2016 - Week 46 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Alfred Dunhill Championship (European PGA Tour) and the Australian PGA Championship (European PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. It's the first week of the 2017 European Tour, even though it's still 2016 and of course, it's not in Europe! Like previous years, there is a strong South African contingent, including multiple champion Charl Schwartzel and world number sixteen Branden Grace. While this marks the second year that the Australian PGA has been on the European Tour (and hence on Golf Predictor), it has a long history, dating all the way back to 1905. However, only the tournament history for when it has been part of the European Tour (i.e. last year) is available in Golf Predictor, so please factor that into your analysis.

There is no event on the US PGA Tour this week, except for Tiger's invitational junket (Hero World Challenge). As in previous years, Golf Predictor is not not covering that (very) restricted field event. All eyes will be on the Bahamas though, where the host makes his latest comeback!

2016 - Week 45 Winners

Matthew Fitzpatrick (ranked 28th by Golf Predictor) won the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai on the European PGA Tour. The 22 year old Englishman won his second title of the year at the season ending event in Dubai. Fitzpatrick birdied the par five last to pip Tyrrell Hatton to the lucrative title. Hatton will kick himself for finding the water on the last and not building on his miraculous par from the bunker on the penultimate hole. Henrik Stenson sowed up another Race to Dubai title and finished in style with Rory McIlroy. Both major champions finished strongly with 65 (-7) playing together for tied 9th. McIlroy was our top ranked player and we had thirteen of the top nineteen plus ties (13/22) 

McKenzie Hughes (ranked 118th by Golf Predictor) won The RSM Classic on the US PGA Tour. The 25 year old Canadian rookie won his first PGA Tour title in a five man play-off in Georgia. All five had birdie putts on the first extra hole, but Billy Horschel missed a tiddler for par and was eliminated. The four remaining golfers parred the next and came back on Monday to finish up. Despite missing the green with his first two shots, Hughes holed his par putt on the par three from just off the green to put pressure on his opponents, Blayne Barber, Camilo Villegas and Henrik Norlander. After the trio missed progressively shorter putts,  long time leader Hughes took the title. Our top ranked player, Matt Kuchar, uncharacteristically missed the cut and in an event that's usually hard to predict, we had seven of the top thirteen plus ties (7/20) overall. 

2016 - Week 45 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions/statistics for this week, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai (European PGA Tour) and The RSM Classic (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. It's the last event of the season (but not the year!) on the European PGA Tour and the last event of the year (but not the season!) on the US Tour! Although Rory McIlroy is again in the running for the Race to Dubai heading into the season finale, this year he only has a remote mathematical chance of winning the title. That is more likely to go to Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett or the on fire Alex Noren. The field is more modest in Georgia, where it will be the last chance before January to put some FedEx Cup points on the board.

2016 - Week 44 Winners

Alex Noren (ranked 3rd by Golf Predictor) won the Nedbank Golf Challenge on the European PGA Tour. The 34 year old Swede continued his rich vein of form by winning his fourth tour title in his last eleven starts. Despite trailing overnight by six shots, Noren blitzed the field with a stunning closing 63 (-9) on the tough Sun City layout to win by six shots in the end. Our top ranked golfer, Henrik Stenson, finished in eighth place and, despite a good weekend from Danny Willett, increased his lead in the battle for the Race to Dubai. Overall, we had ten of the top sixteen plus ties (10/19) in total. 

Pat Perez (ranked 79th by Golf Predictor) won the OHL Classic at Mayakoba on the US PGA Tour. The 40 year old American won his second tour title by two shots in Mexico. Perez put his recent shoulder injury woes behind him with his first win on the US PGA Tour in over seven years. No one put the hot headed American under any pressure on the back nine, despite him seeming to lose his cool on a couple of occasions. Our top ranked player, Russell Knox, finished in third place and in an event plagued by weather delays and which is usually hard to predict, we only had nine of the top fifteen plus ties (9/23*).


* Withdrawals promote Vegas into the top 23 of the GP rankings.

2016 - Week 44 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Nedbank Golf Challenge (European PGA Tour) and the OHL Classic at Mayakoba (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. Race to Dubai leader Henrik Stenson  will be hoping to fend off nearest challenger Danny Willet in South Africa. That shouldn't be too difficult, given how the Englishman has been playing recently! Meanwhile, except for Russell Knox and Jim Furyk perhaps, it's the usual second string line up for the Mexican tournament this year.

2016 - Week 43 Winners

Thorbjorn Olesen (ranked 31st by Golf Predictor) won the Turkish Airlines Open on the European PGA Tour. The 26 year old Dane overcame recent poor form to win his fourth and biggest title in Turkey. Olesen built up a huge seven shot lead going into Sunday, helped in no small part by a course record 62 (-9) on Friday. However, he didn't have it all his own way on the final day and his lead was cut to a single shot after a mid round wobble. However, he managed to steady the ship to win by three shots in the end. Our top ranked player, Danny Willett, had another poor week and finished in tied 68th. Overall, despite the great playing conditions, not many of the bigger names played well and we had eight of the top seventeen plus ties (8/21).

Rod Pampling (ranked 118th by Golf Predictor) won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on the US PGA Tour. The 47 year old Australian won his third tour title and first for ten years with an unexpected victory in Las Vegas. Pampling opened up with a 60 (-11), narrowly missing a twelve foot foot putt on the last for a 59. Although he was subsequently overtaken, he came fighting back on the final day. In a tense battle with Lucas Glover and Brooks Koepka, Pampling held his nerve down the stretch with a strong finish to win by two shots. Our top ranked player, Jimmy Walker, had another poor week and missed the cut. Overall, we had only six of the top fifteen plus ties (6/23), in an event where many of the lesser lights came to the fore.