New DraftKings Version of Custom Ranking Page Added to Golf Predictor

New Custom Rankings page with DK salary column (Overall Score now in player pop-up).

Further to this post from a few years ago, I am pleased to announce that I have added a variant of the Rankings (Custom) page with DraftKings salary to Golf Predictor. This page was added as a result of a user request and is available via a link on the existing Rankings (Custom) page on the Prediction menu. This new page is shown above for the 2018 Memorial Tournament, where you can see the new Salary column on the right hand side and the link to switch between the two page variants above the sliders. Some notes on this new page:

1. Due to space restrictions, the computed Overall GP Score (based on your chosen weightings) shown in the right hand column in the original page is now in the pop up for each golfer. This can be seen in the screenshot above.
2. The pop-up for each golfer also shows their DraftKings average points per game, also shown in the screenshot above.
3. For tournaments with no DraftKings data, "n/a" is displayed in the Salary column.
4. You may have to refresh the Rankings (Custom) page (F5 on Windows) if you have viewed it recently to see the new link to the new page variant. 

I trust you will find this new custom rankings page useful for your DraftKings DFS analysis. Just another way to make Golf Predictor even better!

2018 - Week 22 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Italian Open (European PGA Tour) and the Memorial Tournament pres. by Nationwide (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. As usual, there's a strong field for Jack's tournament, with thirteen of the world's top twenty teeing it up in Ohio. That doesn't leave many big names for the latest Rolex Series event in Italy, where three of the remainder of the world's top twenty are teeing it up in Brescia.

2018 - Week 21 Winners

Francesco Molinari (ranked 7th by Golf Predictor) won the BMW PGA Championship on the European PGA Tour. The 35 year old Italian won his fifth tour title with an impressive performance at Wentworth. After several close calls in the flagship tournament in recent years, Molinari finally sealed the deal with a blemish free weekend to win by two strokes. Our top ranked player, Rory McIlroy, played imperiously on the first two days, but stalled big time on the weekend. However, the Northern Irishman still finished second with his C game on the weekend. Overall, we had thirteen of the top twenty plus ties (13/26) on the testing Wentworth layout. 

Justin Rose (ranked 3rd by Golf Predictor) won the Fort Worth Invitational on the US PGA Tour. The 37 year old  Englishman won his second tour title of the season with an imperious display of ball striking in Texas. On a day of both hot temperatures and scoring, Rose and playing partner Brooks Koepka were among those who shot the lights out on Sunday. That meant Koepka couldn't really make much inroads into Rose's four shot overnight lead, losing by three strokes in the end. Our top ranked player, Jordan Spieth, never really fired and finished in tied 32nd. Overall, we had only six of the top fourteen plus ties (6/19).

Strokes Gained for European Tour Added to Golf Predictor

Further to this post from a few years ago, I am pleased to announce that strokes gained for the European Tour has been added to Golf Predictor. This data has only recently become available and because of its importance, it has been added to the site. It will be available for European Tour events from week 21, 2018 (the week of the BMW PGA Championship). Some notes on this new strokes gained functionality:

1. This new strokes gained data is available on the existing Rankings (Strokes Gained) page on the Predictions menu. To facilitate this, you can now select your tour of interest in the Tour drop down box.
2. For consistency, the stats imported are the same as those imported for the US PGA Tour, i.e. strokes gained total, strokes gained rank (based on total), strokes gained tee to green and strokes gained putting. This also allows me to use the existing infrastructure for the strokes gained stats, already used for the US PGA Tour stats.
3. For the first few weeks, the source strokes gained values seemed to change every day. That appears to have stopped now, but the values will be imported on the Monday of tournament week, whatever they are!
4. For tournaments on both tours (i.e. majors and WGCs), the strokes gained for the US PGA Tour will be used, as this will cover more of the top players. 
5. The strokes gained for each tour are kept separate on the strokes gained charts on the Other tab of golfer Prediction Data pages. It doesn't make much sense to combine them, given the definition of strokes gained is dependent on averages for the particular tour. Given the previous point, data for majors and WGCs only appear on charts for golfers in US PGA Tour events.
6. In some instances, the names (or more accurately, the name variant) used in the source strokes gained lists do not appear to be the same as those used in the other lists (e.g. entry and results). I will endeavour to fix these anomalies as they are found, but some may fall between the cracks. This may prevent those particular golfers from having their data imported for that week.
7. I have checked/updated the Field Ranking, Rankings (Filter) and the DFS Lineup Builder pages to make sure that the strokes gained options now work for European Tour events, where the data is available.
8. You may have to refresh any page with strokes gained information (F5 on Windows) you have viewed recently to see the new European strokes gained statistics. 
9. I wanted to have this functionality live ahead of the start of the flagship BMW PGA Championship. However, due to the fact that I finally got to fulfil a long-time dream of visiting the amazing Skellig Michael (aka Star Wars island!) this week, I was unable to go live during the week!

