Posted by Nathan Easler
The 2009 Buick Invitational brings golf fans back to the site of one of the most spectacular events in golf history: Tiger Woods' 2008 U.S. Open 19-hole playoff victory over Rocco Mediate.
Golf Stats: The Numbers That Matter
Every golfer and golf fan knows the sport is a game of numbers. One of the most distinct characteristics of golf is that any player's efforts are summarized by an absolute and final statistic: the score. However, as any visitor to the 19th hole knows, the story of the game cannot be told in full by the tally at the end of the round.
"Golf Stats: The Numbers That Matter" is your weekly source of insight into the numbers that make a difference in golf, focusing on the PGA Tour. Whether you're looking to wow your buddies in your Saturday foursome or get a little extra help for your fantasy team or are just a stats junkie, this blog is for you.
Every week, this sliver of the Internet will be your one-stop shop for the unique and significant golf stats that best tell the stories beyond the scores.
Although golf fans were fully aware that Woods -- the four-time defending champ of the Buick Invitational -- would not be in this week's field, the latest news is the other half of that thrilling playoff, Rocco Mediate, had to withdraw with his own knee troubles. Mediate did not disclose the full nature of his ailment, but we do know the 46-year-old underwent "minor" arthroscopic knee surgery this week.
So who does that leave?
Although it would have been fantastic to see Rocco play well again at Torrey Pines, this week's field is far from dismal. Padraig Harrington, the 2008 PGA Tour Player of the Year, will be making his debut in the U.S. this week. Harrington finished T-36 last year at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Retief Goosen joins Harrington in making his first foray onto U.S. soil this year. In fact, this will be the first Buick Invitational for both players.
Phil Mickelson hopes to bounce back in his second event of 2009 after missing the cut in last week's FBR Open. Though Mickelson's game looked completely out of sorts in Scottsdale, he clearly has the ability to return to form quickly. In each of the past two seasons, Mickelson followed his first missed cut with a win the next week.
Bounce Back
Phil Mickelson led the PGA Tour in the bounce-back stat in 2008. Since 2007, Lefty not only proved he can bounce back from hole to hole, but also from tournament to tournament.
| |
1st Missed Cut |
Next Start |
| 2009 |
FBR Open |
TBD |
| 2008 |
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am |
Win, Northern Trust Open |
| 2007 |
FBR Open |
Win, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am |
| * Source: ESPN researcher David Bearman |
Home cooking
There is definitely some history on the side of the Southern California natives in the field. Though a good portion of these numbers are due to the dominance of Woods, the trends are still worth mentioning.
• In the past 21 years, 15 of the event winners have been from Southern California. Most recently, 10 of the past 12 have been from SoCal.
• Located just outside San Diego in beautiful La Jolla, Calif., the municipal tracks at Torrey Pines have been especially friendly to San Diego natives, six of whom have won the tourney over the years: Mickelson, Craig Stadler, Scott Simpson, Billy Casper, Gene Littler and Greg Twiggs. There are five players from San Diego in this week's field: Mickelson, Charley Hoffman, Chris Riley, Dennis Paulson and Bill Lunde.
A few other historical notes
• There is a very strong correlation between winning at Torrey Pines and winning a major championship. Each winner since 1996 has also won a major (Tiger has won six Buick titles). The others include: John Daly, Jose Maria Olazabal, Phil Mickelson, Scott Simpson, Mark O'Meara and Davis Love III.
• The most recent foreign-born player to capture the Buick Invitational was Jose Maria Olazabal in 2002. Before that, the last foreign-born player to win here was Gary Player in 1963.
• The most recent player to win his first title at the Buick Invitational was Jay Don Blake in 1991.
North vs. South
This week's tourney will be hosted on the North and South Courses at Torrey Pines. (Last year's U.S. Open was strictly on the South Course). Though both courses will play as par-72s, they differ significantly in length and difficulty.
The North Course stands at 6,915 yards and ranked 36th out of 54 courses in difficulty in 2008. In contrast, the South Course will play more than 700 yards longer at 7,628. For the U.S. Open, the South Course ranked 3rd most difficult in 2008, while for the Buick Invitational earlier that year, it was the 10th-hardest setup.
Surprisingly enough, the South Course was ranked the 3rd most difficult in putting last year at the Buick, and was 5th most difficult for the U.S. Open (1.887 average versus 1.873)
The South Course is certainly demanding of the flatstick, ranking 3rd most difficult in putting in 2008. Set with the beautiful backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, these courses make up one of the premier municipal golf facilities in the nation.
Fantasy foursomes
As we see week to week without Tiger, golf is anybody's game. However, we would be foolish to ignore the historical trends that pop out from the Buick Invitational. We're looking to favor the U.S. players, especially the California contenders, major champions, previous champions and the best putters.
Though history definitely favors the U.S., no one should argue if you were to put Harrington, Camilo Villegas or Goosen in your lineup. I also like Brandt Snedeker's game, period. I especially like Snedeker when considering he finished in the top 10 at last year's U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, and he finished 3rd in the 2007 Buick Invitational.
The Starters: Ben Curtis, Snedeker, Davis Love III, Luke Donald.
Next in line: Mickelson (San Diego), Hunter Mahan (Orange, Calif.), Charley Hoffman (San Diego), David Berganio Jr. (Los Angeles).
Send comments, suggestions, and corrections to Nathan.J.Easler@espn.com.
