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I think Tiger could still take me from the Tips
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A friend sent this to me today. Based on these numbers, and my handicap of about 5, Tiger would have to give me 18.75 shots!
If Tiger Woods played you, how many strokes would he be giving up to
make a fair match? The answer may shock you.
You may consider yourself a fine player with your 3 handicap.
Or perhaps you frequently play to your 15 handicap. You may even
think that Tiger Woods could spot you a stroke per hole and you’d
have a close match.
Turns out a hole would be about right if you were about a 3 handicap. And Tiger would
still probably win.
The handicaps of our favorite PGA Tour pros remain a mystery. Sure,
we know they’re in the “+” realm (which, oddly enough, means better
than scratch, but how far?
Calculations
PGA Tour courses don’t have established ratings. Pros often play from
tees used only in PGA Tour events, the rough is grown extra long and
thick, and greens are sped and firmed up. Each of those changes has a
dramatic effect on the course rating and slope, making it difficult
to ascertain the true nature of a pro’s handicap index.
Normally we apply a 0.96 multiplier to a person’s average
differential in calculating handicaps. This is to help figure in the
“potential” of a player. A golfer with an un-adjusted handicap index
of 5 becomes a 4.8 index after the 0.96 multiplier is applied. It
would make little sense, however, to take a plus-5 handicap to +4.8,
so we must instead divide by 0.96. That would make a +5 golfer a +5.2
golfer, again figuring in the “potential.”
At the Top: Tiger Woods
What does it take to be the top golfer in the world? I did a lot of
number crunching and came up with this chart and these shocking
figures:
Used | Date | Score | CR/Slope | Diff. | Tournament
—- —- —– ——– —– ———-
| 01/28/07 | 66 | 78.1/143 | 15.3 | Buick Invitational
| 01/27/07 | 69 | 78.1/143 | 11.5 | Buick Invitational
| 01/26/07 | 72 | 78.1/143 | 7.7 | Buick Invitational
| 01/27/07 | 66 | 78.1/143 | 8.3 | Buick Invitational
| 09/04/06 | 63 | 74.8/143 | 14.9 | Deutsche Bank
| 09/03/06 | 67 | 74.8/143 | 9.9 | Deutsche Bank
| 09/02/06 | 72 | 74.8/143 | 3.5 | Deutsche Bank
| 09/01/06 | 66 | 74.8/143 | 11.1 | Deutsche Bank
| 08/27/06 | 68 | 75.1/128 | 8.0 | WGC - Bridgestone Inv.
| 08/26/06 | 71 | 75.1/128 | 4.6 | WGC - Bridgestone Inv.
| 08/25/06 | 64 | 75.1/128 | 12.6 | WGC - Bridgestone Inv.
| 08/24/06 | 67 | 75.1/128 | 9.2 | WGC - Bridgestone Inv.
| 08/20/06 | 68 | 78.1/151 | 13.5 | PGA Championship
| 08/19/06 | 65 | 78.1/151 | 17.5 | PGA Championship
| 08/18/06 | 68 | 78.1/151 | 13.5 | PGA Championship
| 08/17/06 | 69 | 78.1/151 | 12.2 | PGA Championship
| 08/06/06 | 66 | 74.3/133 | 9.8 | Buick Open
| 08/05/06 | 66 | 74.3/133 | 9.8 | Buick Open
| 08/04/06 | 66 | 74.3/133 | 9.8 | Buick Open
| 08/03/06 | 66 | 74.3/133 | 9.8 | Buick Open
—- ——– —– ——– —– ———-
Average Differential: 10.6
Best 10 Average Differential: 13.2
Handicap Index: +13.75
Now, take a deep breath and read that again. +13.75. Tiger’s WORST
ten differentials average out to +8.05.
Something like 10% of golfers ever reach single digit handicaps.
Tiger’s not only done that (while still in the womb, no doubt), but
he’s blown through the single digits on the OTHER side of scratch and
is in heretofore unexplored territory at +13.75. That may be the
single best handicap index ever!
Listen to I think Tiger could still take me from the Tips
