This article is part of our PGA Tour Stats Review series.
PGA TOUR STATS: The Masters
Each week we'll list the statistical breakdown of the upcoming PGA Tour event. Below are the results of last week's Houston Open and the top finishers from last year's Masters. For last year's full-season results, go here.
2012 PGA Tour Events
| EVENT | WINNER | DRIVE | DRIVE | DRIVE | DRIVE | GIR | GIR | STK GN | PUTTS | EAGLES | BIRDIE | BOGEY | DBL BOG |
| %of56 | RNK | DIS | DIS RNK | %of72 | RNK | /PUTT | RNK | ||||||
| TOC | Stricker -23 | 66.7 | 11 | 268.3 | 15 | 81.9 | 13 | 1.25 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 3 | 1 |
| Sony | Wagner -13 | 41.1 | 56 | 276.4 | 68 | 70.8 | 10 | 1.58 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 8 | 0 |
| Humana | M. Wilson -24 | 74.1 | 18 | 279.3 | 69 | 80.6 | 73 | 1.04 | 4 | 2 | 24 | 4 | 0 |
| Farmers | Snedeker -16 P1 | 58.9 | 13 | 284.8 | 47 | 70.8 | 33 | 1.03 | 12 | 0 | 24 | 8 | 0 |
| Phoenix | K. Stanley -15 | 60.7 | 24 | 287.5 | 70 | 79.2 | 3 | 1.14 | 11 | 2 | 18 | 7 | 0 |
| Pebble Bch | Mickelson -17 | 61.8 | 62 | 272.8 | 58 | 75.0 | 3 | 3.33 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 4 | 0 |
| Nor. Trust | Haas -7 P1 | 55.4 | 50 | 279.8 | 30 | 50.0 | 58 | 2.25 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 10 | 0 |
| Mayakoba | Huh -13 P1 | 73.2 | 8 | 279.3 | 44 | 81.9 | 1 | N/A | 28 | 1 | 18 | 5 | 1 |
| Honda | McIlroy -12 | 60.7 | 37 | 297.6 | 8 | 66.7 | 10 | 1.57 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 0 |
| WGC-Cad. | Rose -16 | 57.1 | 78 | 290.0 | 28 | 65.3 | 17 | 0.11 | 33 | 0 | 23 | 7 | 0 |
| Transitions | Donald -13 P1 | 73.1 | 9 | 261.1 | 75 | 66.7 | 43 | 2.59 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 0 |
| Arnold Palmer | Woods -13 | 64.3 |
PGA TOUR STATS: The Masters
Each week we'll list the statistical breakdown of the upcoming PGA Tour event. Below are the results of last week's Houston Open and the top finishers from last year's Masters. For last year's full-season results, go here.
2012 PGA Tour Events
| EVENT | WINNER | DRIVE | DRIVE | DRIVE | DRIVE | GIR | GIR | STK GN | PUTTS | EAGLES | BIRDIE | BOGEY | DBL BOG |
| %of56 | RNK | DIS | DIS RNK | %of72 | RNK | /PUTT | RNK | ||||||
| TOC | Stricker -23 | 66.7 | 11 | 268.3 | 15 | 81.9 | 13 | 1.25 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 3 | 1 |
| Sony | Wagner -13 | 41.1 | 56 | 276.4 | 68 | 70.8 | 10 | 1.58 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 8 | 0 |
| Humana | M. Wilson -24 | 74.1 | 18 | 279.3 | 69 | 80.6 | 73 | 1.04 | 4 | 2 | 24 | 4 | 0 |
| Farmers | Snedeker -16 P1 | 58.9 | 13 | 284.8 | 47 | 70.8 | 33 | 1.03 | 12 | 0 | 24 | 8 | 0 |
| Phoenix | K. Stanley -15 | 60.7 | 24 | 287.5 | 70 | 79.2 | 3 | 1.14 | 11 | 2 | 18 | 7 | 0 |
| Pebble Bch | Mickelson -17 | 61.8 | 62 | 272.8 | 58 | 75.0 | 3 | 3.33 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 4 | 0 |
| Nor. Trust | Haas -7 P1 | 55.4 | 50 | 279.8 | 30 | 50.0 | 58 | 2.25 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 10 | 0 |
| Mayakoba | Huh -13 P1 | 73.2 | 8 | 279.3 | 44 | 81.9 | 1 | N/A | 28 | 1 | 18 | 5 | 1 |
| Honda | McIlroy -12 | 60.7 | 37 | 297.6 | 8 | 66.7 | 10 | 1.57 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 0 |
| WGC-Cad. | Rose -16 | 57.1 | 78 | 290.0 | 28 | 65.3 | 17 | 0.11 | 33 | 0 | 23 | 7 | 0 |
| Transitions | Donald -13 P1 | 73.1 | 9 | 261.1 | 75 | 66.7 | 43 | 2.59 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 0 |
| Arnold Palmer | Woods -13 | 64.3 | 29 | 294.6 | 11 | 79.2 | 1 | 1.45 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 5 | 1 |
| Houston | Mahan -16 | 67.9 | 33 | 279.9 | 50 | 86.1 | 1 | 1.61 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| AVERAGE | 62.7 | 32.9 | 280.9 | 44.1 | 73.4 | 20.5 | 1.58 | 8.7 | 0.8 | 19.7 | 5.9 | 0.2 |
Last Week's Houston Open
Hunter Mahan's win emphasizes the productive benefits of greens-in-regulation (GIR). Mahan hit 86.1 percent of his greens - that's 62 of 72 greens. To date, that is the best raw numbers for GIR.
