Category: The Numbers Game

Masters, Big Five Style

The Big 5 are preparing for the Masters in a couple weeks. The numbers give us a bit of insight into what to expect… and don’t think it will be Tiger going low early or Phil finishing like a thoroughbred.

The Numbers GameTiger, Phil, Retief, Vijay, and Ernie. They will all be in Georgia in less than one week, ready to tackle the new and (cough, ahem) “improved” Augusta. While you’re busy contemplating your fantasy team rosters, I’ve compiled a few statistics on these “big five” that may interest you.

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Masters Numbers

The Masters is right around the corner. Here’s a little warmup for some numbers to watch while you watch.

The Numbers GameIt’s that time of year again. The Masters is right around the corner and it is never too early to start talking about the greatest golf tournament in the world.

This week in The Numbers Game, I’m going to share a few numbers from Augusta National, The Masters, and all that it entails. See if you can guess what these numbers mean: 7,445, 73.97, 74, and 32.13. The first two are easy. The second two may test your brain a little. Read on for the answers…

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What’s in the Bag? Volume 2

There are some surprises and some non-surprises in the second volume of “What’s in the Bag?”

The Numbers GameWelcome to the second ever “What’s in the Bag?” here in The Numbers Game. I thought it was time to check the bags of the winners on the PGA Tour again and see where we stand. Last year TaylorMade dominated the clubs when I looked, Odyssey was the putter champion, Cleveland in wedges, and Titleist had grips on the ball category. Read on to see if there have been any changes.

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Pound for Pound and Other Light Facts

You expect big guys to hit it a long way, but sometimes there are some little guys that show a bit of pop. This week we find out who is the longest hitter pound-for-pound on the PGA Tour this year.

The Numbers GameThere are long drivers and there are short drivers of the ball. We had a recent forum discussion about this topic. Fellow staff member Jeff Gladchun was helpful in doing a bit of research and we both thought it might be interesting to share the results.

So who is the longest player pound for pound? What other interesting information did I see when doing this research? Read on to find out…

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Eight Winners by the Numbers

We’ve had eight winners on tour so far and they have been a variety of players… some long, some short. Some people have focused in on one type of player and ignored the rest. The numbers of all eight show us that things really haven’t changed.

The Numbers GameEight tournaments up and eight tournaments down. We’ve had a long hitter (JB Holmes) win at the FBR and a few not-so-long hitters (David Toms, Arron Obelholser) win at Waialae and Pebble Beach. Another thing we’ve also had is a lot of talk, discussion and consternation in our forums and from an old friend.

I’ve taken each winner’s numbers and see if they agree with one side or the other… or even both. Read on to see what it says.

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Michelle Wie and the PGA Tour

Michelle Wie may want to compete on the PGA Tour, but her game does not compare to Tiger, Ernie and Vijay. There are other golfers that she can model her game after if she continues competing against the men.

The Numbers GameSo is it possible? We’ve all had this discussion time and time again and we all know Wie is going to continue to try. After all, her ultimate goal is to play in the Masters. So not only is she going to have to play on the PGA Tour, she is going to have to be very good against those guys as well. I don’t think Hootie is going hand out any special exemptions to the youngster.

The best place to start with Wie is the numbers. There was a recent article by Mike Vitti posted on the PGA Tour’s website that did a great job on her stats and was able to post detailed info. The article ends by giving Michelle a few guys on the PGA tour to model her game after. I agree, but there is a better golfer for Wie to use as an example.

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Exercise

Golf is a great source of exercise. Whether you walk or ride, you are burning calories. The only problem is that we often consume quite a bit on the golf course as well.

The Numbers GameThere are a lot of debates about whether golf is a true “sport.” Tired of hearing people whine, I’ve decided to make “fitness” and “exercise” the focus of this week’s Numbers Game – the true “sport or not” debate can wait for another time.

What is not debatable is the fact that you get quite a bit of exercise in golf-related activities. How much? I’ll break down my previous year and see just how many calories I burned and maybe how to change a few things to burn a few more.

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Tiger and Annika

Tiger and Annika are the most dominant players in the world. If you compare one against the other though, Annika dominantes a bit more but Tiger still leads in major victories.

The Numbers GameTiger and Annika. Annika and Tiger. Either way you look at it, they are the two most dominant golfers in the game today. Period.

My question is who is more dominant? While you can’t send them both out on the course against one another (sorry ladies), you can look at how they did against their peers. I’ve done that, and the results are interesting.

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Myths

Myths are just that until we look a little closer at them. Sometimes they can be busted, sometimes they can be proven… and sometimes they remain that way.

The Numbers GameThere are a few things in golf that are considered – or better yet – assumed to be true. I thought it might be interesting to run down some of these items and find out if they really are true or if the numbers say otherwise. I’m not looking to single out one certain area, but cover a few things that one might take for granted without looking a bit deeper.

Read on to find out if any myths were busted.

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