Impact of Distance Changes in Professional Golf, With a Focus on the ShotLink Era

Abstract

This report examines the evolution of men's professional golf with an emphasis on the impact of driving distance. The emphasis is mainly on the time period from 2004 to the present because of the availability of reliable and detailed ShotLink shot tracking data and to better understand current trends in the game. Changes in scoring due to driving, approach shots, short game shots and putting over time are examined. The skills that lead to success on the PGA Tour, and the changes over time, are investigated. Similarly, the factors that lead to winning in a given week, and their changes, are documented. Other analysis uses the PGA Tour's scoring and other (non-shot-tracking) data since 1983.

Keywords: golf analytics, performance attribution analysis