50 of the most-telling stats from the 2018/19 PGA Tour season

50 of the most-telling stats from the 2018/19 PGA Tour season: The facts, figures and stories behind all 46 tournaments 

If the sight of Rory winning 15 million for four days’ work was enough to make you realise you’re in the wrong job, you’d probably like to know that there was a whopping $414,600,000 up for grabs across the PGA Tour season just gone.

Incredibly, that didn’t include unofficial events, nor all the added extras players got from their sponsors. But before you start thinking money buys happiness, you might want to take a look at these eye-opening stats before casting judgment on whose season could be considered good and bad…

$15,000,000 Pay cheque presented to Rory McIlroy for winning the FedEx Cup. That’s more than Greg Norman made in his entire PGA Tour career ($14.4m).

Four Players won multiple times this season. Rory and Brooks Koepka each tasted success three times. 

4.58: Average number of birdies made by Justin Thomas per round, the most on tour. Francesco Molinari’s average of 3.20 was bettered by 181 players.

FIVE: Justin Thomas is the fifth player, after Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Rory and Jordan Spieth, in the last 75 years to win ten PGA Tour titles, including a Major, before the age of 27. 

SIX: Since Tiger’s heroics at Augusta, he has made six starts and posted one top 10, two missed cuts and a withdrawal.

NINE: If Koepka had only played in the Majors this year, he still would have earned $4.7 million putting him ninth on the PGA Tour Money List (ahead of Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler and Tommy Fleetwood). 

10.37 Per cent of putts made from beyond 25 feet by Spieth, the best in class. He also one-putted 45.43% of the time per round, and gained a career-best .862 strokes on the field per 18 holes using his putter. Only Denny McCarthy’s 0.926 could better that.

12 Rounds that Brooks Koepka held the outright or a share of the lead. Rory had the second-most with eight.

13 Players had a 100% success rate from inside three feet, including Ernie Els, Jon Rahm and Brandt Snedeker.

14 Top-tens recorded by Rory from just 19 starts. That’s an average of 74%!

14 First-time winners on tour this season. Matthew Wolff was the youngest winner at 20 years, 2 months, 23 days.

16 Players averaged less than 70 strokes per round. Rory topped the list with 69.057.

17: Successive holes with a one-putt or better by Brian Stuard.

28 Consecutive Cuts made by Tommy Fleetwood, dating back to the Wells Fargo Championship in May 2018 

35: Number of tour events played by 21-year-old Sungjae Im. He posted 60 rounds in the 60s, and was the only rookie to qualify for the Tour Championship. He finished T18 in the FedEx Cup.

41’: The longest putt McIlroy holed all year; bettered by 238 players. Mackenzie Hughes canned the biggest putt from 85′ 8″. 

51.53% Ollie Schniederjans was the only player to miss more fairways than he hit.

55 Tee shots were clocked over 400 yards. Justin Thomas hit the longest (457 yards) at the WGC-Mexico. 

60: The joint lowest round of the year, courtesy of Phil (Desert Classic) and Snedeker (Canadian Open). 

62.96 Percentage of times Cameron Champ failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker. He also gave up the most strokes around the green of any player (.597 per round).

66.42: The average last-spot score at a Monday qualifier. And three times, a 64 was needed to grab the final spot.

70 Per cent of greens hit in regulation by Tiger, his best in a season since 2008.

72.47: Spieth’s final-round scoring average was the second worst on tour. Think that’s bad? He ranked outside the top 140 in strokes gained off the tee, approach and tee to green across the season. 

98.42 Per cent of putts made inside five feet by Rahm. He missed just 12 from 758 attempts!

112: Number of players who won a million dollars on the PGA Tour official money list, from Koepka ($9,684,006) to Nick Watney ($1,008,964).

190.70: Cameron Champ’s average ball speed off the tee was over seven miles per hour faster than the next best on tour. He also boasted the best club speed of 128.01mph.

275 Yards: The longest hole out, courtesy of Russell Knox, at the Valspar Championship for albatross.

306.3 Yards: Phil’s average driving distance was bettered by just 18 men. He did, however, miss the fairway more times, on average, than any other player (37.59%).

361 Holes without a three-putt for Webb Simpson, the best streak of the year.

70,000: FedEx Cup bonus given to players ranked between 126th and 150th in the final standings. Chez Reavie finished eighth and took home $1.1 million.

6,599.667 Combined distance in feet of Rory’s drives. His average total driving distance of 313.5 yards was second only to Cameron Champ (317.9 yards). 

$24,285,286: Rory’s on-course earnings from prize money and bonuses. That equates to an average of $18,739 per hole!

Best scoring averages
• Par 3s: Rory McIlory/Wes Roach 2.96
• Par 4s: Brooks Koepka/Rory McIlroy 3.95
• Par 5s: Justin Thomas 4.42
• First round: Jon Rahm 68.33
• Second round: Jordan Spieth 68.32
• Third round: Webb Simpson 68.32
• Final round: Ryan Palmer 68.38
• Total: Rory McIlroy 69.057

Best performers
• Driving accuracy (Tour ave 62.64): Chez Reavie 75.72%
• Greens in regulation (Tour ave 66.64%): Corey Conners 73.06%
• Scrambling (Tour ave 59.73%): Tommy Fleetwood 67.98%
• Sand saves (Tour ave 50.76%): Francesco Molinari 65.33%

Strokes gained leaders
• Off the tee: Rory McIlroy (1.195)
• Tee to green: Rory McIlroy (2.126)
• Approach the green: Henrik Stenson (1.149)
• Around the green: Byeong Hun An (.631)
• Putting: Denny McCarthy (.926)

Best Strokes Gained Total on the PGA Tour since 2004
• Tiger Woods (2006) 3.44
• Tiger Woods (2009) 3.19
• Tiger Woods (2007) 3.09
• Rory McIlroy (2019) 2.551

And…

Next time someone says you drive for show and putt for dough, just remember this. Eight of the leading 10 players in strokes gained: tee to green qualified for the Tour Championship, whereas none of the top 10 in strokes gained: putting made it to East Lake.