Johnson birdies 18th to win APGA Championship

In the storied career of Tiger Woods, the 2009 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard is a statistical oddity. Of Tiger’s 79 stroke-play victories on the PGA TOUR (82 wins overall, tying Sam Snead’s record), that 2009 tournament is his only win in which he failed to play the par 5s under par for the entire week. He suffered a double bogey at Bay Hill’s par-5 sixth in his opening round and eventually played holes 6 and 12 at even par in winning by one stroke over Sean O’Hair (the course played as a par-70 that week, with two of the traditional par 5s converted to par 4s). Woods’ World Golf Hall of Fame career has been fueled in large part by his dominance on the par 5s, his power advantage providing him more scoring chances than his competitors. As Mark O’Meara once said about Woods and par 5s, “It’s been his trademark … That’s kind of what Tiger Woods is all about.” Twenty years ago at the RBC Canadian Open, Woods produced arguably his most memorable par-5 moment. Using a 6-iron from 218 yards out of the fairway bunker on his second shot, Woods carried the water and found the back fringe of the green to set up his winning birdie. Many consider it the most impressive single shot of his career. No surprise he was 13 under on Glen Abbey’s four par 5s that week. This week, Woods is back in action at The Match: Champions for Charity, in which he’ll team with amateur/NFL legend Peyton Manning against the team of Phil Mickelson-Tom Brady to raise money for COVID-19 relief. The match is at Medalist, Tiger’s home course in south Florida. Naturally, it has four par 5s. Thanks to the ShotLink team at PGA TOUR, here’s a deep dive into the numbers that help explain Tiger’s par-5 dominance in his career. Par-5 Scoring Average The best place to start an examination of Tiger’s par-5 dominance is to look at the most basic category — his scoring average on those holes. From his first full PGA TOUR season in 1997 until his second FedExCup championship in 2009, Tiger Woods led the TOUR in par-5 scoring 10 times in those 13 seasons. No one else led the category more than twice in that span. His best statistical season was 2000, the year he won three majors. Tiger’s par-5 scoring average of 4.37 was 0.13 better than the next player on that list, Vijay Singh — the widest gap that Tiger enjoyed during his time at No. 1. The TOUR average on par 5s that year was 4.72, meaning that Woods was gaining 0.35 strokes on the field every time he played a par 5. Considering Woods played 265 par 5s that year, he gained 93 strokes on the field. Since 1980, Tiger has the three lowest single-season par 5 scoring averages on TOUR — 4.37 in 2000, 4.38 in 2003 and 4.39 in 2001. Justin Thomas is fourth on the list at 4.42 last season. As for the three years Tiger didn’t rank first from 1997-2009? • 2004, when Vijay Singh led the category with a 4.47 scoring average (Tiger was 5th at 4.53) • 2007 when Phil Mickelson was No. 1 with a 4.45 average (Tiger was 2nd at 4.48) • 2008 when Tiger did not meet the minimum number of rounds after having knee surgery following his U.S. Open win at Torrey Pines. His average to that point was 4.46 — had he maintained that, he would’ve ranked No. 1. The next season, Woods averaged 4.43 to again rank No. 1 in par-5 scoring average. It’s the last time he led the TOUR in that category, as a combination of factors (health/other issues, lack of rounds, the rise of younger bombers, simply getting older, etc.) have made an impact in the last decade. Even so, his career scoring average on par 5s is still an impressive 4.49, which would rank inside the top 10 averages when stacked against each of the single-season par-5 scoring average leaders since 2010. Par-5 scoring leaders last 10 years vs. Tiger Woods career average Par 5 Birdies or Better Much like his par-5 stroke averages, Tiger’s par-5 birdie or better statistics show the huge advantage he had with the longest holes. He led the category 10 times between 1997-2009 … and again, no other player in the last 22 years has led it more than twice. Woods has the top five single-season birdie or better percentages since numbers were calculated in 1980. In consecutive seasons, he made birdie or eagle more than 61% of the time on par 5s (61.89% in 2000, 61.22% in 2001). Since 1980, no other player has a percentage higher than Justin Thomas’ 57.34% last season. And again, Woods’ career average of 53.8% in this category slots inside the top 10 compared to single-season percentage leaders last decade. Par-5 birdie or better leaders last 10 years vs. Tiger Woods career average Feasting on Par-72 Courses It’s a pretty easy theory