Abstract
Success in professional golf is often measured by scoring average and monetary earnings. It has been suggested that specific physical abilities associated with golfing skills are of primary importance to success at golf. Yet, there is a paucity of literature addressing these relationships. The purpose of this study was to estimate the relationships between success and specific shot-making skills, using data from the 1987 PGA Tour. Correlation and regression techniques indicated that four independent variables (average driving distance, greens in regulation, putts per round, and sand saves) constituted a model of best fit for both measures of success. These four variables explained over 87% of the variance associated with average scores, and over 50% of the variance associated with monies earned. These results support a theoretical model highlighting specific shot-making abilities as crucial to success in professional golf.
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