Next Week's Predictions - Probable Delay

The predictions for next week, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions (US PGA Tour) and the Africa Open (European PGA Tour) will probably be a day late appearing on Golf Predictor. This is due to a New Year's trip abroad from Golf Predictor Headquarters! I will endeavour to produce the predictions as as soon as possible, but it unlikely to be done before Tuesday evening (GMT) next week. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Similar Weather Average Position Removed

The "Similar Weather Average Position" statistic has been removed from the golfer prediction pages on Golf Predictor. This was done because the method of computation could lead to confusion. On perusing the early 2011 season data (for the two European PGA Events already played), I noticed a large discrepancy in the season average and the similar weather average for golfers who had played in both events. For example, in the predictions for the South African Open, Louis Oosthuizen's season average was 69 (after finishing in that position in the first event of the season), while his similar weather average was about 125!

This occured due to the method of calculation for the similar weather average. Golf Predictor uses a number of metrics to calculate the similar weather average, e.g. wind speed. If the golfer has not played in any similar conditions for the metric in question, he is assigned a default value for that metric based on his world ranking. Finally, all the metrics are weighted and amalgamated into a single overall figure. Thus, if defaults are used for one or more of the metrics, the computed average could be markedly different from the season average even after just one tournament, as was the case in the above example. There was also a minor error in the algorithm, which admittedly didn't help! This slight error has been corrected and the weather component is still a part of the Golf Predictor algorithm. However, the similar weather average has been removed from the prediction page. Being an amalgam of several weighted metrics, it does not provide meaningful information unless the golfer has played in similar conditions for all metrics in the current season.

2010 - Tour Championship Predictions Re-run

The predictions for the 2010 Tour Championship pres. by Coca-Cola on the US PGA Tour have had to be re-run on Golf Predictor. This was due to a naming discrepancy in the 2010 tournament name which prevented the tournament history from being calculated. It doesn't seem to have affected the rankings significantly, but I apologise for any inconvenience caused. Thanks also to the member who brought this to my attention.

Full 2011 US PGA Tour Schedule now on Golf Predictor

The complete 2011 US PGA Tour schedule is now on Golf Predictor. That thankfully completes the input of tournaments for another year! The CIMB Asia Pacific Classic Malaysia event does not appear to be an official PGA event in the 2011 season, but I have added it to the roster for the time being at least. We are now ready for the commencement of the season in earnest after the holidays!

2010 Season Statistics available on Golf Predictor

The 2010 season stats now available on Golf Predictor. No surprise who's on top this year - Lee Westwood after his ultra consistent year. The new world number one's average last season was impressively Tiger like (well, Tiger like before the wheels came off!). As for Tiger himself, he plummeted down to 21st, his first time out of the top two since Golf Predictor's records began (Ernie Els pipped him in 2005 for his only other non-top finish).

Interestingly, Martin Kaymer is only 10th in the season ranking, while his rival for the Race to Dubai title in 2010 and fellow joint European Golfer of the Year, Graeme McDowell, finished in 5th. On the American front, Golfer of the Year Jim Furyk, is 12th, while Steve Stricker proved to be the most consistently good American, just beating Matt Kuchar for 2nd place. Among world players, Retief Goosen was the most consistently good in 9th place, ahead of his countryman Ernie Els in 15th.

Full 2011 European PGA Tour Schedule now on Golf Predictor

Further to this earlier post, the complete 2011 European PGA Tour schedule is now on Golf Predictor. As stated previously, some courses and sponsors are unknown at this time, but they will be added to the system once they become known. In the meantime, a default course called "TBA" has been added to Golf Predictor for events without a confirmed host course. Now, only the 2011 US PGA Tour schedule to do!

Golf Predictor on Holidays!

Now that the last event this calendar year is over, it's time for a well deserved break from Twitter, the blog and from the main site itself! Unless something extraordinary happens in the golf world over the holiday period, that is! The site will, of course, be back in time for the first events of the 2011 calendar year.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, especially subscribers!! Thanks to everyone for using the site in 2010 and looking forward to a great 2011 season on Golf Predictor.

2011 - Week 2 Winner

Ernie Els (ranked 1st by Golf Predictor) won the rain affected South African Open Championship. The Big Easy secured his fifth national open title, leading in a trio of home ground major champions that also comprised of Retief Goosen and Louis Oosthuizen in second and third place respectively. Charl Schwartzel rounded off a great tournament for the bigger names in home grown golf by finishing in fourth!

The players had to play the two final rounds on Sunday after the opening day's play was washed out. However, the task was made a little easier by the par three fourth hole being unplayable due to flooding. Including predicting the winner, we had ten of the top fourteen plus ties (10/20) in total.

2011 - Week 2 Predictions Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the South African Championship (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. There is a large contingent of South African talent playing in their home Open this week, with six of them taking the top six places in the prediction rankings. After this tournament, it's a well deserved Christmas break for the golfers (and me!).

2011 - Week 1 Winner

Pablo Martin (ranked 20th by Golf Predictor) won the 2011 European PGA Tour season opener, the Alfred Dunhill Championship, for the second year running. The Spaniard could even afford to triple bogey the 17th hole on Sunday and still retain his title by two shots. Our top ranked player, Louis Oosthuizen, finished in tied 69th, but we had nine of the top fifteen plus ties (9/20) in total.

Slight Issue And Workaround

There is currently an issue on Golf Predictor for all users with "US" selected in their profile as the default tour ('Default Tour 2' field only). This issue will result in an error if users try and access most of the prediction pages on the "Stats Analysis" menu in the member section.

