Modern sports betting has evolved significantly from the past. Today, anyone interested in golf betting can access overwhelming data to make more informed picks.
The real challenge for bettors is figuring out how to effectively use these golf stats to make smarter decisions. There are specific tools, resources, and key data points you should check before placing your next golf bet.
Why Golf Stats Matter in Betting
If you play golf, you know that anything can happen on any day out on the course.
However, true golfer fanatics also know that golf is very streaky. You'll play well for quite some time, and then something will go wrong and cause you to have to make changes.
You may also understand how important things like course design, layout, and setup are to your confidence in the course. Some golf courses are just well-suited to your game.
Therefore, looking at course-specific data, players' history, and weather conditions can give you a good head start on any bets you may want to place.
In addition, you'll look at things like strokes gained, driving accuracy, greens in regulation, and scrambling percentage.
Tracking both recent and long-term trends also helps to give a clear picture of what may occur on the course.
Key Golf Stats Every Bettor Should Track
If you need a little guidance as to where to start your stat tracking, these are five important stat categories to look at.
You'll notice each one targets different information that may be valuable to you.
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Strokes Gained: Strokes gained are a true indication of who is actually getting better and who is getting worse. Look at specific areas of strokes gained, like "strokes gained putting" or "strokes gained driving," to see where players are thriving at the moment.
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Driving Accuracy and Distance: Getting the ball in the fairway is as important as how far it goes. Look for golfers who can combine accuracy and distance off the tee.
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Putting Performance: The best putters often win tournaments. Getting the ball in the hole is the name of the game!
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Approach Play: A golfer's proximity to the hole will help them make more birdies. Look at the stats related to getting the ball close to the hole and then the ability to make putts that length.
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Scrambling and Around the Green: Everyone hits a bad shot here and there; if you can pick a player who knows how to recover, you'll have better results.
Strategies for Data-Driven Golf Betting
If you realize that your golf betting needs a more stat-driven approach, here are a few key factors to consider.
Leverage Player Stats and Course History
Many golf courses on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour host the same tournaments year in and year out. This allows us to look at how a player performed previously and how that may affect their current stats and performance.
This is a particularly good way to find under-the-radar golfers who have a strong chance of competing in the event.
Combine Stats with Expert Insights and Course Conditions
As with any sound bet, it's important to look at any advice and information you can find. Don't get so hung up on stats that it is your only way to decide on a player.
Instead, consider expert opinions, course setup, and even weather conditions to make a better choice.
The analysts look at many of the same stats you do, but double-check their work when making your pick and dig a little deeper if you want to bet on the underdog.
Focus on Recent Form and Momentum
If you take a player like Scottie Scheffler or Xander Schauffele, who both had incredible 2024 seasons on the PGA Tour, you would need to look at their recent performance to really see the value in betting on them.
Xander had never won a major, but this year, he won two.
While these bets on the top players may seem obvious, you'll find golfers with very similar trends in their game. You don't need to bet on the winner, either.
If you see a golfer who is trending in the right direction, choose bets that will help reward you as they keep playing that way. Strokes gained data is helpful for this.
Final Thoughts
If you are set on using more stats in your golf betting, ensure you get comfortable with the available stats. Don't get over reliant on one thing like driving distance without considering accuracy.
In addition, always make sure to consider weather conditions and recent player performance to help your chances of placing a winning bet.
Ultimately, we can't ignore instincts, but combining those with some stats and data may make you a lot more successful. You can find all the data and stats about current players on the PGA or DP World Tour websites.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alamy*
