Golf Betting Stats: What Bettors Should Know
Are you new to betting on the wonderful sport of golf, or do you just want to start diving into statistics to help you make more informed bets? Then this page has you covered.
There's a lot of terminology that's thrown around in the golf betting space that can leave you confused if you're new to it, so I'm going to break down some key terms to help make things become a little bit more clear.
Let's not waste any time, and dive right into them.
Strokes Gained Explained
I want a dedicated section to "strokes gained," since it's by far the most common term you'll hear amongst golf bettors and those who are trying to predict who will win a tournament.
Strokes Gained
Strokes gained is one of the most common terms you'll hear when people talk about golf stats. It's an advanced analytic that measures a golfers performance against his/her opponents, taking into consideration several variables.
Here is how it's defined, as per GolfMonthly.com:
"The easiest way to define the term is this - Strokes Gained is a way of analyzing where a player sits when comparing every aspect of their performance with players in the rest of the field. This can be in a multitude of ways (off-the-tee, approach, tee-to-green, putting, total etc.)"
If you want to dive into how the statistic is actually calculated, the PGA Tour's website breaks it down here.
Strokes Gained: Off-The-Tee
How many strokes a golfer gains against the field with their first shot on each hole.
Strokes Gained: Approach-The-Green
How many strokes a golfer gained against the field with their approach shot to the green.
Strokes Gained: Around-The-Green
How many strokes a golfer gained against the field with their play around the greens, typically chipping on to the green in a scrambling situation.
Strokes Gained: Putting
How many strokes a golfer gained against the field with their putting, the best stat to show how the best putters on Tour are.
Key Golf Betting Terms
2-Ball Bet/3-Ball Bet
These types of bets are round-by-round. They are a wager on a golfer to finish with the lowest score amongst the group or pairing that he's with for that one specific round. For example, if Rory McIlroy is paired up with Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas for the 8:10am tee time, you can bet on McIlroy to finish with the lowest score of the group for that round.
A 2-ball bet is the term used when golfers are sent out in pairs, and 3-ball bet is the term used when golfers are sent out in threesomes.
Ball Striking
You'll likely hear people call someone a "good ball striker". That generally means that they're a good iron player, but ball striking is actually a statistic. It measures a combination of total driving and greens in regulation.
Finishing Place Bet
While not as profitable as an outright bet, you can wager on a golfer to finish in the top 5, top 10, top 20, or even top 30 or 40 at some sportsbooks. If the golfer you wager on finishing inside that position, you win your bet.
Green(s) in Regulation
If a golfer gets the ball onto the green to give himself a chance to putt for birdie, that means they reached the green in regulation. This means they'd have to get it on the green with their first shot on a Par 3, second (or first) shot on a Par 4, and third (or second) shot on a Par 5.
Matchup Bet
These types of bets are a golfer vs. golfer type of bet. You're betting on one golfer to finish ahead of another golfer. These bets can be tournament long or just for a single round.
The matchups offered will vary from sportsbook to sportsbook. They'll typically pair golfers together who they feel are of similar skill level.
Outright Bet
An outright bet is simply a wager on a golfer to win a tournament. It's as easy and straightforward of a bet you can make. These bets will offer higher odds and a bigger payout, but predicting who will win a tournament on the PGA Tour is difficult to do and your chances of winning are low.
Scrambling
When a golfer isn't able to get the ball on the green in regulation, scrambling is the act of trying to get the ball "up and down", meaning getting the ball on the green with their next shot and saving par with a one-putt. Being able to scramble well is important when avoiding bogeys or worse.
You can track Iain's bets on Betstamp here.