This is happening because there are no 2011 US Tour predictions in the system as yet, but there is a Euro Tour prediction since last Monday. This is causing an error when displaying the page with US tour as the default tour. Unfortunately, due to travel and work commitments, I may not be fix the issue until next week.

The workaround in the meantime is to change your 'Default Tour 2' profile field to "Both" for the time being, which allows you to see the pages. You will also get to see the European PGA Tour events too for the moment, but you can manually set the tour filter until I am able to fix the issue. I apologise for any inconvenience caused.

2011 - Week 1 Predictions Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Alfred Dunhill Championship (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. After the huge one week break since the end of the long 2010 season, the long 2011 European PGA Tour season starts again! I'm sure one of the South Africans would love to get off to a great start to the season on home soil.

2011 European PGA Tour Schedule

The 2011 European PGA Tour events up to the week after The Masters (the Maybank Malaysian Open) have been added to Golf Predictor. The rest of the European PGA Tour 2011 schedule will be added in due course. Some courses and sponsors are unknown at this time, but they will be added to the system once they become known.

2010 - Week 49 Winner

Robert Karlsson (ranked 27th by Golf Predictor) won the 2010 European PGA Tour season finale - The Dubai World Championship. The Swede prevented Ian Poulter from successive victories by defeating him at the second extra hole. It proved to be an anti-climatic end as Poulter mishit his approach. He then incurred a one shot penalty after dropping his ball on his marker, causing it to move. That gave Karlsson two putts from four feet for the title, which he duly won needing only one.

Germany's Martin Kaymer won the Race to Dubai as Graeme McDowell couldn't recover sufficiently from his poor start, despite a valiant effort over the weekend. Our top ranked player, Lee Westwood, finished in tied 3th and we had six of the top nine plus ties (6/10) in total.

2010 - Week 49 Predictions Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Dubai World Championship pres. by DP World (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. Graeme McDowell left himself a lot of work to do to catch Martin Kaymer after Hong Kong, so it will be interesting to see if he can reel in the young German over the course of the four days. This is the final event of a long 2010 season for Golf Predictor, so we'll enjoy the whole week we have off until the 2011 European PGA Tour season starts!

2010 - Week 48 Winner

Ian Poulter (ranked 4th by Golf Predictor) won the UBS Hong Kong Open on the European PGA Tour. The 34 year old English man held off his final day challengers to win his tenth European PGA Tour by a shot. Our top ranked player, Graeme McDowell, finished in 5th and we had twelve of the top sixteen plus ties (12/18) in total*.


*Two of our top 21 ranked players didn't play (Derksen/Luiten) and another withdrew (Bjorn), thus promoting Dyson to 18th in our ranking.

2010 - Week 48 Predictions Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the UBS Hong Kong Open (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. This is the penultimate event of a long season for Golf Predictor, with only the season finale in Dubai to come after this. There is quite a good field this week for a normal event this late in the season. I'm sure it's handy money (in more ways than one) for those on the way home or to Dubai next week!

2010 - Week 47 Winners

Adam Scott (ranked 9th by Golf Predictor) won the Barclays Singapore Open on the European PGA Tour. The 30 year old Australian claimed his third Singapore Open title by three shots on Monday after thunderstorms delayed the event. Our top ranked player, Martin Kaymer, finished in tied 10th and we had five of the top ten plus ties (5/13) in total.
Robert Garrigus (ranked 77th by Golf Predictor) put his Memphis collapse behind him by winning the Children's Miracle Network Classic on the US PGA Tour. By securing his win, the American guaranteed his card for the next two seasons and put his capitulation to Lee Westwood earlier in the season firmly behind him. Our top ranked player, Rickie Fowler, finished in tied 3rd and we had six of the top twelve plus ties (6/16) in total*.


*Overton didn't play, so Marino is promoted to the top sixteen in our rankings.

2010 - Week 47 Predictions Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Barclays Singapore Open (European PGA Tour) and the Children's Miracle Network Classic (US PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. This is the last tournament on the US PGA Tour this season, but there are a couple of weeks left on the European PGA Tour to keep us busy!

2010 - Week 46 Winner

Francesco Molinari (ranked 19th by Golf Predictor) kept the recent Italian run going by winning the WGC-HSBC Champions event on the European/US PGA Tour. The 28 year old Molinari was congratulated for holding off Lee Westwood on the 72nd green and claiming his first title for four years by his older brother. It was the first time in European Tour history that the same players had been first and second on all four days. Indeed they matched each other score for score over the final three days with the single shot difference on Thursday proving to be decisive. Our top ranked player, Tiger Woods*, started and finished well to end up tied 6th and we had seven of the top six plus ties (7/12) in total*.


*Westwood was our original top ranked player until concerns about his injury caused him to be downgraded. Drat!

2010 - Week 46 Predictions Updated

The predictions for the WGC - HSBC Champions (European/US PGA Tour) have been slightly updated on Golf Predictor. The latest information concerning Lee Westwood indicates that he has not recovered fully from his injury, so he has been downgraded accordingly. This removes him from the top ranking, which I believe is reasonable. There have been no other changes to the Golf Predictor rankings.

2010 - Week 46 Predictions Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the WGC - HSBC Champions (European/US PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. Just the one tournament this week and this is the first year that the Shanghai event is an officially sanctioned tournament on the US PGA Tour. This will be the first time that Lee Westwood plays as world number one, so it will be interesting if he gets paired with his predecessor Tiger Woods at some stage!

