In the 1996 movie "Happy Gilmore," Adam Sandler's title character couldn't chip from the fairway or putt to save his life鈥攂ut his superhuman drive alone earned him a spot in a big pro tournament. The movie is pure slapstick fiction, but the concept of the one-trick pony is very real in the world of golf鈥攅ven at the highest levels. Several players on the PGA Tour, including a recent Masters winner, are real-life Happy Gilmores鈥攁lbeit聽without all the shenanigans, fights with game show hosts, and battles with bloodthirsty alligators. 聽
It is now possible to identify golf's most lopsided specialists thanks to a Columbia University professor named Mark Broadie. In 2007, the PGA introduced a real-time scoring system and data tracker called ShotLink. In 2011, Broadie used ShotLink data to develop a revolutionary golf-analysis tool known as Strokes gained is a complicated statistical computation that makes it possible to measure a player's performance compared to the rest of the field while isolating individual aspects of each player's game. Broadie's original formula dealt only with putting. It was the first system that gave greater weight to, say, a 22-foot put compared to a 2-foot put, even though both count as single strokes on the scorecard. In 2016, the PGA Tour expanded strokes gained from only putting to include three new metrics: around-the-green performance, off-the-tee performance, and approach-the-green play.
Using from April 15 through the Masters, 爆料TV identified the biggest one-trick ponies in golf. Golfers from a pool of 214 PGA pros were included in the list if they ranked in the top 20 in one of the four strokes-gained skills and lower than 100 in the other three skills. The result is a list of the golfers with the highest skill ranking difference. That's the difference between each player's top skill ranking (be it off-the-tee, approach, around-the-green, or putting) and the average of each player's lowest three skill rankings. For context, the skill ranking difference of all golfers is 82.7. The skill ranking difference between these 11 one-trick ponies is 148.8.
Read on to聽learn about the one-trick ponies of the PGA.
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1 / 11- Off tee: #120
- Approach: #127
- Around the green: #20
- Putting: #176
- Skill ranking difference: 121
Denmark鈥檚 Thorbj酶rn Olesen has racked up six international victories since joining the PGA Tour in 2013. Known for his short game and not much else, Olesen has played for national teams in events like the Ryder Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
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2 / 11- Off tee: #166
- Approach: #102
- Around the green: #133
- Putting: #10
- Skill ranking difference: 124
Vaughn Taylor has three PGA Tour victories to his name dating back to the Reno-Tahoe Open in 2004鈥攖he same year he joined the Tour. The Virginia native and his red-hot putter won the same tournament again the following year. In 2019, Taylor scored T7 at the Desert Classic, earning the Ryder Cup National Team veteran his 35th career top 10 finish on tour and his third at the Desert Classic. 聽
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3 / 11- Off tee: #149
- Approach: #167
- Around the green: #11
- Putting: #115
- Skill ranking difference: 133
Born in Charlotte, N.C., Bill Haas has banked nearly $30 million since joining the PGA Tour in 2006, thanks mostly to his skill with his sand and pitching wedges. He鈥檚 played for the Walker Cup and Presidents Cup national teams, and between 2010鈥�2015 he earned a PGA Tour victory every year except 2014.
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4 / 11- Off tee: #195
- Approach: #128
- Around the green: #116
- Putting: #12
- Skill ranking difference: 134
Standing 6 feet and 5聽inches tall and weighing 215 pounds, Tuscaloosa, Ala. native Patton Kizzire is a big man who is making a big impression. He joined the PGA Tour only in 2016, but he鈥檚 already racked up two Tour victories鈥攂oth in 2018鈥攁nd nearly $7.56 million in career earnings. Much of that success can be attributed to his laser-like putter. 聽聽
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5 / 11- Off tee: #20
- Approach: #172
- Around the green: #194
- Putting: #108
- Skill ranking difference: 138
Since joining the PGA Tour in 2015, Adam Hadwin鈥檚 Tour victory trophies are limited only to the Valspar Championship he won in 2017. The Canadian won two international victories, both in his home country, and much of his success can be attributed to his driver. In 2019, he recorded his third top-three finish at the Desert Classic, this time tying Phil Mickelson for second place.
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6 / 11- Off tee: #170
- Approach: #16
- Around the green: #118
- Putting: #192
- Skill ranking difference: 144
Since joining the PGA Tour in 2015, Danny Willett has built an impressive resume that includes five international victories and a spot on five national teams. The feather in his cap, however, is his only Tour victory鈥攖he 2016 Masters. The England native, who is known for his incredible work on the fairway, won his first major just a few days after his wife gave birth to the couple鈥檚 first child.
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7 / 11- Off tee: #16
- Approach: #162
- Around the green: #193
- Putting: #164
- Skill ranking difference: 157
After joining the PGA Tour in 2015, Florida native Daniel Berger won the Fed Ex St. Jude Classic in 2016 and 2017鈥攈is only two Tour victories. He鈥檚 earned nearly $12.79 million on the course during that time and played for both the Presidents Cup and Palmer Cup national teams. He鈥檚 at his best between the tee markers.
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8 / 11- Off tee: #187
- Approach: #3
- Around the green: #185
- Putting: #133
- Skill ranking difference: 165
Henrik Stenson was part of the national team for the Ryder Cup in five separate years, four years for the World Cup, three years for the Royal Trophy, and once for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Since joining the PGA Tour in 2007, he鈥檚 racked up an impressive six major victories鈥攊ncluding the Open Championship and THE PLAYERS Championship鈥攁nd 13 international victories. His fairway woods and irons are the keys to his success. 聽
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9 / 11- Off tee: #177
- Approach: #199
- Around the green: #139
- Putting: #1
- Skill ranking difference: 171
Newcomer Dominic Bozzelli joined the PGA Tour in 2017, but he already boasts nearly $2 million in career earnings. He鈥檚 yet to win a Tour victory, but he earned three top-10 spots his rookie year and earned two top-five spots out of three appearances at the Desert Classic. Among the entire PGA Tour, few can claim to be superior on the putting green.
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10 / 11- Off tee: #208
- Approach: #213
- Around the green: #103
- Putting: #3
- Skill ranking difference: 172
Martin Piller鈥檚 fourth-place finish at the 2017 DAP Championship earned him his PGA Tour card. Since then, the master putter has earned well over $1 million, thanks to feats like making 11 cuts in 28 starts鈥攊ncluding two top-five finishes鈥攊n 2018. 聽
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11 / 11- Off tee: #197
- Approach: #175
- Around the green: #171
- Putting: #2
- Skill ranking difference: 179
Pat Perez has earned more than $25 million since joining the PGA Tour in 2002. The Arizona native has won three Tour victories, and in 2017 he landed six top-10 finishes and claimed the second PGA Tour title of his career. Only Dominic Bozzelli has a hotter putter.
