PGA Tour season in review: Best player to biggest disappointment to everything in between

After roughly 10 million memes, countless sound bites and the Ryder Cup hug seen ‘round the world, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka will bring their rivalry to the fifth edition of “The Match,” scheduled for Friday in Las Vegas. While the feud has generated plenty of additional interest in both players, there would be little reason to invest in their back-and-forth if both Koepka and DeChambeau weren’t exceptionally talented. DeChambeau’s unprecedented distance and approach to dismantling golf courses can shake up a field before the opening tee shot is struck. Koepka, meanwhile, has assembled an historic record in the majors, consistently stalking the game’s biggest leaderboards. RELATED LINKS: Twenty First Group | A look at The Match’s top moments | Five Things to Know: Wynn GC Let’s examine the resumes and respective games of both stars in advance of Friday’s mano-a-mano affair THE HISTORY BOOKS 5 The number of players to win both the U.S. Amateur and NCAA Division I individual title in the same year, which DeChambeau did in 2015. The others? Jack Nicklaus (1961), Phil Mickelson (1990), Tiger Woods (1996) and Ryan Moore (2004). 6 DeChambeau’s 6-shot win in the 2020 U.S. Open was the largest margin of victory since Martin Kaymer’s 8-shot romp in 2014, and marked the first time that the winner of the championship was the only player in the field under par since Woods in 2002. 7.9 The number of strokes DeChambeau gained on the field with his final-round 67 at Winged Foot. The scoring average that Sunday was 74.9. It was the most strokes gained in the final round by a U.S. Open champion since Johnny Miller’s historic 63 in 1973. 7 Koepka is one of seven players since World War II to win four majors before his 30th birthday. 1 The number of players to hold two back-to-back major championship titles simultaneously. Koepka became the only player to do that after winning the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Opens and 2018 and 2019 PGA Championships. When Koepka finished second to Gary Woodland in the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, he joined Bobby Jones as the only players in the last 100 years to finish first or second in the U.S. Open three consecutive years. -25 Koepka’s three-year cumulative score to par at the U.S. Open from 2017-19 was a preposterous 25 under. Not only is that the best three-year score of all-time, it’s 13 shots better than anyone else. Nicklaus was -12 from 1980-82, while Woods tied that from 2000-2002. 4 Koepka won his four majors in an eight-start span, something only Hogan, Nicklaus and Woods have done. -92 Since the beginning of 2016, Koepka is a combined 92 under par in major championships, 64 shots better than any other player. Dustin Johnson is second in that span at 28 under. STATISTICAL STRENGTHS 2 Number of times DeChambeau has set the TOUR’s single-season driving distance record. His average measured tee shot in 2020 was 322.1, the highest in any single season in TOUR history. He broke his own record the following season, posting a clip of 323.7. Last season, he led the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, average distance of all drives and percentage of drives hit more than 320 yards (56.3%). 350.6 yards DeChambeau’s driving-distance average at the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic, the highest ever for a player in the week of his victory. 42 feet, 6 inches DeChambeau’s average proximity on approach shots from outside 200 yards, the best on TOUR last season by nearly 10 feet. DeChambeau’s average score in relation to par in those situations was a stellar -0.29 – fourth-best on TOUR. 22.5 DeChambeau’s average ranking in Strokes Gained: Putting in the past four seasons, proving that he’s both driving and putting for dough. He is one of just four players to be ranked in the top 35 on TOUR in that stat each of the last four years, joining Webb Simpson, Denny McCarthy and Kevin Kisner. 8th Koepka’s rank in Strokes Gained: Total last season, the best of his career. He was one of just eight players to rank in the top 25 in both Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green last season. The average TOUR player gains two or more strokes on the field tee-to-green about 19% of the time. Koepka did that nearly twice as often in 2020-2021. 1st As proof that Koepka thrives in tough conditions, he leads all players in both total driving and greens in regulation in the U.S. Open over the last 20 years (minimum 20 rounds played in that span). 4.22 Koepka has averaged 4.22 birdies-or-better per round in the majors since 2016. The only other player to average 4 or more in that stretch is Collin Morikawa (4.03).