2010 - Week 45 Winners

Graeme McDowell (ranked 2nd by Golf Predictor) won the inaugural Andalucia Valderrama Masters on the European PGA Tour. The Northern Irish man breaks into the world top ten with his third win of a great season. Our top ranked player, Martin Kaymer, failed to keep his brilliant recent run going, which means Lee Westwood will be world number one tomorrow. Kaymer finished in tied 21st, but we had eight of the top eighteen plus ties (8/20) in total*.

Ben Crane (ranked 10th by Golf Predictor) won the first ever CIMB Asia Pacific Classic Malaysia on the US PGA Tour. The 34 year old American won with a birdie at the last to hold off the charging Brian Davis. Our top ranked player, Luke Donald, finished in tied 3rd and we had eight of the top eleven plus ties (8/14) in total.


*Manassero didn't play, so Aiken is promoted to the top twenty in our rankings.

2010 - Week 45 Predictions Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic Malaysia (US PGA Tour) and the Andalucia Valderrama Masters (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. Both of these tail of season events are new tournaments, with the US PGA Tour following the European PGA Tour into Asia. The the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic Malaysia has a small field of 40, one quarter of whom are from the Asian Tour. Note that we do not track that tour, so most of those Asian golfers may be harshly assessed by our prediction engine.

Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open Leaderboard

The leaderboard for the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open doesn't allow for a withdrawal who made the cut in the usual fashion. Usually in such circumstances, the golfer who withdrew (Brian Gay) is officially deemed to have finished higher than those who missed the cut and they are assigned a final position accordingly. This leaves a gap in the leaderboard between the last player who made the cut and the first one missing the cut as the withdrawal is listed at the bottom of the leaderboard.

However, this did not happen in this case and all those who missed the cut have been assigned a position one too high. Therefore, to keep things consistent on Golf Predictor, those missing the cut have been bumped down one place in our official results for the tournament.

2010 - Week 44 Winners

Matteo Manassero (ranked 32nd by Golf Predictor) won the Castello Masters Costa Azahar on the European PGA Tour. The 17 year old Italian phenomenon became the youngest ever winner on tour by over a year with his accomplished victory. Poor old Sergio Garcia missed the cut on his return to golf on his home track after a two month break. Our top ranked player, Richard Green, finished in tied 30th, and we had eleven of the top twenty three plus ties (11/29) in total.

Jonathan Byrd (ranked 33rd by Golf Predictor) won the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on the US PGA Tour in spectacular fashion. The 32 year old American won with an ace on the fourth extra hole in a three man play-off. Martin Laird and Cameron Percy no doubt regret deciding to play one more hole in fading light! I believe that this is the first ever tournament settled with a hole in one. Our top ranked player, Hunter Mahan, finished in tied 50th, but we had four of the top eleven plus ties (4/13) in total.

2010 - Week 44 Predictions (US PGA Tour) Rerun

The predictions and statistics for the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals Open (US PGA Tour) on Golf Predictor have had to be regenerated. This was due to the fact that the system was not updated to take into account that TPC Summerlin had been reduced to a par 71 from a par 72 last year. That meant that the scoring average stats were slightly off for the course/tournament history and the 2009 season for all golfers who played the event last year.

That has now been corrected and the predictions and the 2009 season statistics have been updated accordingly. It should only make a very slight difference to the rankings for the event. I apologise for any inconvenience caused.

2010 - Week 44 Predictions Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals Open (US PGA Tour) and the Castello Masters Costa Azahar (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. The season continues to wind down, so not many big names competing this week either.

2010 - Week 43 Winners

Richard Green (ranked 16th by Golf Predictor) won the Portugal Masters on the European PGA Tour. The 39 year old Australian came from seven shots back to secure his third tour title as overnight leader, Pablo Martin, choked (by his own admission) on the final day. Our top ranked player, Edoardo Molinari, finished in tied 52nd, but we had eight of the top seventeen plus ties (8/21) in total*.

Rocco Mediate (ranked 54th by Golf Predictor) overcame indifferent form to win the Frys.com Open on the US PGA Tour. The genial American won in amazing fashion, holing out (for the fourth consecutive day) on 17 for a one shot victory. Our top ranked player, Tim Clark, finished in tied 6th and we had five of the top sixteen plus ties (5/17) in total**.


*Danny Willett didn't play and David Lynn withdrew, allowing Gonzalo Fdez-Castano to be included.

**Similarly, two higher ranked players didn't play, bringing Fredrik Jacobson into the equation.

How to Spot Value Bets with Golf Predictor

The purpose of this article is to show just how easy it is to spot value bets using Golf Predictor. We provide an unbiased (i.e. true, based on their statistics) ranking of all golfers in the field for a particular tournament. Bookmakers, on the other hand, adjust their rankings in order to maximise profit for themselves (naturally!). This so-called "public opinion spread" means that, for example, they cut the odds for golfers they think will attract more bets. However, being more (or less) heavily backed does not mean a golfer is more (or less) likely to win/perform in a tournament.

You can therefore compare your bookies odds with our rankings to identify undervalued or overvalued golfers easily. For selected tournaments, this is done automatically on the site using the prices from various European bookies. Good and bad bets are colour coded in green and red on the Prediction Rankings (Odds) page for easy identification. On any given week, there will usually be discrepancies between the unbiased rankings for an event and those for any bookmaker. Some players will be ranked too high (overvalued) by the bookie and some will be consequently ranked too low (undervalued). Before the tournament starts, you should look for the latter near the top of the Golf Predictor rankings as these undervalued golfers are a good bet for at least a top ten finish.