Avoiding bogeys is helped by getting on the greens in regulation. So, Mahan's GIR accomplishment paid off as he was bogey-free in rounds one and two and had just one bogey in rounds three and four. To date, he has the lowest number, two, of bogeys for a full 72 holes.
This Week's Masters
| EVENT | WINNER | DRIVE | DRIVE | DRIVE | DRIVE | GIR | GIR | PUTTS | PUTTS | EAGLE/ | BOGEY/ | ||
| %of56 | RNK | DIS | DIS RNK | %of72 | RNK | Per GIR | RNK | RND | RNK | BIRDIE | DBL | ||
| 2011 Masters | Schwartzel -14 | 66.1 | 31 | 278.4 | 44 | 68.0 | 31 | NA | NA | 26.8 | 2 | 2/17 | 7/0 |
| J. Day -12 | 69.6 | 20 | 287.3 | 18 | 72.2 | 6 | NA | NA | 28.5 | 11 | 0/23 | 9/1 | |
| Scott -12 | 62.5 | 36 | 287.1 | 19 | 70.8 | 11 | NA | NA | 27.8 | 3 | 2/17 | 7/1 | |
| Woods -12 | 66.1 | 31 | 287.8 | 15 | 73.6 | 5 | NA | NA | 30.0 | 32 | 1/19 | 11/0 | |
| Ogilvy -10 | 75.0 | 7 | 289.0 | 13 | 69.4 | 16 | NA | NA | 27.8 | 3 | 0/20 | 8/1 | |
| Donald -10 | 67.8 | 26 | 280.3 | 39 | 56.9 | 47 | NA | NA | 25.5 | 1 | 1/21 | 11/1 | |
| Cabrera -9 | 85.7 | 1 | 292.0 | 9 | 75.0 | 3 | NA | NA | 29.3 | 21 | 0/19 | 10/0 | |
| VanPelt -8 | 69.6 | 20 | 282.5 | 31 | 66.6 | 28 | NA | NA | 28.5 | 11 | 2/15 | 11/0 | |
| Choi -8 | 64.3 | 34 | 279.4 | 41 | 68.0 | 18 | NA | NA | 28.5 | 11 | 0/18 | 10/0 | |
| Palmer -6 | 73.2 | 10 | 287.1 | 19 | 70.8 | 11 | NA | NA | 28.8 | 16 | 2/15 | 9/2 | |
| AVERAGE | 70.0 | 21.6 | 285.1 | 24.8 | 69.1 | 17.6 | NA | NA | 28.2 | 11.1 |
The Masters is administered and produced by the Augusta National Golf Club with sanctions with PGA Tour and Royal and Ancient (R&A). Official prize money is registered on the money lists of the PGA Tour and R&A.
Last year's winner, Charl Schwartzel, birdied the last four holes tieing Jack Nicklaus who, in 1986, also navigated the final four holes, eagle-birdie-birdie-par, in 4-under.
Schwartzel and Angel Cabrera were the only players with four rounds under par. This course and its pin placements are not easy, but isn't as tough as a U.S. Open.
Cabrera ranked first in driving accuracy and third in GIR. Hitting the greens at Augusta National is important, but where on the green is even more important – getting in a wrong position produces a bogey or worse. The tournament has been given a humorous secondary title given by a media maven, "The East Georgia Putting Contest."
Luke Donald bested the field in total putts per round, 25.5, but came in four shots short of the winner. Donald averaged 10.2 GIR, showing a poor GIR performance that handcuffed the best putter in the tournament. This is a second-shot course.
In 2009, Cabrera missed the cut at the Houston Open but went on to the win the Masters the week after. One doesn't know who will benefit from the Houston track and capture the green jacket a week after.
Only three players have won the Masters in their first Masters appearance, the last being aFuzzy Zoeller in 1979. Keegan Bradley's 2011 win at the PGA Championship gives hope for a first-timer to win the Masters.
Attributes: Experience here counts. A combination of good driving that leads to a important second shot that puts the ball in good position for a birdie or better. Driving distance helps. Rough is usually short. Strong putting will prevail.
