Key Fantasy Stats Colonial

Dean & Deluca Invitational

May 26th – 29th, 2016

Colonial C.C.

Fort Worth, Texas

Par: 70 / Yardage: 7,204

Purse: $6.7 million

with $1,206,000 to the winner

Defending Champion:
Chris Kirk

by Sal Johnson

Founder, Chief Data Officer, GOLFstats

E-mail me at:
sal@golfstats.com

This is based on the most important stats for Colonial, based on data from last years Dean & Deluca, and using data from all the players in the field with stats from 2016. What we do is take their rank for each stat and then add up the four catagories.
The scoring average of the field at Colonial in 2015 was 69.78, so with par being 70 that means the average score was just quarter stroke under par, making Colonial the 21st hardest course to score on in 2015.
Colonial Country Club is a relic to a bygone era in which accuracy off the tee, precision shotmaking to the greens plus making lot’s of birdies and eagles is what it takes to win. You can’t overpower this course, that’s why you won’t see long ball hitters like Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Gary Woodland and J.B. Holmes here. Every great shotmaker from the last 70 years have won at Colonial including Hogan, Nicklaus, Snead, Boros, Littler, Wadkins, Price, Trevino, Casper, Watson, Scott and Mickelson to name a few. Most important stat to look at is Ball Striking, looking at the list for 2016 the odds are a player in the top-30 of that list will win this week. So why is this so in a time when overpowering courses is the Norm? There is no room to add yardage to Colonial. Since the course opened in 1946, only 169 yards have been added. With 12 of the 14 par 4s and 5s being doglegs, players have to throttle back and hit fairway woods and irons to keep it in play. So hitting it long gives you no advantage because length means nothing when you have to lay up, so short drivers will be in the same part of the fairway as long hitters. That is the reason why players like Corey Pavin, Rory Sabbatini, Steve Stricker, David Toms and Zach Johnson have won this event.
In looking at our four categories, one thing to keep in mind is that last year’s champion Chris Kirk was a rarity, his stats from tee to green were terrible and he won the tournament because of his putting, he was 2nd in Strokes Gained Putting. So when you see his numbers, remember it’s a statistical oddity in Kirk winning.
Our first is Ball Striking, the Tour no longer ranks this stat because they feel that Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green covers this better, in that one Colonial ranked T-26th. As for Kirk he was 68th. Next important is Fairway Accuracy, which last year Colonial ranked 18th while Kirk was T-60th.
Our third important stat is Par Breaker, which Colonial ranked 13th and Kirk led that stat. Last is Strokes Gained Putting, this doesn’t have a tour average but Kirk was 2nd in this stat.

*Ball Striking: Tells a players overall ball hitting skills by computing a players rank in total driving and greens in regulation

*Fairway Accuracy: percentage of times a drive is in the fairway.

*Par Breakers: The course allows a lot of birdies and eagles to be made, so parbreakers is the percent of time scores are under par.

*Strokes Gained Putting: The number of putts a player takes from a specific distance is measured against a statistical baseline to determine the player’s strokes gained or lost on a hole.

Players from this year’s field with stats from 2016:

Click any column title in the table header to sort columns.