Of course, with Golf Predictor, you can drill down to see all the golfer statistics, so you can make up your own mind whether your bookie has really got it wrong! You should also check the field rankings and some (or all) of the course/tournament/similar tournaments/season/last 5/similar weather/similar length course/same region/same season segment history data on Golf Predictor for the undervalued golfer to verify that he would be a good pick. The 'Compare Form' pages are an excellent way to compare various metrics (e.g. finishing position, round scores, cuts and finishing score) in the recent/historical/similar events for your selected golfers. Finally, you can even apply your own custom weightings to various metrics and rank the entire field accordingly. You can then compare the results to your bookie's list and find your own value bets!

As an example, Heath Slocum was ranked 9th by Golf Predictor for the 2010 McGladrey Classic based on his statistics, but was ranked tied 19th by a prominent bookie. This made him a good bet for at least a top ten finish in the tournament as he was significantly undervalued. I duly tweeted as much before the event and who went on to actually win it? Yes, you've guessed it, Heath Slocum! We won't get a winner like that every time, of course, but you will find value most weeks using the many statistics and features on Golf Predictor.

2010 - Week 43 Predictions Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Frys.com Open (US PGA Tour) and the Portugal Masters (European PGA Tour are now available on Golf Predictor. The fields for either event this week isn't great as the big names (particularly in the US) wind down for the season.

2010 - Week 42 Winners

Martin Kaymer (ranked 2nd by Golf Predictor) won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, his third straight victory on the European PGA Tour. The German showed no sign of tiredness after the Ryder Cup (which he also won!) by overtaking last week's winner, John Parry. Our top ranked player, Lee Westwood, finished in tied 11th, thereby failing to get the top two finish needed to overtake Tiger Woods at the top of the world rankings. Most of the other Ryder Cup stars seemed to run out of gas, but overall we had seven of the top seventeen plus ties (7/20).

Heath Slocum (ranked 9th by Golf Predictor) won the inaugural McGladrey Classic on the US PGA Tour. The American could afford to bogey the last hole and still take his fourth career title. Our top ranked player, Matt Kuchar, finished down the field in tied 25th after his dash from the Ryder Cup. However, we had around ten of the top fifteen plus ties (10/24) in total*.


*A couple of the higher ranked players didn't play and one fairly high finisher was a late entrant. This makes direct comparisons more difficult as it brings Howell III (ranked 25th) and Kuchar (finished tied 25th) into the equation.

2010 - Week 42 Predictions Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the McGladrey Classic (US PGA Tour) and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (European PGA Tour are now available on Golf Predictor. A lot of European Ryder Cup players are teeing it up in the celebrity fest in Scotland. Let's hope that they are not the worst for wear after their great delayed victory today! Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar are the only US Ryder Cup stars playing in the new event on the US PGA Tour this week. That overspill into Monday won't help their chances of overcoming jet lag (and disappointment) by Thursday.

2010 - Week 41 Winner

While the top golfers were toiling in the rain in Wales, Bill Haas (ranked 5th by Golf Predictor) won the first event of the US PGA Tour Fall Series, the Viking Classic. It was the second win of the season for Haas Junior, having already captured the Bob Hope Classic. Maybe he should stick to the Classics!! Our top ranked player, Sean O'Hair, didn't make the third round "cut", but we had five of the top eleven plus ties (5/16).

Major Enhancements to Stats Pages

We are pleased to announce that the statistics pages on Golf Predictor have been upgraded. The main pages affected are the tournament page and the main prediction, season stats and results pages for each golfer. Some other pages, such as the tournament stats (rounds) page, results (player) and the golfer/course pages have also received minor upgrades. The main changes are:

1. The "details", "map it" and "chart" text links have been replaced with icon links.
2. Many of the stats tables have been upgraded to collapsible AJAX panels. This looks nicer and also allows you to hide stats on the page you might not be interested in. Simply click on a panel header to toggle collapsing/expanding it.
   
3. On the prediction page for each golfer, the data has been moved around into more logical collapsible panels. This also allowed the simplification of the labels and therefore the key at the bottom of the page.
4. The data on the season stats page for each golfer has been similarly re-organised.
5. If the golfer has no relevant statistics, the panel will just show a message to that effect, rather then a slew of blank statistics and chart links.
   

The graphic above shows a portion of the new prediction page (for Padraig Harrington in last week's Vivendi Cup) with the new panels and link icons. Every page has been tested in Firefox and IE, but bugs may have slipped under the radar. If you spot any, please let us know and we will fix them as soon as possible. Just another way to make Golf Predictor even better!


Note: You may have to refresh a page in your browser, if you recently viewed it.

2010 - Week 41 Predictions Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Viking Classic (US PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. While the top Americans and Europeans will be locked in combat in Wales at the Ryder Cup, there are still some biggish names teeing it up in Mississippi this week.

Golf Predictor is designed for individual stroke play events, which covers all the tournaments on the European and US PGA Tours except for two. These events, the WGC - Accenture Match Play and the Volvo World Match Play Championship (not on this year), are also covered by Golf Predictor for completeness. However, match play is very different from stroke play and thus our system is of limited use for these particular events. Our system is of practically no use for team match play events, so we do not cover the Ryder Cup or other such battles!

2010 - Week 40 Winners

John Parry (ranked 17th* by Golf Predictor) won the Vivendi Cup, his maiden victory on the European PGA Tour. The Englishman put his poor finish last week in Austria firmly behind him in taking the title by two shots. Our top ranked player, Padraig Harrington, put in a confidence boosting weekend, vaulting up 68 places after a poor opening two days which saw him barely making the cut. The Irish man closed with a fine 64 (-8) to finish in tied 8th place. Overall, we had six of the top fifteen plus ties (6/18)*.

