Jordan Spieth's reputation as a bunker player??

after watching his recent bunker play i now rank Jordan Spieth as one of the greats when it comes from recovering from sand and in the same category as Gary Player and Ernie Els...

am now wondering if the stats would back this up...

i would also add Phil Mickelson to that group..

Top 20 for this year: http://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.111.html

after watching his recent bunker play i now rank Jordan Spieth as one of the greats when it comes from recovering from sand and in the same category as Gary Player and Ernie Els...

 

am now wondering if the stats would back this up...

 

i would also add Phil Mickelson to that group..

So you would put Bob Tway on the all time list using the same approach?

after watching his recent bunker play i now rank Jordan Spieth as one of the greats when it comes from recovering from sand and in the same category as Gary Player and Ernie Els...

 

am now wondering if the stats would back this up...

 

i would also add Phil Mickelson to that group..

 

So you would put Bob Tway on the all time list using the same approach?

nope!

What's his reputation as a playoff bunker player?

Greg Norman

The two you mentioned

David Frost

Several others

..............

Jordan Spieth

I think YJS has a gritty short game and can get extremely focused under pressure. Putts, 3 woods, bunker shots, whatever tend to find their target. He wills the ball into the hole. I think he is a good bunker player, all around top notch scrambler but wouldn't put him up there with those mentioned above from the sand under most circumstances.

Better then average I guess but never really close to the top, at least going by the statistics.

He's never been above 60% thus far in his (short) career. So rather pedestrian. Two big holeouts though

Fowler over Spieth from the bunkers any day of the week. At least this year. 15% difference is huge.

Sand save percentage includes putting so its a bad way of judging how good a bunker player you are. You could git a great bunker shot for the situation and still have a 10 footer.

Proximenty to the hole from sand would be a better judgement of skill

I guess this ^^^ stat does get tracked

Rickie and Day were one and two. Spieth was t27 and was t61 the week before. So your answer is no.

He's really good, but you need to put Jason Day in this list. Probably better than Jordan is. That's how good he is.

RH

He's better than average, but I wouldn't be comparing him to Seve anytime soon.

It's sort of like when he won a few majors and all of a sudden he became the smartest man on the planet.

Fowler over Spieth from the bunkers any day of the week. At least this year. 15% difference is huge.

It's interesting that Fowler and Donald are 71 - 73% this year. The last three years the leader was 62 - 63%. That's a huge jump.

Also, if you look back over the past few years there are a lot of "no names" like Blixt, O'Hare, Na, Wilcox, Park leading this stat. I doubt there is much correlation between scoring average and sand save percent.

Edit: Tiger was 51st in sand saves in his spectacular 2000 season.

I will use OP's logic here.

I think I might be becoming one of the better bunker players in the Midwest. Up and down from the last 4 bunkers i've been in. One even hit the flag.

Fowler over Spieth from the bunkers any day of the week. At least this year. 15% difference is huge.

 

It's interesting that Fowler and Donald are 71 - 73% this year. The last three years the leader was 62 - 63%. That's a huge jump.

 

Also, if you look back over the past few years there are a lot of "no names" like Blixt, O'Hare, Na, Wilcox, Park leading this stat. I doubt there is much correlation between scoring average and sand save percent.

 

Edit: Tiger was 51st in sand saves in his spectacular 2000 season.

Because he didn't find himself in the sand that often.

many valid comments here and i realise that my assessment may have been a bit premature when comparing him to the other greats considering he has only been on tour for about 5 years..

but i couldn't help but be impressed by his many clutch sand shots last week and by the fact that he won 2 events already by hole-outs on the last hole..

and as mentioned also sand stats will be more meaningful if they can somehow also include proximity to the hole...

in any case i feel Jordan is one of the best i've seen at this aspect of the game in recent years and i've been playing golf and observing players for almost 60 years now ....and counting..

Fowler over Spieth from the bunkers any day of the week. At least this year. 15% difference is huge.

 

It's interesting that Fowler and Donald are 71 - 73% this year. The last three years the leader was 62 - 63%. That's a huge jump.

 

Also, if you look back over the past few years there are a lot of "no names" like Blixt, O'Hare, Na, Wilcox, Park leading this stat. I doubt there is much correlation between scoring average and sand save percent.

 

Edit: Tiger was 51st in sand saves in his spectacular 2000 season.

Maybe it's because the no names get more practice. Boom!

Psshh! Look at this OP thinking he can say anything positive about any player without getting hit with a barrage of truth from the real players who ripped a top ten in the member guest for three years straight. Talk to me when Jordan, Rickie, Jason, or DJ are born before 1950.

Fowler over Spieth from the bunkers any day of the week. At least this year. 15% difference is huge.

 

It's interesting that Fowler and Donald are 71 - 73% this year. The last three years the leader was 62 - 63%. That's a huge jump.

