Key Fantasy Stats for Houston

Shell Houston Open

March 31st – April 3rd, 2016

Golf Club of Houston (Tournament Course)

Humble, Texas

Par: 72 / Yardage: 7,457

Purse: $6.8 million

with $1,224,000 to the winner

Defending Champion:
J.B. Holmes

by Sal Johnson

Founder, Chief Data Officer, GOLFstats

E-mail me at:
sal@golfstats.com

This is based on the most important stats for the Golf Club of Houston, based on data from last years Shell Houston Open, 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 G.C. of Houston in 2015 was 70.86, so with par being 72 that means the average score was one and a quarter of a shot under par, making G.C. of Houston the 40th hardest course to score on in 2015 (only 11 courses played easier). It’s also important to see how the weather played a factor, last year’s weather was near perfect but the winds did blow all four days between 10 and 20 mph. So with good weather, even with the wind the course played a full shot and a half easier. So with the weather being great for the week and it won’t be as windy, look for the course to play even easier.

In looking at the stats for Golf Club of Houston, one thing is obvious, the course is for bombers and those that hit it longer has a big advantage since accuracy doesn’t really come into play. We pick Proximity to the hole, because the greens are easy (46th hardest last year) to hit, it’s important to getting it close to the pin from the fairway. Next is scrambling, if you miss the green you have to get it up and down. Last is par breakers, because you have to make a lot of birdies and eagles to do well.

So how did last years winner J.B. Holmes become victorious last year? He led in driving distance, averaging 296.6 on every driving hole at G.C. of Houston. Holmes was T-10th in greens hit, but proximity to hole he was 37th. In scrambling he was T-36th and in Par Breakers he was T-2nd as he was T-4th in birdies and T-1st in eagles.

*Driving Distance: Stat is good barometer on how far the players are hitting it.

*Proximity to Hole: Average length that a player hits from the pin with shots from the fairway.

*Scrambling: So which course is tough to get it up and down on holes players miss the greens. Since all of the area’s around the greens are mowed short, making it a lot like Augusta National it should be easier for players to getting it up and down.

*ParBreakers: The course allows a lot of birdies and eagles to be made, so parbreakers is important for the players.

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

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