What ‘Strokes Gained: Total’ stats tells us about the Open Championship leaders

The Stokes Gained: Whole (SG: Whole) statistic is how a participant scores each week in relation to the field in that occasion. For instance, if the sector has a scoring common of 72 on a selected day, and a participant shoots a 69 that day, that participant gained three photographs on the sector.

I’ve weighed this whereas additionally looking for a couple of particular strengths that may be belongings primarily based on Royal Liverpoolthe location of this weekend’s Open Championship.

Following Spherical 2 on the Open Championshipit’s clear that the leaderboard reveals one thing attention-grabbing: gamers who rank nicely within the Strokes Gained: Whole class over this season additionally rank nicely within the stat on the Open.

Every of those gamers has a particular power that I consider has allowed them to be ranked so excessive in Strokes Gained: Whole over the yr; in addition to this week. This offers every one in all these golfers with an awesome alternative to hoist the Claret Jug come Sunday.

Brian Harman

Harman, currently in first placeranks thirty sixth in Strokes Gained: Whole for the yr, and traditionally ranks very extremely in each SG: Off the tee and SG: Placing. This yr, he’s presently ranked first in placing from six ft or nearer at 92 p.c. He’s additionally 14th in driving accuracy off the tee.

This week, Harman stays first within the subject from six ft or nearer at Royal Liverpool. Is there one thing in his swing that may assist you to enhance each your directional and tempo management on these shorter, but difficult, putts?

Sure, and it’s fairly easy.

Discover a metallic ruler at your native ironmongery store, discover one tee, and place the ruler round 5-6 ft out from the opening and in-line with the place the ball would wish to begin. The tee must be within the again inside portion of the opening, so ensure it’s caught in midway.

The aim is to position the ball on the again finish of the ruler and hit putts making an attempt to attain two issues. First, to maintain the ball rolling on the ruler the entire time, and, second, have the ball fall within the entrance portion of the opening with out hitting the tee.

Tommy Fleetwood

At present tied for second place, Fleetwood ranks seventh in SG: Whole for the yr, and traditionally does very nicely in each the SG: Method class and SG: Placing. Extra importantly, he additionally ranks second in scrambling from outdoors of 30 yards for the yr. This can come in useful when entering into hassle off the tee, across the inexperienced, or having to hit out sideways from one of many tough pot bunkers.

This week, Fleetwood is second in scrambling from outdoors of 30 yards, which means he must be each an awesome wedge participant and a terrific putter.

For those who battle across the greens, right here’s what you’ll be able to study from Fleetwood.

For those who watch him hit his photographs from this space, you’ll see that his physique truly strikes barely in direction of the goal because the membership continues to be going again throughout his backswing. Then within the downswing, his physique will seem to increase (or arise) a contact earlier than influence. The physique then chases leftward and round.

If the typical golfer had some small model of this, they might tremendously enhance their ball-striking and launch circumstances, offering a a lot tighter proximity to the opening.

Jason Day

Day ranks twelfth in Strokes Gained: Whole for the yr, and is second in scrambling — which means Day’s getting up and down about 67 p.c of the time. He’s additionally nineteenth in SG: Placing.

This is the reason Day is presently tied for second place, as his world-class brief recreation is giving him an opportunity at successful the Open Championship.

Day is having an unimaginable comeback to his profession, and ranks twelfth in Strokes Gained: Whole, nineteenth in SG: Placing, twentieth SG: Across the Greens, and twenty seventh SG: Off the tee, for the yr. If that’s not spectacular, I don’t know what’s!

Right here’s what newbie gamers can study from Day; which may help with each damage prevention and general enchancment.

Years in the past, Day needed to start to make use of his legs and hips otherwise within the backswing. This was resulting from his unique transfer inflicting an excessive amount of stress on the decrease again. You’ll see his present backswing now seems to have extra hip rotation within the backswing, principally resulting from his path leg (proper) straightening/extending rather more than it used to.

If a median golfer did this, it might assist them flip and tilt higher within the backswing, offering extra depth of the fingers on the high. This may result in a happier golf physique, resulting from much less manipulations within the downswing.

From the data above, it’s clear that the Open Championship leaderboard has an indicator for fulfillment: Strokes Gained. The gamers close to the highest have usually had a bonus over their friends all season lengthy.

Every participant is ranked inside the top-40 on the season, and every has a good higher area of interest that has allowed them to be nice all season lengthy. Now let’s see if one in all these three gamers can rise to the highest to seize the Claret Jug.

Invoice Schmedes III

Golf.com

Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Editor