Golf World Open Wrap, Vol. 2

Between Brett Avery’s stat package and Bill Fields’s outstanding story “Changing Times,” there are plenty of fun stats in the Golf World Open recap. My favorite accompanies the Fields story and lists the average fairways, greens and driving distance for the top 10 players at the last 7 U.S. Opens. A sampling, and remember, the USGA drew the line on distance in 2001:

Pinehurst, 1999: Fwys 38.8%, Greens 40.6, Distance 268.0.

Southern Hills, 2001: Fwys 35.1%, Greens 44.5%, Distance 297.0.

Pinehurst, 2005: Fwys 30%, Greens 43. 3%, Distance 300.3.