 

Also, if you look back over the past few years there are a lot of "no names" like Blixt, O'Hare, Na, Wilcox, Park leading this stat. I doubt there is much correlation between scoring average and sand save percent.

 

Edit: Tiger was 51st in sand saves in his spectacular 2000 season.

 

Because he didn't find himself in the sand that often.

What does that matter when you're talking about percentages?

Also, Tiger was a much better putter in 2000.

What does that matter when you're talking about percentages?

 

Also, Tiger was a much better putter in 2000.

Well if you think about this way.... Tiger was firing on all cylinders in 2000. When you attack the flag, you run the risk of coming up slightly short, long, whatever, in the rough or bunker. Often times that means you are short sided. Tougher bunker shot, lower percentage of getting up and down. David Toms instructor explained Toms lower sand save percentage that way. He attacks the pin and because of that often ends up in a crappy situation.

So sometimes there is more than meets the eye to stats.

What does that matter when you're talking about percentages?

 

Also, Tiger was a much better putter in 2000.

 

Well if you think about this way.... Tiger was firing on all cylinders in 2000. When you attack the flag, you run the risk of coming up slightly short, long, whatever, in the rough or bunker. Often times that means you are short sided. Tougher bunker shot, lower percentage of getting up and down. David Toms instructor explained Toms lower sand save percentage that way. He attacks the pin and because of that often ends up in a crappy situation.

 

So sometimes there is more than meets the eye to stats.

Like a bikini, huh? What they reveal is suggestive.

What does that matter when you're talking about percentages?

 

Also, Tiger was a much better putter in 2000.

 

Well if you think about this way.... Tiger was firing on all cylinders in 2000. When you attack the flag, you run the risk of coming up slightly short, long, whatever, in the rough or bunker. Often times that means you are short sided. Tougher bunker shot, lower percentage of getting up and down. David Toms instructor explained Toms lower sand save percentage that way. He attacks the pin and because of that often ends up in a crappy situation.

 

So sometimes there is more than meets the eye to stats.

 

Like a bikini, huh? What they reveal is suggestive.

Lol... I suppose so.

It depends on how well the bunker was raked.

(I couldn't resist) :cheesy:

As others have mentioned his sand save stats have never been that good especially considering how good his putting is and the rest of his short game. Granted he has won 2 event now by holing out in play off's.

Greg Norman, my favourite player of all time. How many events did he loose by opponents holing out.

Ernie has got to be one of the best ever from sand, some of the bunker shots he hit in both of hi Open wins were amazing.

Fowler over Spieth from the bunkers any day of the week. At least this year. 15% difference is huge.

 

It's interesting that Fowler and Donald are 71 - 73% this year. The last three years the leader was 62 - 63%. That's a huge jump.

 

Also, if you look back over the past few years there are a lot of "no names" like Blixt, O'Hare, Na, Wilcox, Park leading this stat. I doubt there is much correlation between scoring average and sand save percent.

 

Edit: Tiger was 51st in sand saves in his spectacular 2000 season.

 

Because he didn't find himself in the sand that often.

Not hitting into bunkers often doesn't make you 51st in bunker saves. But not hitting good bunker shots does.

I didn't know the numbers but my gut feeling this year was that Fowler has been the man out of the sand, seemingly automatic.

Seve was definitely my favorite to watch from the sand. I was too young to have seen Player in his prime.

Seve was definitely my favorite to watch from the sand. I was too young to have seen Player in his prime.

in an exhibition match in my country in 1962--i think-with arnold palmer and 2 of our best pros gary player hit a poor bunker shot on the 18th hole and ended with a bogey but still beat arnie 68-71 on one of our best courses playing it for the first time..

he then proceeded to the same bunker put down some balls and hit the same bunker shot until he holed one..

IIRC it took him less than 10 shots to do it..

Fowler over Spieth from the bunkers any day of the week. At least this year. 15% difference is huge.

 

It's interesting that Fowler and Donald are 71 - 73% this year. The last three years the leader was 62 - 63%. That's a huge jump.

 

Also, if you look back over the past few years there are a lot of "no names" like Blixt, O'Hare, Na, Wilcox, Park leading this stat. I doubt there is much correlation between scoring average and sand save percent.

 

Edit: Tiger was 51st in sand saves in his spectacular 2000 season.

I always thought Tiger was a very average bunker player even in his prime. There are statistics and then there is the "eye test". Some guys you can just tell by watching.

Els

Phil

Donald

Rickie

Spieth

Player

Seve

I always thought Ernie was great, go back and watch footage of his first Open win, he saved his final round with some unbelievable bunker shots.

I will use OP's logic here.

 

I think I might be becoming one of the better bunker players in the Midwest. Up and down from the last 4 bunkers i've been in. One even hit the flag.

...you could very well be if you can keep it up and win tournaments by holing out on the last hole..