On the US Tour, Jim Furyk (ranked 3rd by Golf Predictor) won the final event of the FedEx Cup play-offs, the Tour Championship pres. by Coca Cola. Given Matt Kuchar's poor showing, that meant the likeable American also walked away with the $10 million FedEx Cup. He probably won the FedEx Cup due to being well rested after the first play-off event!! Our top ranked player, Steve Stricker, finished well down the field in tied 25th, but we had ten of the top fifteen plus ties (10/16).


* Two higher ranked players (Peter Hanson and Jamie Donaldson) were late withdrawals, so they are excluded from the comparison.

2010 - Week 40 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the Tour Championship pres. by Coca Cola (US PGA Tour) and the Vivendi Cup (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. It's the final week of the FedEx Cup play-offs in the US this week and it's the first time the event will be Tigerless since he established himself onto the scene all those years ago. Meanwhile, in Europe, Padraig Harrington will be hoping to find some form in France in advance of the Ryder Cup next week.

2010 - Week 39 Winner

Jose Manuel Lara (ranked 26th by Golf Predictor) won the the Austrian Golf Open pres. by Botarin. The Spaniard defeated David Lynn (ranked 10th) at the first extra hole after both finished on -17. Monty will be disappointed that another team member didn't win, but at least Graeme McDowell (ranked 1st) finished tied third! In total, we had ten of the top fifteen plus ties (10/19).

2010 - Week 39 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the Austrian Golf Open pres. by Botarin are now available on Golf Predictor. While the Americans have the week off in advance of the FedEx Cup finale, there will be a couple of European Ryder Cup stars teeing it up in Austria. They will be hoping, I'm sure, to make it six wins in a row for the team in advance of the looming battle!

2010 - Week 38 Winners

US PGA Champion Martin Kaymer (ranked 1st by Golf Predictor) won the the KLM Open, his first event on the European PGA Tour as a major champion. The German was clinical on Sunday, hitting 17 greens on the way to a 66 (-4) and a four shot victory. Monty will be delighted to see a team member winning for the fifth week in a row. Including the winner, we had five of the top eleven plus ties (5/16).

On the US Tour, Dustin Johnson (ranked 18th by Golf Predictor) won the third event of the FedEx Cup play-offs, the BMW Championship. The 26 year old won with an error free back nine, beating Ryder Cup reject Paul Casey by a shot. Our top ranked player, Tiger Woods, finished in tied 15th, which wasn't enough for him to progress to the Tour Championship in two weeks time. Overall, we had thirteen of the top fifteen plus ties (13/20).

2010 - Week 38 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the BMW Championship (US PGA Tour) and theKLM Open KLM Open KLM Open (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. It's the third week of the FedEx Cup play-offs in the US this week and the pressure will be on to qualify for the lucrative Tour Championship in two weeks time. The KLM Open returns to the Hilversumsche Golf Club for the first time since 2005 and two recent major champions, Oosthuizen and Kaymer, are there to headline the event.

2010 - Week 37 Winners

Miguel Angel Jimenez (ranked 3rd by Golf Predictor) won the the Omega European Masters, the first post Ryder Cup qualification event on the European PGA Tour. Monty will be delighted to see a team member winning so near to the Ryder Cup, particularly because his in-form wildcard pick (and our top ranked golfer), Edoardo Molinari, came in second. In total we had five of the top thirteen plus ties (5/14).

On the US Tour, Charley Hoffman (ranked 43rd by Golf Predictor) won the second event of the FedEx Cup play-offs, the Deutsche Bank Championship. The 33 year old won in style, shooting a 62 (-9) to reach -22, which was good for a five stroke victory. That shot him up 57 places in the FedEx Cup standings to second. Our top ranked player, Tiger Woods, recovered well after an indifferent opening round to finish tied 11th. Overall, in an event where many of the big names didn't perform, we had six of the top eighteen plus ties (6/21) in total.

2010 - Week 38 Predictions Delay

Due to the Labor Day holiday in the US, the Deutsche Bank Championship is not scheduled to finish until today (Monday). Because of this, we probably will not be able to produce predictions for the BMW Championship and the KLM Open this week until tomorrow, when the result is known and all the statistics are available.

We will of course update Golf Predictor and generate the week 38 predictions/statistics as soon as possible.

Golf Predictor Migration

Golf Predictor is getting moved to a new server in the next 24 hours, so there may be some disruption to service. Apologies for any inconvenience caused by this situation, which is beyond our control.

2010 - Week 37 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the Deutsche Bank Championship (US PGA Tour) and the Omega European Masters (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. It's the second week of the FedEx Cup play-offs in the US this week. It will be interesting to see if Tiger can keep improving after easily passing last week's test.

2010 - Week 36 Winners

Edoardo Molinari (ranked 1st by Golf Predictor) played his way into the Ryder Cup by winning the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles on the European PGA Tour. The 29 year old Italian bested his playing partner and younger brother Francesco to take his second title on Scottish soil this season. That win (and his proven partnership with his brother!) was enough for Monty to call him into the team at the expense of Paul Casey and Justin Rose. Including predicting the winner, we had ten of the top fourteen plus ties (10/18) in total.

On the US Tour, Matt Kuchar (ranked 8th by Golf Predictor) won the first event of the FedEx Cup play-offs, The Barclays. The 32 year old capped a consistent season to seal his 3rd win on the US PGA Tour. Kuchar picked up five shots on overnight leader, Martin Laird, to defeat him with a stunning approach at the first extra hole. Our top ranked player, Phil Mickelson, was one of many big names to under perform and missed the cut. Overall though, we had eight of the top fifteen plus ties (8/20).

