Golf Predictor on Holidays!

Now that the last event this GP season (calendar year) is over and the season statistics have been generated, 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! I will, of course, be back in time for the first events of the 2015 GP Season.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, especially Golf Predictor subscribers!! Thanks to everyone for using the site in 2014 and looking forward to a great 2015 on Golf Predictor.

2015 Tournaments Added to Golf Predictor

In preparation for the new year of golf, the 2015 European and US PGA Tour season events have been added to Golf Predictor. This covers US events up to the Tour Championship and the European events up until the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai*

There is very little change in the US schedule from last year, which makes my job of importing them somewhat easier! The European Tour, on the other hand, has its usual relatively large number of year to year changes. Next year there are six new/returning events and a number of new and unconfirmed courses.


*I have added the World Match Play Championship in the week after Dubai for the time being. When/if it gets finalised, it will be moved to its correct slot in the calendar.

2014 GP Season Stats Available

Following the conclusion of the last event of 2014 on both major tours in South Africa yesterday, the statistics for the 2014 GP season are now available on Golf Predictor (Other Stats menu, Season Stats options). The numbers have been crunched for all 498 golfers who played at least five tournaments (excluding non-finishes) on the European/US PGA Tour during the course of the GP season (2014 calendar year).

Unsurprisingly, Rory McIlroy is the top golfer when the average finishing position for the season is used as the primary ranking statistic. The Northern Irish world number one had a very impressive 4 wins and 16 top tens in 23 events in 2014. Surprisingly and somewhat disappointingly, McIlroy's worst performance was at his home open, where his missed cut really hurt his average finishing position. I hope I didn't put him off when I was on duty following his group that week in Cork! Despite not coming in first over the year, Adam Scott had a very similar average to McIlroy, albeit with just 1 win and 10 top tens from 18 starts. However, he didn't miss any cuts and that gave him an impressive level of consistency for the year.

Rory had the most wins and the most top tens of any golfer in 2014. His winning percentage was 17.4% and his top ten percentage was an impressive 69.8%. Other somewhat interesting statistics include Bill Haas' 29 events in 2014 without missing a single cut. An honourable mention to Jim Furyk, who played 21 events while always making the weekend. On the other extreme, John Parry had the unenviable record of 23 missed cuts in 29 events. Finally, Brendon de Jonge was once again the hardest working golfer, playing an impressive 33 weeks of the year. This was two less events than last year and this slacking off allowed Chris Doak and Nicholas Thompson to tie him for tournaments played in 2014!

See these and many more interesting 2014 GP season statistics on Golf Predictor!

2014 - Week 48 Winner

Branden Grace (ranked 7th by Golf Predictor) won the Alfred Dunhill Championship on the European PGA Tour. The 26 year old South African completed an easy wire to wire victory after an opening 62 (-10). He was almost caught by Bjerregaard after round three, but an horrific finish by the Dane (and my long shot betting tip!) meant that Grace could coast to victory. Our top ranked golfer, Charl Schwartzel, failed to make it three wins in a row at Leopard Creek and finished in tied 26th. In an event that is usually difficult to predict, we had only seven of the top sixteen plus ties (7/21) in total.

2014 - Week 48 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Alfred Dunhill Championship (European PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. Like previous years, local hero Charl Schwartzel is leading a strong South African contingent and there isn't much by way of international competition. In fact, England's Ross Fisher is once again the only one of the five members of the world's top hundred in the field not from Southern Africa.

2014 - Week 47 Winner

Danny Willett (ranked 22nd by Golf Predictor) won the Nedbank Golf Challenge on the European PGA Tour. The 27 year old Englishman won his second tour title with an impressive weekend performance. After a steady opening couple of days, Willett shot -13 over the two closing rounds to win the first event of the 2015 European PGA Tour season by four shots. Our top ranked golfer, Jamie Donaldson, unfortunately had to withdraw due to a migraine and as the now annual joke goes, we had thirty of the top thirty plus ties (30/30) in total!!

2014 - Week 47 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Nedbank Golf Challenge (European PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. Just the one tournament this week, as golf winds down for another calendar year. Although the Sun City event still has a large purse and it has expanded its field, no really big names have made the trek to South Africa for the 2015 European Tour season opener. Instead, the locals will have to make do with watching several members of the European Ryder Cup team in action.