For a handful of tournaments every season, it’s not imperative for the majority of contenders to impress with their putters. Whether greens are unfamiliar, larger than usual or considerably challenging due to nuance and undulation, a yeoman’s effort can be enough to navigate one’s way to victory. TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course has qualified for this phenomenon since Tom Weiskopf’s redesign in advance of the 2015 edition. In that case, the greens are still maturing at the same time golfers are learning, so it will take a few spins before good putters begin making noise en masse at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Champion Hideki Matsuyama, whose putting is his known weakness, has flourished since the redesign because of his length off the tee and overall ball-striking. He can get away with two-putting since better putters are often settling for the same all the while standing over fewer opportunities to circle birdies and better. This reality also exists at Riviera Country Club, host of this week’s Genesis Open. The average rank in strokes gained: putting among the golfers who finished inside the top 10 on last year’s leaderboard was 21.6. In 2015, the average of the 11 golfers who posted a top 10 was 22.27. Champion James Hahn recorded a measurement of -0.046. TALES OF THE TAPE Golfers in this week’s field inside the top 10 in the following categories in last year’s Genesis Open: There are always going to be one or two guys who come out of nowhere with terrific weeks of putting, but all you can do is tip your visor. For the rest, lean on the identifiers below to build lineups reliant on full-swing factors. Golfers in this week’s field inside the top 10 in the following categories in last year’s Genesis Open: STROKES GAINED: OFF-THE-TEE STROKES GAINED: TEE-TO-GREEN PROXIMITY TO THE HOLE One of the hallmarks of a beloved golf course is the quality of the talent that returns year after year. Riviera presents a sliding scale between its Horses for Courses and Other Signs of Comfort because so many veterans have performed well at least a couple of times, or they’ve survived so many cuts but haven’t experienced enough fortune to make a run at a title. Their commitment to come back epitomizes the level of comfort they enjoy regardless of the result. NOTE: None of the data below eliminates the 2005 edition even though it’s considered unofficial since weather limited the tournament to 36 holes. HORSES FOR COURSES Selected golfers with multiple cuts made sorted by rank on the tournament’s money list. * – Adam Scott’s victory in 2005 is unofficial. GETTING COMFY Sorted by best finish, selected golfers who are either finally finding form on the course or are still relatively new to the tournament but have enjoyed some success. OTHER SIGNS OF COMFORT Sorted by most recent top 10s, selected golfers for whom it’s been a few years since their last.
Click here to read the full article…