2010 - Week 36 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, The Barclays (US PGA Tour) and the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. It's the first week of the FedEx Cup play-offs in the US and poor old Tiger is in danger of not making it to week two! It will be interesting to see how that plays out. Meanwhile, in Europe, it's the last week of Ryder Cup qualification, but most of the non-qualified big guns are teeing it up in the US!

2010 - Week 35 Winners

Peter Hanson (ranked 1st by Golf Predictor) gave his Ryder Cup ambitions a shot in the arm by winning the Czech Open 2010 on the European PGA Tour. The 32 year old Swede did it the hard way, throwing away his four shot overnight lead but prevailing in a three way play-off with Gary Boyd and Peter Lawrie. That victory adds to Monty's selection dilemma as it propels the Swede into automatic selection for the Ryder Cup at Paul Casey's expense. Including predicting the winner, we had seven of the top sixteen plus ties (7/19) in total.

On the US Tour, Arjun Atwal (ranked 86th* by Golf Predictor) won the Wyndham Championship. The 37 year old, who lost his card in July, became the first Indian to win on the US PGA Tour. That should ease his playing concerns for the two years! Our top ranked player, Anthony Kim, continued his poor return from injury by missing the cut. Overall, we had eleven of the top eighteen plus ties (11/27).


*Atwal was a late entrant and only added to predictions on Saturday morning (GMT).

2010 - Week 35 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the Wyndham Championship (US PGA Tour) and the Czech Open 2010 (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. Back to brass tacks for the golfers after the last major of the season and almost all of the bigger names are taking this week off after Whistling Straits. It could be a great chance then for Anthony Kim to complete his comeback from injury with a win!

2010 - Week 34 Winner

Martin Kaymer (ranked 9th by Golf Predictor keep Germany's great recent run in majors going by winning the US PGA Championship on the European/US PGA Tour. After consecutive senior major wins for Bernhard Langer, the 25 year old Kaymer joined him in the winner's circle at Whistling Straits. After Dustin Johnson was harshly penalised for grounding his club in a bunker (that didn't look like a bunker!) on the last, it was left to Kaymer and Bubba Watson to slug it out in a play-off. Kaymer triumphed at the third extra hole to join Langer in an exclusive club of major winning Germans! Our top ranked player, Phil Mickelson, finished strongly with a 67 (-5) for tied 12th position and we had ten of the top eighteen plus ties (10/23) in total.

2010 - Week 34 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the US PGA Championship (European/US PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. Just the one tournament this week, but it's a big one! It's the last major of the season, so it's the last chance of glory for the competitors this year. Fat chance of Tiger adding to his collection though, given his recent performances! It's a shame too that the most consistent of major performers in recent times, Lee Westwood, is out due to a recurrence of his calf injury. Given that Whistling Straits is the nearest thing to a links course in the US, maybe the Irish/British golfers will have a chance of glory!

2010 - Week 33 Winners

Hunter Mahon (ranked 30th by Golf Predictor) won the WGC - Bridgestone Invitational on the European/US PGA Tour. The 28 year old American collected his second tour title of the season and cemented his place in the US Ryder Cup team by finishing in style with a fine 64 (-6). Our top ranked player, Lee Westwood, unfortunately withdrew due to injury and next best in the rankings, Tiger Woods had his most torrid week ever, finishing tied second last after a shockingly poor tournament. Overall, we had five of the top fifteen (5/15)*.

Bill Lunde (ranked 82nd by Golf Predictor) won his maiden title on the US Tour at the Turning Stone Resort Championship. Our top ranked player, Vaughn Taylor, finished in tied 66th and we had seven of the top sixteen plus ties (7/21) in total.


*Lee Westwood was excluded from the comparison due to his withdrawal, so Retief Goosen was promoted to 15th.

2010 - Week 33 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the WGC - Bridgestone Invitational (European/US PGA Tour) and the Turning Stone Resort Championship (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. The WGC event offers a quality field as usual (the field strength chart on Golf Predictor shows 49* of the top 50 in the world are playing!) and is a useful final warm up for the final major of the season, the US PGA Championship, which is starts next week in Wisconsin.


*Jeff Overton is the only one missing, probably because he only made the top 50 after finishing second yesterday!

2010 - Week 32 Winners

Ross Fisher (ranked 5th by Golf Predictor) upset the home fans by winning the 3 Irish Open on the European PGA Tour! The 29 year old English man collected his fourth tour title by holding off charging Irish hero Padraig Harrington. Fisher's victory was built on his round on Friday, where he flirted with the magical 59, before settling for a 61. Our top ranked player, Graeme McDowell finished in tied 31st and we had six of the top fourteen plus ties (6/17) in total.

On the US Tour, Stuart Appleby (ranked 17th* by Golf Predictor) did more than flirt with a 59 in winning The Grienbrier Classic title in style. The Australian broke the 60 barrier on the par 70 layout to come from seven shots back and pip long time leader Jeff Overton by a shot. That's the second 59 in a month on the US PGA Tour, following Paul Goydos' effort at the John Deere Classic. Many of the top ranked players didn't perform, but our top ranked player, Jim Furyk, finished in tied ninth. Overall, we had five of the top sixteen plus ties (5/20) in total.


*Nick Watney didn't play and Steve Marino withdrew, so we exclude them from the rankings.

2010 - Week 32 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the 3 Irish Open (European PGA Tour) and The Greenbrier Classic (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. Being Golf Predictor's "home" event, I'll be at the tournament in Killarney this week. It will be great to see the action at first hand, so here's hoping for some good weather for a change!

