Low scores, top 10 finishes, and big money: an analysis of professional golf association tour statistics and how these relate to overall performance

The present study examined the relationship between primary golf skills of Professional Golf Association (PGA) Touring Professionals, i.e., driving distance, driving accuracy, reaching Greens in Regulation, and putting, and various performance outcomes for these same golfers including their scoring averages. Two additional variables, birdies and eagles, were also analyzed in relation to both the primary skill and performance outcome variables. Multiple regression along with simple correlations were applied. A significant proportion of variance in performance outcome (R2 = .33-.45), utilizing three different dependent variables (Scoring Average, Top 10 Finishes, and Money Won), was explained by measures of the four primary golf skills. Also, Driving Accuracy proved to be a better performance predictor than Driving Distance and accounted for 19% of the variance in Scoring Average. Both putting performance and reaching Greens in Regulation were significantly correlated with all three dependent variables. Iron play, reflected by hitting Greens in Regulation with approach shots, was the shot-making skill most highly correlated with Scoring Average (r = .45).