Big 5 shot analysis

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Tiger Woods

The world’s No. 1 player is usually thought of for his power game -- ripped drives, 250-yard 3-irons, muscled shots from impossibly thick rough. But in 2004 it was finesse and feel that kept Tiger Woods close to the top. He was the best at shots under 125 yards (where he had struggled with distance control early in his career), second best in putting average, third at scrambling from the fringe and fourth at putting from inside 10 feet. He was also pretty good at other length putts -- 16th between 10 and 15 feet, 11th from 20-25 and 22nd over 25 feet.

This year Woods has dramatically improved his greens in regulation percentage -- from a dismal 56.1 percent in 2004 (182nd) to fourth this year with 71.1 percent. His putting has even improved slightly to 1.714 per GIR. Woods’ 2005 birdie average is an amazing 5.03 per round -- better than one for every four holes.

By the way, with a victory this week at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship (worth $1.116 million), the 29-year-old Woods would surpass $50 million in career earnings.

Vijay Singh

If there’s a weakness in Vijay Singh’s game, it’s putting from less than 15 feet. He's only 139th from inside 10 feet (86.4 percent made) and 135th from the 10- to 15-foot range (29.2 percent). Yet he's seventh from 3 feet with a near-perfect 99.8 percent. Overall, Singh is 37th in putting average for greens hit in regulation.

Singh has been the most aggressive player on reachable par 4s and 5s, "going for it" 264 times last year. He only landed on the putting surface about a third of the time, but was close enough on most attempts for a net 174-under par in those calculated gambles.

With his victories in Houston and North Carolina, Singh jumped past Phil Mickelson for the 2005 money lead with nearly $5 million, and he’s exceeded $41 million in career earnings (about half of that just in the past 2 1/3 seasons).

Ernie Els

Ernie Els’ strengths include long approach shots (first from more than 200 yards; sixth from 175-200), scrambling (seventh), and putting (ninth). This combination contributed to a second-best scoring average of 69.98. The Big Easy’s gotten off-kilter off the tee, however -- 185th, hitting only 55.5 fairways -- a stat which has steadily dropped since 2000 when he steered 71.4 percent into the short grass. This is a dangerous trend for Els; when he’s in the fairway his approaches finish 10th in proximity to the hole, but from the rough he struggles at 122nd, averaging more than 16 feet further away.

Like many players, Els has lost a little driver distance in this spring’s uncommonly wet conditions, but his greens in regulation are a personal-best 71.1 percent (fifth) in the five TOUR events he’s played. Thanks to a final round 62 at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Els is second in final-round scoring average. Els won twice in America last year, including a Sony Open playoff victory over Harrison Frazar. He also captured the World Golf Championships-American Express Championship in Ireland, two European Tour events and the Order of Merit, although the year may be remembered more for his near-misses in the majors. He’s been on a world tear this year, winning in Dubai, Qatar and China.

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson’s comfort zones are mid-range approach shots and mid-range putts. From 125-150 yards he leaves the ball an average 21 feet, 4 inches from the hole, about a five percent margin of error. (Compare this with good amateurs at 10-12 percent.) From 175-200 yards he’s accurate to within 30 feet. Both are in the Top 20. Mickelson is 10th in holing putts from 10-15 feet (37.9 percent). He’s also third in overall scrambling, saving par 64.7 percent of the time when he misses a green. Such shots led to the PGA TOUR’s best par-4 scoring average, seventh on par 5s, and third in birdies in 2004.

Curiously, Mickelson was 14th in putting average in 2003, one of his poorest years generally, and he slipped to 43rd in 2004. Yet, he won the Masters and finished third on the money list. This year he’s surged to third in putting with 1.7 putts per GIR. He’s first in birdies (5.19 per round) and owns the lowest scoring average with 69.15.

Mickelson allegedly is not as bold now, hitting more 3-woods off the tee for example. Nonetheless, he was 120th in fairways hit last year and 154th this year, a statistic based on all par-4 and par-5 tee shots regardless of club selection. Despite the waywardness, Mickelson is better than most at approach proximity -- 30th overall, including 33rd from the rough.

Retief Goosen

Retief Goosen is a pure putter -- we know that from his sterling performance on the shimmering Shinnecock Hills greens in last year’s U.S. Open. The quiet South African ranked fifth in approach putting for the season, ninth in holing putts inside 10 feet, 11th in putting average and first in three-putt avoidance (only 14 all year). Goosen was also the best scrambler, getting it up-and-down two of every three times.

Can he handle weekend pressure? Goosen had the best third-round scoring average and the second-best final round average. Like his countryman Els, Goosen is solid on approaches from more than 200 yards (16th), and he’s zoned in at 150 to 175 (first at 24 feet, 1 inch).

Sufficiently long, Goosen led in par-5 birdies last year with 55.3 percent (the TOUR average is 39 percent), and he’s first so far this year at a slightly higher clip.

His weaknesses? Like most bombers, it’s accuracy off the tee (125th in ’04), although he’s somewhat improved this season (60th at 66 percent).

Goosen is one of only two players to win each of the past four years; the other is Woods. Goosen also captured two titles in Europe.

Interesting stats. They didn't seem to hold up last weekend.