2010 - Week 31 Winners

Richard S Johnson (ranked 74th by Golf Predictor) delighted the home fans by winning the Nordea Scandinavian Masters on the European PGA Tour. The 33 year old Swede delighted the gallery by holing a 30 foot birdie putt on the last to pip Rafa Enchenique to the title. Our top ranked player, Edoardo Molinari put in another strong performance to finish third. Overall, we had nine of the top nineteen plus ties (9/23) in total.

To complete a great week for Swedish golf, Carl Pettersson (ranked 33rd by Golf Predictor) won the RBC Canadian Open on the US Tour. The Swede built on his superb 60 in round three to secure his fourth tour title. Our top ranked player, Luke Donald, finished in third and we had eight of the top thirteen plus ties (8/16) in total*.


*Ben Crane (ranked ninth) didn't play, so Charlie Wi makes it into the top 16 in the prediction list.

2010 - Week 31 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the Nordea Scandinavian Masters (European PGA Tour) and the RBC Canadian Open (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. Louis Oosthuizen is teeing it up in Sweden for the first time as British Open Champion. It will be interesting to see if he's down from cloud nine yet!

2010 - Week 30 Winners

Louis Oosthuizen (ranked 87th by Golf Predictor) ran away with the The British Open Championship on the European/US PGA Tour. Making the most out of a favourable draw, the young South African outplayed the field to win his first major by seven shots. Our top ranked player, Tiger Woods, never really got going and finished in tied 23rd. Overall, we had five of the top eleven plus ties (5/13).

Meanwhile, at the lesser event on the US Tour, Matt Bettencourt (ranked 20th by Golf Predictor) won the Reno-Tahoe Open. The 35 year old American putted fantastically on the last day to secure his maiden tour title. Our top ranked player, Vaughn Taylor, finished in tied 35th and we had ten of the top twenty one plus ties (10/25) in total.

2010 - Week 30 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, The British Open Championship (European/US PGA Tour) and the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. All eyes will be on St. Andrews for the third major of the year. Will Tiger Woods' return to the home of golf inspire a return to form for the troubled megastar? I'll be watching in glorious HD for the first time to find out!

2010 - Week 29 Winners

Steve Stricker (ranked 1st by Golf Predictor) won the John Deere Classic on the US PGA Tour. Despite Paul Goydos' opening historic 59, Stricker's opening rounds of 60, 66 & 62 set a PGA Tour 54 hole record and gave him a 6 shot lead over the aforementioned Goydos. Despite a rally in the final round by his closest competitor, Stricker held on to win by two shots in the end. Including the winner, we had seven of the top fifteen plus ties (7/20).

Edoardo Molinari (ranked 20th by Golf Predictor) won his maiden European PGA Tour at The Barclays Scottish Open. In the company of his younger brother Francesco and nearest challenger Darren Clarke, the Italian held his nerve admirably. Mind you, he was helped by Clarke's poor start, which removed some of the pressure. Our top ranked player, Phil Mickelson, was one of the many big names to miss the cut, after he had a calamitous 9 on the par 4 18th on Friday. Despite this, we had seven of the top twenty one plus ties (7/25) in total.

2010 - Week 29 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the John Deere Classic (US PGA Tour) and The Barclays Scottish Open (European PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. As usual, there is a pretty good field at Loch Lomond, despite it not being much use as a tune up for next week's British Open!

2010 - Week 28 Winners

Justin Rose (ranked 6th by Golf Predictor) continued his great recent form by winning the AT&T National. Unlike last week, the Englishman didn't forfeit his healthy third round lead as he won for the second time in in three starts on the US PGA Tour. Our top ranked player, Tiger Woods, finished in tied 46th after another indifferent display. Overall, we had ten of the top thirteen plus ties (10/20).

Despite trying his best not to, Miguel Angel Jimenez (ranked 24th by Golf Predictor) won the Alstom Open de France on the European PGA Tour. The 46 year old Spaniard double bogeyed the last to fall into a 3 man play-off with Francesco Molinari and Alejandro Canizares. However, the affable Jimenez prevailed at the first extra hole. Our top ranked player, Lee Westwood, finished in tied 18th after overcoming a medical scare earlier in the week. Overall, we had six of the top eleven plus ties (6/15) in total.

2010 - Week 28 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the AT&T National (US PGA Tour) and the Alstom Open de France (European PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. Tiger Woods is playing in the tournament sponsored by AT&T, one his (many) former sponsors. He used to host the event, but now he is only a player, although it still benefits his foundation. Lee Westwood is the biggest draw in France this week, where US Open champion Graeme McDowell has pulled out (to continue celebrating, no doubt!).

2010 - Week 27 Winners

Bubba Watson (ranked 17th by Golf Predictor) finally won on the US PGA Tour the at the Travelers Championship. The big hitting lefthander came from six shots back to win over short hitting righthander Corey Pavin and Scott Verplank. Long time leader Justin Rose withered badly to fall to tied 9th after a closing 75 (+5). Our top ranked player, Kenny Perry, finished in tied 74th, but we had ten of the top thirteen plus ties (10/20).

On the European PGA Tour, David Horsey (ranked 89th by Golf Predictor) also came from behind to win the BMW International Open. The English man came from five shots back after his third 67 in a row to secure his first tour title. Both long time leader Bradley Dredge and Pablo Larrazabal double bogeyed the 16th to finish two back, while Ross Fisher, showing a welcome return to form, finished with an eagle to vault into second place. Our top ranked player, Ernie Els, missed the cut and was one of the many big names who bit off more than he could chew by flying in directly from the US Open, some nine or ten timezones away. That was one reason why we only had two of the top nine plus ties (2/10) in total. A good tournament for the bookies then!

