Abstract #301693

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JSM 2003 Abstract #301693
Activity Number: 51
Type: Contributed
Date/Time: Sunday, August 3, 2003 : 4:00 PM to 5:50 PM
Sponsor: Section on Statistics in Sports
Abstract - #301693
Title: Examining the "Drive for Show - Putt for Dough" Hypothesis
Author(s): Paul J. Nietert*+
Companies: Medical University of South Carolina
Address: 135 Canon St., Suite 403, Charleston, SC, 29425-0837,
Keywords: sports ; golf ; regression
Abstract:

In golf, a common assumption among players is that scoring average is thought to be more correlated with putting skills than other "showier" skills found in a successful golfer, such as average driving distance. Data obtained on 193 players who earned money on the PGA Tour in 2000 and 2001 were used in regression models to examine factors associated with improvements in scoring and total money earned. Factors included players' physical characteristics (age, height, weight) and golfing skills (driving distance, driving accuracy, and ability to hit greens in regulation, recover from missing greens in regulation [scrambling], recover from sand traps, and score under par after hitting above par on the previous hole). Improvements in scoring average and earnings were most highly associated with improvement in hitting greens in regulation followed by improvement in putting average and scrambling. Improvements in driving distance and accuracy were not independently associated with improvement in scoring or increased earnings. While putting appears more important than driving in predicting players' scores and money earned, hitting greens in regulation is vital to golfers' success.

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