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FootJoy Fury FootJoy announced its new Fury shoe will arrive on store shelves February 1st. Designed from the inside out, the Fury features a stretchy, one-piece Inner Fit Sleeve lasted underneath the insole board to provide a secure fit. On the upper, the external FlexGrid MLC cage system adds structure and helps to lock the foot into place. The combination of leather and mesh provides breathability while being waterproof. The Fury also brings a new D3 outsole to the mix. Inspired by dripping liquid metal, the outsole offers a rigid platform for lateral stability and flexibility for comfort. Puma Golf Puma and Rickie Fowler will celebrate the 10th year of their partnership in 2019. Over the years, Rickie’s style has matured. As a result, we will see him in more refined looks and elevated fabrics. Two of the showcase pieces in the collection are a hybrid jacket and a quilted pullover. The jacket is stuffed with a thin layer of PrimaLoft Gold insulation and stretchy sleeves. PrimaLoft Gold has a high warmth-to-weight ratio, which means it locks in the heat without the bulk. Ralph Lauren Over the years, Billy Horschel has rocked Ralph Lauren’s high tech RLX line while Justin Thomas has sported more traditional looks from the brand’s Polo Golf collection. This year, both players will mix and match pieces from both lines, giving them added versatility and variety. Both players will also wear Ralph Lauren’s new slim-fit pant with an elastic waistband. The brand’s collections for 2019 find themselves on-trend with stylish micro prints, hoodies, and a crossover athleisure capsule. With ‘90s retro dominating the fashion landscape, Ralph Lauren has dipped into its archives and revived its old-school Polo Golf logo. Original Penguin One trend that stands above the rest at this year’s PGA Show is micro prints. Original Penguin is making a strong statement with micro prints that are fun and whimsical. In addition to prints, Original Penguin is also offering updated takes on iconic designs, including plaid bottoms, contrasting plackets, and rope hats. Royal Albartross Royal Albartross takes an adventure in the wild with its crocodile-inspired Croco shoe. The luxurious leather shoe blends sophisticated style with comfort and performance in a trendy silhouette. In addition to the four base colorways, Royal Albartross will release special editions of the Croco leading up to the majors, starting with a deep green Croco Masters. Joining the Croco is the Driver Collection. The sneaker-style shoe can easily find itself on the feet of the most stylish golfers, on or off the course. ECCO BIOM G3 Comfort. Performance. Style. ECCO hits the golf shoe trifecta with the ECCO BIOM G3. Building on its predecessor, the BIOM G3 offers increased stability thanks he soft and supple Yak leather upper provides flexibility and comfort. The outsole features a mix of ZARMA-TOUR cleats and molded lugs for the traction. Notice the lack of a front spike. ECCO removed it in favor of a rotation system that allows the foot to rotate through the swing. Galvin Green GORE-TEX ShakeDry After 15 years in the making, the revolutionary GORE-TEX ShakeDry technology used on Galvin Green’s Ashton Jacket is said to be the lightest GORE-TEX Jacket on the market. A simple shake of the jacket disperses water from the outer shell. J.Lindeberg Engineered Intarsia Polo One of the more unique pieces on the show floor was the Engineered Intarsia Polo from J.Lindeberg. Intarsia is a complex knitting technique that involves knitting different blocks of color. In addition to the bold green stripes on this shirt, check out the specs of green peeking through the navy blue. Greyson Clothiers Greyson continues to take golf fashion to new levels. The brand’s Fall 2019 Collection combines a healthy dose of bold, yet refined prints with a cool palette of rich blues and purples. A Nordic-inspired theme sees a sweater with a silhouette of mountains and a polo with a Northern Lights print. Cut-away collars add an element of sophistication while a new tech pique fabric offers breathability for warm days. Linksoul Dry-Tek Known of its super soft cotton polos, Linksoul is introducing a new performance fabric called Dry-Tek. The poly rich material is blended with a touch of cotton. The result is a fabric that wicks moisture while offering a soft hand feel. Find the latest styles online at the PGA TOUR Superstore.

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