to figure out — the more par 5 holes on a course, the better it is for Tiger. The numbers certainly support that theory. Of his 79 stroke-play wins, 49 have come on par-72 courses. Compare that to par 70s (19 wins), par 71s (10 wins) and the odd par 73 (one win — in 2000 at Kapalua, site of the annual Sentry Tournament of Champions). Percentage-wise, Tiger has converted 29% of his starts on par-72 courses into wins, well above his overall career success rate of 22.7% (82 wins in 361 TOUR starts). All the other percentages are below that career mark — 21% success rate on par-70 layouts, 13% success rate on par 71s and 17% success rate on the few par-73 courses he’s played. Of course, Tiger has racked up many of those par-72 wins at the same course: • 7 wins at Torrey Pines (both courses for the Farmers Insurance Open are par 72s, but his U.S. Open win in 2008 was a par 71 layout) • 6 wins at Bay Hill (two other wins there came when Bay Hill was a par 70) • 5 wins at Muirfield Village • 5 wins at Augusta National • 4 wins at Trump National Doral Interestingly, Woods has more wins on a par-70 course (eight times at Firestone) than any other par/course combination. But maybe having one more par 5 would’ve gotten him the trophy in his hometown event. Instead, he’s 0 for 13 at par-71 Riviera. Tiger’s Toughest Par 5s The raucous par-3 16th at TPC Scottsdale gets all the attention, and in Tiger’s career, it produced a memorable moment with his hole-in-one there in 1997. But the previous hole, the par-5 15th, also is significant for Tiger. It’s the only par 5 in his PGA TOUR career that he’s played at least 10 times with a scoring average over par. Woods has played a total of 89 par-5 holes at least 10 times. His scoring average is below par on 87 of those holes, and he’s even par for another one (No. 5 at Whistling Straits). But the 15th at TPC Scottsdale has been immune to Tiger’s talent, even though it hardly ranks among the toughest par 5s on TOUR. Of the 459 players who have 10 or more rounds at TPC Scottsdale, just 29 of those players (6.3%) have played the 15th over par. That includes Woods, who obviously is not used to being in the bottom 6% of any statistical list. The first time Woods played the 15th was in the first round of the 1997 Waste Management Phoenix Open. His tee shot found the gallery, and he was forced to lay up short of the water with his second shot. His sand wedge landed in the greenside bunker and he failed to get up and down. As the Tucson (Arizona) Citizen dutifully reported the next day, “Bogey six instead of the expected four.” The 15th also is one of five par 5s in Tiger’s career in which he recorded a triple-bogey 8. It came in the second round of the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open after he found the water with his tee shot. It was one of just two “others” recorded by the entire field at the 15th that week. The other triple-bogeys Tiger has suffered at par 5s in his TOUR career? 2013 U.S. Open at Merion, hole No. 2, final round; 2013 Masters at Augusta National, hole No. 15, second round; 1999 World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship at Valderrama, hole No. 17, final round; and 1999 Masters at Augusta National, hole No. 8, first round. Woods, by the way, shot an 82 in that 2015 round at TPC Scottsdale, citing problems stemming from a transition to a new swing. It was also the first time he played the 15th at its increased yardage of 553 yards. In his first 12 looks at the 15th, it was listed at 501 yards on the scorecard. Overall, Woods has four birdies, seven pars, two bogeys and that triple bogey in his 14 trips through TPC Scottsdale’s 15th. He has not been back to the tournament since that triple bogey. Tiger’s Toughest Par 5s on TOUR (minimum 10 rounds) Tiger’s Easiest Par 5s Consider it the ultimate scale of justice. TPC Scottsdale not only is the site of Tiger’s toughest par 5, it also has offered the easiest par 5 in his career at the 13th hole. In fact, it’s the only hole in Tiger’s career — regardless of par — in which he’s averaged a full stroke under par. In other words, it’s the easiest hole he’s ever played on TOUR (minimum of 10 rounds). In his 14 trips through the 13th — the yardage has varied between 558 to 595 yards — Woods has recorded three eagles, eight birdies and three pars. He’s 14 under in his 14 rounds, giving him a stroke average of 4.00 at the 13th. The first time Woods played the hole in competition was the 1997 Waste Management Phoenix Open. He blasted a drive 346 yards, then a 2-iron from 231 yards that finished 12 feet from the pin. He then converted the eagle attempt. Although Woods has never recorded an albatross on TOUR, his closest call came at the 13th in the 2015 Waste Management. After a 329-yard drive, his second shot with 5-iron from 226 yards hit just in front of the green, then bounced toward the pin, stopping 7 inches from the pin for a tap-in eagle. Tiger’s Easiest Par 5s on TOUR (minimum 10 rounds) The 2,000 Club Since Tiger’s first full season in 1997, 3,900 golfers have played at least one par 5 hole on the PGA TOUR. Seven of those players are a career 2,000 under par or better on the par 5s. Woods is on the list, of course; however, he’s not at the top, as he’s played significantly fewer rounds than the six others above him. Players 2,000 or more under par on par 5s since 1997

