Golf's Major Championship Winners
How Each of the Four Champion Golfers is Performing this Year
Two things are clear after looking at the TOUR stats of each player: Each is among the leaders in at least one category; and Tiger is having the best year of the four.
Here is a brief encapsulation of the success, or lack thereof, each winner is having so far:
Zach Johnson (Masters Champion)
19 events; 2 wins; 4 top-10s; 8 top-25s; scoring average 69.92; money, $3,187,621
Other Key Stats
- Driving Distance: 161st
- Driving Accuracy: 5th
- GIR: 123rd
- Putting avg.: 76th
- Other highlights: 14th in scoring average
- Since winning The Masters: One win; two top-10s; 5 top-25s; T45 at the U.S. Open; T20 at The Open Championship; MC at the PGA Championship.
Angel Cabrera (U.S. Open Champion)
11 events; 1 win; 0 top-10s, 3 top-25; scoring average 70.61, money, $1,561,418
Other Key Stats
- Driving Distance: 6th
- Driving Accuracy: 194th
- GIR: 175rd
- Putting avg.: 181st
- Other highlights: 45th in par-four performance
- Since winning the U.S. Open: Three PGA TOUR events; 34th at The Open Championship, T69 at WGC Bridgestone, and MC at the PGA Championship.
Padraig Harrington (The Open Championship Winner)
15 events; 1 win; 3 top-10s; 8 top-25s; scoring average 69.69; money, $2,457,208
Other Key Stats
- Driving Distance: 56th
- Driving Accuracy: 178th
- GIR: 189rd
- Putting avg.: 8th
- Other highlights: 11th in scoring average, 3rd putts per round, 12th scrambling percentage
- Since winning The Open Championship: Two PGA TOUR events: T14 at the WGC Bridgestone and T42 at the PGA Championship.
Tiger Woods (PGA Championship Winner)
13 events; 5 wins; 2 second; 9 top-10; 12 top-25; scoring average 68.04, money, $7,824,385
Other Key Stats
- Driving Distance: 12th
- Driving Accuracy: 167th
- GIR: 4th
- Putting avg.: 20th
- Other highlights: 3rd in eagles, 1st in scoring average, 1st in all-around ranking, 3rd putts per round, 12th scrambling percentage, 1st in consecutive cuts, top-10 finishes, and par-four performance.
- Since winning the PGA Championship: Has not played (two events).
Much of the media attention centering around Woods, even after the PGA, has been to the effect of "this is not a ‘Tiger’ year." He has five wins, one major, leads in several statistical categories and overall seems to be in very good command of his game. No. He doesn’t have multiple majors, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t having a "Tiger" year. Compared to the competition, which is more "competitive" against him than in years past, he is still head-and-shoulders above the rest. Just as with his game, he isn’t backing-up. Some of the others may, if anything, be creeping toward him.
Johnson comes in a distant second. He’s stayed grounded and as focused as possible given the attention he’s received as the Masters champion. Although it’s been a shorter period, Harrington is demonstrating an ability to hold things together. He’s performed admirably in some tough tournaments since his win at Carnoustie. Cabrera has had the least success, but, to be fair, he has only played three other PGA TOUR tournaments in the since taking the U.S. Open. The ones he has played have been against some of the best fields of the year (two majors and a WGC event).
For other PGA TOUR articles visit the Suite 101 Golf homepage.
Statistical source: PGATOUR.com.
