kris Ventura, who has a missed cut and T-22 to show for it.

Rounding out the top-five in this category are Davis Riley, Sam Ryder, Matt Kuchar and Zach Johnson – and I’ll save you the Google search: None of them have won in the season’s first five weeks.

In fact, you won’t find a winner until Rose at 19th, followed closely by Scheffler at 28th.

Of those near the top of this list who are having strong seasons so far, Jacob Bridgeman is eighth and Jake Knapp ranks 13th.

Then there’s the other side of this list.

I don’t mean to pick on Penge, whom I predicted for big things this season, but he’s mired at 169th on this list. Just behind him are a couple of guys who were amateur studs, but are now struggling in the big leagues, as Neal Shipley is 176th and Luke Clanton is 177th.

Then there’s a very familiar name toward the bottom. Brooks Koepka was celebrated for his triumphant return to the PGA Tour, but so far – using a blade in his first start and a mallet in his second – the five-time major champion ranks second-to-last in putting, ahead of only Marcelo Rozo.