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – News and notes from the final round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow where Justin Thomas fired a 68 to win his first major championship  by two strokes. For more information on the final round, click here to read The Daily Wrap. THOMAS WINS AMONGST FRIENDS We’ve seen those SB2K17 spring break pictures from the Bahamas plastered all over social media. Think Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler swimming, soaking up the sun, sinking putts and shooting hoops. A pint-sized pig even nosed his way into some of the photos. On Sunday at Quail Hollow, Spieth and Fowler stood as inconspicuously as they could on the 18th fairway watching as their best bud won his first major championship. “It’s awesome and I think they know I would do the same for them,â€� Thomas said. “It’s a cool little friendship we have.â€� Also on hand was Bud Cauley, Thomas’ roommate in Jupiter, Florida, and also a former Alabama golfer, who teed off at 9:35 a.m. in the 10th group of the day. “I just didn’t believe Bud Cauley stayed around,â€� Thomas said. “He’s one of my best friends. I was about ten minutes from going to tee off and he was walking off to go sign his scorecard. “So he hung around for an entire 18 holes just to stick around, and not knowing what could happen.â€� Spieth, who won the Open Championship last month, had started the final round 11 shots off the pace, his chance to complete the career Grand Slam essentially gone. When he finished off his round of 70, though, Spieth could tell things were going Thomas’ way. Fowler, who is seeking his first major championship, was in the thick of things, playing just six groups ahead of Thomas. He shot 67 and waited with Spieth, both players maintaining a low profile and letting the spotlight shine on their friend. “But I think that kind of shows, you know, where the game is right now, where all of us are,â€� Thomas said. “I mean, we obviously all want to win. We want to beat the other person. “But if we can’t win, we at least want to enjoy it with our friends. I think that we’ll all be able to enjoy this together, and I know it’s going to make them more hungry, just like it did me, for Jordan at the British, or whatever you want to say.â€� REED SETTLES IN The way Patrick Reed saw it, Sunday was a microcosm of his season. Yes, he had a chance to win the PGA Championship. But everything had to fall into place, and while Reed closed to within a shot as the Green Mile loomed, Justin Thomas was just too strong. “This year’s kind of been, kind of the moral of the story of today,â€� Reed said with a sigh. “Very frustrating; a lot of good things going on, but falling just a little short.â€� He knew he had no margin for error on Sunday. Reed started the final round of the PGA Championship five strokes off the lead. He couldn’t afford to make bogeys. He couldn’t squander birdie opportunities, either – not on a course like Quail Hollow. Reed succeeded in making birdies, carving out seven through 15 holes. But he gave three shots back with bogeys, including at the 18th, and ended up falling two shy of victory. “To be as far back as I was coming in today, to win a golf tournament, you have to make every one of them,â€� Reed said. “You can’t sit there and you can’t miss putts. Even if they are 30-footers, if you’re that far back to win, you have to make all of them. “Unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that, and that’s why I’m sitting here disappointed.â€� Still, Sunday’s tie for second came with some positives. It was, after all, Reed’s first top 10 in 16 major championship starts and his best finish of the season, as well. The five-time PGA TOUR champ also moved inside the top 10 for an automatic Presidents Cup berth.  