I trust you will find this new strokes gained functionality useful for your European Tour analysis. Just another way to make Golf Predictor even better!

2018 - Week 21 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the BMW PGA Championship (European PGA Tour) and the Fort Worth Invitational (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. It's the flagship event on the European Tour this week and many of the tour big guns are out in force, including Rory McIlroy who returns to Wentworth. However, like last year, a couple of big name European stars, Justin Rose and Jon Rahm, are among the biggest names in the field in Texas. They mustn't be too worried about making the Ryder Cup team!

2018 - Week 20 Winners

Adrian Otaegui (ranked 4th by Golf Predictor) won inaugural Belgian Knockout on the European PGA Tour. The 25 year old Spaniard won his second tour title with an impressive performance in the new hybrid event in Belgium. Having qualified comfortably in tied eighth place after the opening two rounds of stroke play, Otaegui played each of his six nine hole medal matchplay rounds on the short, but narrow layout under par and was a worthy winner, defeating Benjamin Hebert by two strokes in the final. Our top ranked player, Joost Luiten, went out after first match play round, finishing in tied 33rd. Overall, we had twelve of the top seventeen plus ties (12/32) in the weak fielded, new format event.

Aaron Wise (ranked 22nd by Golf Predictor) won the AT&T Byron Nelson on the US PGA Tour. The 21 year old American won his maiden tour title with a composed final day performance on the faux links layout in Dallas. Tied for the lead overnight with Mark Leishman, Wise pulled away on Sunday with some impressive play to win by three shots with a tournament record score of -23. Our top ranked player, Trinity Forest member Jordan Spieth, finished in tied 21st and we had fifteen of the top twenty one plus ties (15/25*) in total.


*Murray withdrew, promoting Knox into the top twenty five of the prediction rankings.

2018 - Week 20 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Belgian Knockout (European PGA Tour) and the AT&T Byron Nelson (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. There are several big names teeing it up in Texas this week, where Hideki Matsuyama and Sergio Garcia join local hero Jordan Spieth at the Byron Nelson. As to be expected, the field for the inaugural Belgian Knockout is not as stellar, with just three of the top one hundred in the world teeing it up in the new strokeplay/matchplay hybrid format. 

2018 - Week 19 Winners

Joakim Lagergren (ranked 20th by Golf Predictor) won the Rocco Forte Sicilian Open on the European PGA Tour. The 26 year old Swede won his maiden tour title in a play-off with Michael Lorenzo-Vera in Sicily. After getting off to a fast start on Sunday, the birdies dried up for Lagergren on the back nine. That allowed the overnight leader Lorenzo-Vera to catch him and force extra holes. However, Lagergren was not to be denied and won at the first play-off hole with a brilliant birdie. Our top ranked player, Andy Sullivan, finished in tied 3rd and we had seven of the top fourteen plus ties (7/19*) in the weak fielded event in mostly windy conditions.

Webb Simpson (ranked 22nd by Golf Predictor) won The Players Championship on the US PGA Tour. The 32 year old American won his first tour title in five years with an impressive performance at Sawgrass. After taking a five shot lead with a second round 63 (-9) and increasing his lead to seven shots after round three, Simpson eased to a four shot win and could even easily afford a closing double bogey! Despite a promising start, our top ranked player, Dustin Johnson, finished tamely for tied 17th. Overall, we only had eight of the top seventeen plus ties (8/22) in an event where several of the bigger names struggled on the tough layout.


*Kjeldsen withdrew, promoting Lagergren into the top nineteen of the rankings.

2018 - Week 19 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, The Players Championship (US PGA Tour) and the Rocco Forte Sicilian Open (European PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. As usual, there's a very strong field for the so called "fifth major" in Florida, with all the top fifty in the world rankings teeing it up at Sawgrass. That doesn't leave much top talent for the European Tour, which has only one golfer is (barely!) inside the top one hundred in the world rankings playing in Sicily. 

2018 - Week 18 Winner

Jason Day (ranked 6th by Golf Predictor) won the Wells Fargo Championship on the US PGA Tour. The 30 year old Australian captured his second title of the season with an impressive display of putting at Quail Hollow. Despite not having his best long game, Day saved himself on the greens, including on the last three holes, where he had two birdies and a clutch par putt. That meant a two shot victory over Nick Watney and Aaron Wise in the end. Our top ranked player, Justin Thomas, failed in his bid to become world number one and finished in tied 21st. Overall, we had twelve of the top twenty one plus ties (12/26) in total on the testing layout.

There was no individual stroke play event on the European PGA Tour this week.