Who Played the majors the best in 2012?

[Monte the Bear]

Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics. Well, I love 'em.

From all of the players that tee'd it up at Augusta thru to Kiawah, only 12 players made the cut in all events. In order

Adam Scott - -6 for all 16 rounds

Graham McDowell - -4

Ian Poulter - -1

Paddy Harrington - +3

Tiger Woods - +5

Jason Dufner & Jim Furyk - +8

Steve Stricker - +12

Freddie Jacobsen +16

Keegan Bradley & Frank Molinari - +20

Zach Johnson - +26

If only Adam Scott had a better caddie.

[MEfree]

I would throw Ernie Els into that discussion, but unfortunately the guys at Augusta didn`t think he was good enough to play.

He captured a title and beat Adam Scott in 2 of the 3 majors they both played.

[k-troop]

Agreed that it was Ernie; he should have been in the Masters.  Your list doesn't include a winner; I don't think you can say someone "played the majors the best" without winning one.

[Monte the Bear]

Well, as I said, it's all about the stats of those who played all of them - there was a reason Els never made Augusta and generally that's because you didn't win or were not in the top 50. Only three of these players shot 3 of the 4 Majors under par - Scott, Poulter and Mc Dowell, so as far as consistency goes, I'd say they played better over the 4 tournaments.

[colin007]

What would be the average finish for these guys?

[sean_miller]

Call me crazy but making cuts in all 4 majors is not better than contending (being in the discussion on the final day) in a couple and winning one.

[David in FL]

I would throw Ernie Els into that discussion, but unfortunately the guys at Augusta didn`t think he was good enough to play. He captured a title and beat Adam Scott in 2 of the 3 majors they both played.

I agree. Ernie. I'll add though that "good enough to play" isn't one of the selection criteria by which Masters invitations are extended..... Ernie didnt meet the criteria and the tournament committee didn't make an exception for him.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Monte the Bear

Well, as I said, it's all about the stats of those who played all of them - there was a reason Els never made Augusta and generally that's because you didn't win or were not in the top 50. Only three of these players shot 3 of the 4 Majors under par - Scott, Poulter and Mc Dowell, so as far as consistency goes, I'd say they played better over the 4 tournaments.

I'd say that Poulter, McDowell, and Scott were definitely the best . . . of the guys who didn't win any, because winning one is better than contending in 4.

[Monte the Bear]

But I didn't say contending. I said playing. I mean, all best to Bubba Watson and all that, but there's a man who has gone off the boil since winning.

BTW here's how they stack up over the 4 majors

Scott A - Masters -4 US Open +6 British -6 PGA -2

McDowell G -2, +2, -2, -2

Poulter I -5. +11. -3, -4

Harrington P -4, +7, -3. -2

Woods T +5, +7 -3, -2

Dufner J +1, +3, +3, +1

Furyk J -3, +3, +4, +4

Stricker S +7, +6, +2 -3

Jacobsen F Par, +6, +7, +3

Bradley K, +2, +18, +4, -4

Molinari F Par, +9, +5, +6

Johnson Z +3, +11, Par, +12

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Monte the Bear

But I didn't say contending. I said playing. I mean, all best to Bubba Watson and all that, but there's a man who has gone off the boil since winning.

BTW here's how they stack up over the 4 majors

Scott A - Masters -4 US Open +6 British -6 PGA -2

McDowell G -2, +2, -2, -2

Poulter I -5. +11. -3, -4

Harrington P -4, +7, -3. -2

Woods T +5, +7 -3, -2

Dufner J +1, +3, +3, +1

Furyk J -3, +3, +4, +4

Stricker S +7, +6, +2 -3

Jacobsen F Par, +6, +7, +3

Bradley K, +2, +18, +4, -4

Molinari F Par, +9, +5, +6

Johnson Z +3, +11, Par, +12

I suppose statistically (points system?) you have a point, but I wonder if Scott would trade his 2012 major season with Watson or Simpson?

[Monte the Bear]

I'm sure he would. But that's not the point of the thread.

[MEfree]

Originally Posted by Monte the Bear

I'm sure he would. But that's not the point of the thread.

If the point of the thread is that Scott had the lowest total score for 16 rounds, then the rest of us shouldn`t have bothered posting.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by k-troop

Agreed that it was Ernie; he should have been in the Masters.  Your list doesn't include a winner; I don't think you can say someone "played the majors the best" without winning one.

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Call me crazy but making cuts in all 4 majors is not better than contending (being in the discussion on the final day) in a couple and winning one.

Originally Posted by Monte the Bear

I'm sure he would. But that's not the point of the thread.

I have to agree with ktroop (also mefree up there) and Sean.  You can add up the scores all day long for everybody who did not win one and compare them to each other, but the extra weight for a win is too much to ignore.  Heck, even if Adam Scott came in second in all four and lost them all in a playoff, I'd have a hard time saying he played the best in the majors over whichever of the 4 winners played the best in the others.

Bubba did nothing after the Masters, and Webb and Rory didn't do a whole lot outside of their wins, so I would agree that Ernie Els (started last day of US Open in 4th, and finished somewhere in the top 10) played the majors the best overall this year.

[David in FL]

I'm sure he would. But that's not the point of the thread.

What is the point of the thread? I thought it was, who played the best overall in the majors....? Now the question is, what defines best? Can you be best without a win? Maybe with 4 2d's.....

[Monte the Bear]

No, as I stated at the start of the thread, I was not being subjective, I did not proffer an opinion, only the facts of the stats of who played the best golf over the 4 majors. The only stat that looks a bit skewed is Bradley's +18 at the US Open, whch may indicate he tanked his last round (he shot 77 to finish 3rd from last).

[Monte the Bear]

Originally Posted by colin007

What would be the average finish for these guys?

Good question, here's the answer

Poulter I 69.50

Scott A 71.00

Harrington P 71.25

Stricker S 71.50

McDowell G & Bradley K 71.75

Furyk J 72.00

Dufner J 72.50

Woods T & Molinari F 73.00

Jacobsen F 73.25

Johnson Z 74.25

[colin007]

Originally Posted by Monte the Bear

Good question, here's the answer

no, i meant position of finish, like 3rd place, tenth, etc...

[k-troop]

Originally Posted by Monte the Bear

No, as I stated at the start of the thread, I was not being subjective, I did not proffer an opinion, only the facts of the stats of who played the best golf over the 4 majors. The only stat that looks a bit skewed is Bradley's +18 at the US Open, whch may indicate he tanked his last round (he shot 77 to finish 3rd from last).

Then why did you add a question mark?  "Who played the best in the majors?"

Your title should be changed to:  "If the majors were combined into a single 16-round tournament, here is how the top-10 would have looked."  That would have received 1 response, maybe.