What does it take to make the cut at a PGA event?

[golf_junkie27]

So, I was a little bored this morning and was somewhat inspired by the thread “If you could shoot even par regularly…” I decided to take a look at just how good PGA Tour players’ scoring average was and broke it down by:

Scoring before the cut

There are quite a few surprises and some not so surprising (Yes, El Tigre is just really that good). First, the overall scoring average before the cut is 69.32. Assuming that par is 72, you’re looking at shooting nearly -3 just to make the cut. Of the 198 players, twelve average a 69, one hundred average a 70, fifty nine average a 71 and 16 average a 72. 112 players are scoring 70 or below before the cut is made. Only 70 players, on average, move on. It’s tight and tough just to make the cut. According to these figures, it seems as though seventy five players, who are scoring either a 71 or 72, have absolutely zero chance of moving on to the weekend. Can you imagine, on average, shooting a 71 before the cut and being told “see you next week?”

To try and see if my theory was valid, I looked up players that averaged 71 or worse before the cut. I looked at the first player to average 71 or worse: Martin Laird. He’s made 9 out of 21 cuts. He has one top ten and three top 25 finishes. He’s made $477K. Ryan Palmer, another player who averages a score of 71 before the cut, is 11 for 23 in cuts made. He has four, Top 25 finishes. He’s made $423K. For the most part, this was the type of player that average a 71 before the cut. However, there are some aberrations on this list. Guys like Phil Mickelson, Stewart Cink, Justin Leonard, Y.E. Yang and Lucas Glover. Three of the four major winners average a 71 before the cut. These four, on average, have made the cut 85% of the time and have earned at least $2.7mm. Yes, they probably play in the better field tournaments/tougher courses and thus the scoring. For the most part, though, guys who score 71 before the cut are bound either for Q school or make you say “Who?” I mean, if you know who Leif Olson is, then you are really a golf fanatic.

As for the list of guys who score 72 or worse, there are a few names that might shock you: Retief Goosen, Geoff Ogilvy , Ben Curtis and Rocco Mediate. Combined, those guy have missed a total of 7 out of 73 cuts. Again, strength of field and tournament is why you’ll see them on this list. However, most of the guys here are guys like Eric Axley (I got stacked!!), Brian Bateman, Matthew Borchert, Greg Kraft, etc. Combined, these guys have made only 18 out of 84 cuts. That’s pretty bad and yet their scoring average, is actually pretty good.

In summary, scoring 71 or 72 is going to allow you the opportunity to make the cut when it’s a tougher course/stronger field. When it’s not, you’re simply going home. Imagine that, most events, 71 or 72 is not going to get you a paycheck. You are going home. Being on the PGA Tour is quite an accomplishment. It’s even more of an accomplishment just to make the cut.

So, what do you think of these guys, now?

[LongballGer]

Nothing new.

Nobody said if you can shoot in the low 70s you'll make it on the pga tour.

If you put in 8+ hours of practice everyday, have sports psychologists, swing coaches, short game coaches, fitness coaches, nutritionists, a caddie and you don't break 70 on relatively easy courses you are going to be disappointed.

[Bluenoser67]

Be in the top 70 or ties.

[laconic517]

I posted in the other thread about it so Ill do it again here since no one replied.

Arent those adjusted scoring averages? They arent pure averages or depending on the tournaments you play you could be way low or way high.

Ya they are the adjusted formula can be found on the web and it has to do with field averages.

Essentially those numbers have no relation to par at all. It just means tiger is several shots better per round on average than the majority of players on tour

[golf_junkie27]

I posted in the other thread about it so Ill do it again here since no one replied.

Those figures are what the scoring average is per round for the first two days of a tournament. Like I wrote, it's the scoring average before the cut and those scoring averages can be very good, say U.S. Open or another tough track or can be very bad, say FBR Open where -22 gets you the win. It's all relative to the tournament.

That said, it's pretty accurate, with some exceptions, of how most players who find themselves shooting 71 or worse missing the cut most of the time. Like I wrote, you have some exceptions but for the most part, you're going home.