PGA Tour Stats Review: Entering the U.S. Open

PGA TOUR STATS: U.S. Open

Each week we'll list the statistical breakdown of the upcoming PGA Tour event. Below are the results of recent tournaments, including last week's St. Jude Classic, and the top finishers from recent U.S. Opens.

For last year's full-season results, go here.

2012 PGA Tour Events

There had been 20 players crammed in the 3- to 6-under slots after three rounds, and again the 54-hole leaders, Nick O'Hern, Davis Love III and John Merrick, failed to close the deal. The 48-year-old Love was the only golfer in the 60s in all rounds.

Dustin Johnson's ranking of 43rd in Strokes Gained-Putting is the highest of any winner this season other than Jason Dufner, who won the Byron Nelson despite ranking 56th in the category. Last week's winner, Tiger Woods, ranked was 42.

That might seem counterintuitive, but a recent Wall Street Journal report cited a comprehensive study that showed proximity to the hole is more valuable than putting. According to the study, "shots that originate more than 100 yards from the hole have twice the impact on score [than] shots from inside 100 yards - including putting." In other words, it's best long hitters who prosper.

Two years ago Steve Stricker was No. 1 in putting, but Strokes Gained-Putting, which hadn't been put into use, showed Luke Donald No. 1. Measurements for proximity to the hole showed Stricker as No. 1 with a Strokes Gained-Putting rank of seventh.

More information is coming from academics using the ShotLink data. Meanwhile, start including proximity to the hole stats in your compiling your roster.

This Week's U.S. Open

Usually we list the previous year's top finishers for the week's event. But the U.S. Open is, of course, played at a different venue each year. So, this week we've listed winners' stats from Janzen in 1998 through Rory McIlroy in 2011.

While the four statistics included are sparse, the effect of driving distance, which is always important at a U.S. Open, can be matched with fairways hit and greens hit. Total putts vary widely, ranking from fifth to 53rd. Notice driving distance ranked better than GIR. The overall data gives a view of the demands of a course set up by the USGA, which administers U.S. Open competitions.

It has been said the USGA take some degree of umbrage when a very low 72-hole score is recorded. That low number leads to a tougher course set-up at the following year's Open. So if this year's winner turns in a 2- or 3-under, or par, blame Rory McIlroy's record 16-under last year at Congressional.

As could be expected, a number of changes have been made since 1998, the last time the Open came to Olympic Club in San Francisco. A large number of trees have been removed, allowing greater impact from wind blowing off the Pacific Ocean across the street. Both the wind and heavy marine air will make the course play much longer than the 7,170 yards on the card.

The course has a lot of slope to deal with especially on greens. A former PGA Tour pro and 45-year member of the Olympic Club John Abendroth observed, "Tough slopes or trees will make it important to work the ball into the correct spot off the tee." Half the holes have dog-legs and most have narrow fairways and small greens. Augusta National requires excellent second shots and putting, while the Olympic course requires carefully positioned tee shots, excellent second shots to very small greens and talented putting. With half the holes dog-legs, golfers will be using "3-metals" or hybrids, so driving distance might not match past Opens.