Most of all, though, Reed came away pleased by how comfortable he felt being in contention at one of the game’s biggest events. “My first two years at the majors, I was putting too much pressure on myself,â€� Reed said. “I was making them way bigger than they needed to be. They are still golf tournaments. There’s still 72 holes. You’ve got to go out and play some good golf. “At the end of the day, what I loved to see was when I got in contention today, when I went on that run to get myself actually in the golf tournament … I didn’t feel any different. I didn’t feel any pressure.â€� KISNER HUNGRY FOR MORE Kevin Kisner was nothing if not resilient at the PGA Championship. He held at least a share of the lead after each of the first three rounds, and even when Kisner finally lost it on Sunday, he kept fighting back. In the end, though, the treacherous Green Mile – and the surging Thomas – simply proved too much for him. But Kisner is ready for more.  “It’s fun trying to compete,â€� he said.  “Fun trying to see what you can do. There’s only a certain number of people in the world that get that opportunity, and that’s why we’re out here.â€� Kisner says he gets his tenacity from his parents. And nowhere was that determination on display more than during the 2015-16 season when he lost in three playoffs before picking up his first win last fall.  “They taught me about being a good person and believing in yourself,â€� Kisner said. “And to be the best you’ve got to work hard and that’s what I’ve done in my career.â€� This week at Quail Hollow, Kisner, who ranks 127th in driving distance, was able to offset that deficit with a red-hot putter. At least through the first three rounds. On Sunday, though, the putts that fell early in the week spun out of the cup. Kisner estimated he missed at least three of 8 feet or less but even so, he was feeling good about his chances. “I really liked the way I started out, hitting the ball solid and gave myself a lot of looks,â€� Kisner said. “Just not making the putts that I need to make to win major championships A waterlogged approach at the par-5 seventh was a jolt to the system. It led to his first bogey and is something Kisner says will “hauntâ€� him. “I actually went back for one more club and got too greedy with it,â€� he said. “That should be — that’s one of the holes I have to make 4 on to compete, and walk away with 6 was painful.â€� A birdie at the 10th hole was followed by back-to-back bogeys. But Kisner rolled in birdie putts at Nos. 14 and 15 to get within a touch of Thomas before he faltered over the Green Mile, playing it in 3 over for the second straight day. “That’s not going to be fun to look at,â€� Kisner said. “I thought I had to get to 10 starting the day to win and that was about right. I had every opportunity. I just didn’t finish it off.â€� ODDS AND ENDS Chris Stroud picked up his first PGA TOUR win seven days ago at the Barracuda Championship. On Sunday, he played in the final group at the PGA Championship and ended up with his first top 10 in a major, a tie for ninth. Not a bad week’s work. Stroud, undaunted by the closing 76, called it a “dream come true,â€� adding later the experience was “absolutely unbelievable.â€� “You know, all these guys, J.T., I mean, he’s a deserving champion.â€� Stroud said. “He came out hard. Once he won, everybody knew he was going to win a lot, and he won two in a row, I think, this year, both in Hawai’i he won, Mr. 59. “These guys are really good. The commercial’s right.â€� … As if the Green Mile isn’t taxing enough, Jon Rahm had an added challenge on the 18th hole. His approach landed on the bank of the creek. He had no stance and ended up standing to the side of the ball, facing away from the green. Rahm then held the club backwards in his right hand and made contact, advancing the ball onto the green. He then two-putted for bogey – which certainly would have made the great Seve Ballesteros proud. “If I tried to stand in front of the ball, I’d really have to chop it down,â€� Rahm said. “The only way to hit it on line would be to hit in front of my legs, so that was no option. I’m not gonna hit it left-handed because that’s too much of a gamble for me. And I couldn’t stand in the water because it was so high. “To me, it seemed like the only logical option. It’s straight back, it’s straight backthrough. It’s a very consistent movement.â€� Louis Oosthuizen, who shot 70 on Sunday and tied for second with Francesco Molinari and Reed, has now finished runner-up in all the majors – and THE PLAYERS Championship. He lost in a playoff to Bubba Watson at the 2012 Masters, tied for second at the 2015 U.S. Open and Open Championship and was runner-up at the PLAYERS earlier this year. Oosthuizen has one major to his credit – he won the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews. 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