OT: Moneygolf on Slate
Just started reading an article on slate called "Moneygolf: Will New Statistics Unlock the Secrets of Golf?".
http://www.slate.com/id/2263078
So far it's pretty interesting and delving into the new technology and new types of stats that will make the GIR, Fairways Hit, etc. a tad more obsolete.
Interesting for stat geeks and technology nerds, both.
August 13th, 2010 at 3:50 PM ^
Let's face it, the only statistic in golf that really matters is how many strokes you have at the end of the tournament. With the way most PGA-level courses are set up now, it doesn't matter whether you can drive the ball 250 or 350 yards.
Baseball is a nebulous sport in that it's hard to judge different players who bring different abilities to the field, and thus Moneyball makes some sense there.
However, given that I am a stat junkie, this piques my interest regardless.
August 13th, 2010 at 4:41 PM ^
But that's where you are wrong. According to the stats, it matters if you can hit farther. The best players make up their strokes from 150 yards + and putting is semi-irrelevant. That's a reason why it is such an interesting topic.
August 13th, 2010 at 6:14 PM ^
Distance off the tee only matters, within reason of course, if you're consistent in the rest of your game; that's why someone like Jim Furyk (275 average, #182 out of 194 players, #5 in money) can out-earn someone like Dustin Johnson (307.5 average, #3 out of 194 players, #13 in money). I'm a 15 handicap even though I hit fairly consistent 260-280 yard drives, probably 60-70% of which hit the fairway. It's my long irons and my short game that get me in trouble. Out of the 24 people in my golf league at work, I'm probably the second best off the tee, but only 12th best overall.
The gist I get from the story is that professional golfers are fantastically consistent with their shots (having watched a practice round at Oakmont a few years back, it's really amazing how they never have a truly terrible shot). Whereas I'm likely to chunk wedges from 50 yards into greenside bunkers at all times, they stick those shots to within 5 feet. The average mid-handicap player hits somewhat short drives, but also has a tendency to hit terrible drives from time to time. When players like Tiger or Phil hit "bad drives", they're still almost 300 yards off the tee. When I hit a bad drive, I'm out of bounds about 150 yards out, if I'm lucky.
August 13th, 2010 at 6:10 PM ^
This is only interesting for betting purposes.... As an avid golfer reading this isn't going to make me able to hit it farther.