2010 - Week 27 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the Travelers Championship (US PGA Tour) and the BMW International Open (European PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. After the excitement of the US Open it's back to brass tacks now. While most of the bigger names are taking the week off after their exertions at Pebble Beach, the European PGA Tour and BMW have managed to get more bigger names to travel from California to play in Germany. Gee, I wonder how they managed that?!

2010 - Week 26 Winners

Graeme McDowell (ranked 9th by Golf Predictor) won his first major with an impressively consistent display in the US Open. The Northern Irish man was the only man not to be bested by the tough Pebble Beach layout, finishing on level par for a one shot victory. Almost everyone fell away on the final day, especially overnight leader Dustin Johnson who had an embarrassing meltdown in the final round. However, McDowell kept his nerve admirably to become the first Northern Irish major winner since Fred Daly (British Open) in 1947. Our top ranked player, Phil Mickelson, finished in tied fourth and we had six of the top fourteen plus ties (6/15).

On the European PGA Tour, Martin Wiegele (ranked 38th by Golf Predictor) won the Saint Omer Open pres by Neuflize OBC by two shots. Just two weeks after winning on The Challenge Tour, Wiegele becomes only the second Austrian to win on the main tour. Our top ranked player, Raphael Jacquelin, finished in tied second and we had about seven or eight of the top seventeen plus ties (7-8/21) in total*.


*For some reason, the field seems to have changed considerably since Monday and many of the higher finishers weren't in the available field then. This unusual occurrence makes performance analysis difficult.

2010 - Week 26 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the US Open (European/US PGA Tour) and the second string Saint Omer Open pres by Neuflize OBC (European PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. All eyes will be on picturesque Pebble Beach this week, where the second major of the year gets under way on Thursday. Will Tiger be able to rediscover his old magic at the scene of one of his greatest triumphs? Unlikely, but only time will tell. For the first time ever on Golf Predictor, he isn't in the top two of the rankings - not a good omen!

2010 - Week 25 Winners

Lee Westwood (ranked 1st by Golf Predictor) won his first title on the US PGA Tour in twelve years at the St. Jude Classic presented by Smith & Nephew. The English man won in a three man play-off after Robert Garrigus triple bogeyed the last to fall back level with him and Robert Karlsson. The Swede spurned two great chances to win after Garrigus bowed out, but Westwood was not to be denied his long overdue victory. That should set him up nicely for the US Open this week. Including the winner, we had twelve of the top fifteen plus ties (12/24).

On the European PGA Tour, Thomas Bjorn (ranked 18th by Golf Predictor) recorded a comprehensive five shot victory at the Estoril Open de Portugal. The Dane finished with a 68 (-4) for his first win in over four years. Our top ranked player, Chris Wood, finished in tied fifteenth and we had nine of the top fifteen plus ties (9/18) in total.

2010 - Week 25 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the St. Jude Classic pres. by Smith & Nephew (US PGA Tour) and the Estoril Open de Portugal (European PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. It's another new course and a weak field for the European event where Chris Wood is the only golfer playing from the top 100 in the world. Meanwhile, it's the final tune up for next week's US Open for the competitors in the newly sponsored St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tennessee.

2010 - Week 24 Winners

Justin Rose (ranked 35th by Golf Predictor) won his first title on the US PGA Tour at The Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley. The English man came from four shots down to win Jack's tournament by three shots after a flawless closing 66 (-6). Defending champion Tiger Woods' Z game was good enough for tied nineteenth! Our top ranked player, Phil Mickelson, finished in a tie for fifth place we had ten of the top nineteen plus ties (10/22).

In Europe, Graeme McDowell (ranked 4th by Golf Predictor) stormed to a brilliant victory at the Celtic Manor Wales Open. The Northern Irish man gave his Ryder Cup selection chances a serious boost with a three shot victory at the venue for the autumn showdown. McDowell emulated his compatriot McIlroy by overcoming an indifferent opening two rounds with a fantastic weekend finish (64-63) to take the title. Local favourite and emerging talent Rhys Davies also finished superbly with a course record 62 (-9) for his second runner up finish in a row. Our top ranked player, Luke Donald, finished in third for his third successive top three finish in Europe. Overall, we had six of the top twelve plus ties (6/17).

2010 - Week 24 Predictions Online

The predictions for this week, the Memorial Tournament pres. by Morgan Stanley (US PGA Tour) and The Celtic Manor Wales Open (European PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. Monty has set up the Twenty Ten course to his liking for his Ryder Cup dry run. Pity most of his team haven't shown up! Meanwhile, a good quality field has assembled as usual in Ohio for Jack's tournament. This year, five of the top six in the world are teeing it up, including Tiger Woods. Let's hope he brings his A (or at least his B+) game!

2010 - Week 23 Winners

Zach Johnson (ranked 21st* by Golf Predictor) won his first title of the season on the US PGA Tour at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. The American put an indifferent season behind him to win with a record breaking total of 259 (-21) and claim that super cool plaid jacket! Almost all the big names performed poorly this week, including our top ranked player, Phil Mickelson. Lefty missed the cut on his return to the event after the hiatus last year due to his wife's illness. Despite that, we had nine of the top twenty two plus ties (9/25).

In Europe, Luke Donald (ranked 1st by Golf Predictor) finally broke his winless streak at the Madrid Masters. The Englishman finished with a 67 to win his first title in four years by a single shot. Including predicting the winner, we had eight of the top sixteen plus ties (8/20).


*His namesake Dustin didn't play, but was ranked higher, so we exclude him.