Ryder Cup Teams 2014: Key Stats for Top Players in Match Play Showdown
While golf spends most of its time dwelling on individuals, the Ryder Cup is an opportunity to remind us of the value of having a team around for support and encouragement in good or bad times.
This year's clash between the United States and Europe features a smorgasbord of talent with strengths and weaknesses.
Even though the assumption is that Europe will walk away victorious, this is among the most unpredictable sporting events in the world. The U.S. blew a four-point lead on the final day two years ago at Medinah, so things can turn on a dime.
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Before the 2014 Ryder Cup kicks off on Friday in Scotland, we've got the stats to know for all of the key players on both teams that will determine which side comes out on top.
| European Team | American Team |
| Thomas Bjorn | Keegan Bradley |
| Jamie Donaldson | Rickie Fowler |
| Victor Dubuisson | Jim Furyk |
| Stephen Gallacher | Zach Johnson |
| Sergio Garcia | Matt Kuchar |
| Martin Kaymer | Hunter Mahan |
| Graeme McDowell | Phil Mickelson |
| Rory McIlroy | Patrick Reed |
| Ian Poulter | Webb Simpson |
| Justin Rose | Jordan Spieth |
| Henrik Stenson | Jimmy Walker |
| Lee Westwood | Bubba Watson |
Rory McIlroy
Stat to know: 108th in driving accuracy; 6th in greens in regulation
There are so many ways to go with Rory McIlroy's performance in 2014 that you almost hate to single out any one area. Keep in mind that since the British Open in July, he's played 28 rounds on the PGA Tour and shot over 70 in four of them.
If you want to know what makes McIlroy so effective, it's his ability to save shots. He's got one of the most powerful drives on tour but is wildly erratic with his accuracy. He hits the fairway just 59 percent of the time, yet still has the lowest scoring average at 68.83.
So how is McIlroy able to shoot low scores on a consistent basis despite being wild off the tee? He's a master at saving shots before getting to the green, ranking sixth in greens in regulation. That speaks to the mindset of having no fear and always putting the ball in a good spot, even if it doesn't get credited with going into the fairway.
McIlroy made some noise this week leading up to the Ryder Cup by switching his driver, but he is trying to squash any concerns in comments to Golf Central:
If the new driver gives McIlroy a little extra giddy up off the tee, we know he's going to be in an excellent position to make birdie or par because the numbers show that he can save shots after using the old No. 1.
Jimmy Walker
Stat to know: 11th in strokes gained putting, 12th in scoring average, 19th in driving distance
One of the least-talked about stars for the American squad, Jimmy Walker, is the definition of smooth. There's nothing sexy about his game, ranking outside the top 10 in virtually every major category except birdie average (4.18, third).
Yet when you look up all the numbers, Walker is as consistent as anyone on the PGA Tour. He's in the top 20 in strokes gained in putting, scoring average, driving distance, total strokes gained and scoring average. He's in the top 30 in greens in regulation and strokes gained from the tee to the green.
In addition to Walker's stats, Mark Lamport-Stokes of Reuters pointed out that his scorching start to the season was among the most impressive feats we have seen in a long time:
"Walker became only the fourth player since 1995 to win three events in eight or fewer starts to begin a PGA Tour season, emulating the previous achievements of David Duval, Phil Mickelson and Woods, who did so an incredible eight times.
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Walker's 10 top-10 finishes this season are the same as Sergio Garcia had and nine more than Phil Mickelson had.
In an event where winning holes is more important than anything else, you need players who are going to be consistent from shot to shot. Few players on the PGA Tour exhibited that trait more than Walker in 2014.
Sergio Garcia
Stat to know: 2nd in scrambling
When discussing McIlroy, the conversation was about his ability to save shots after driving the ball. For Garcia, we are going to take things one step further.
He's not bad at reaching the green in regulation, 14th on the PGA Tour, but it's his ability to save any shot and minimize damage that's led to a career renaissance that would make Matthew McConaughey jealous.
For those who aren't familiar with the term, scrambling is saving par or better, regardless of whether you are making the green in regulation. Garcia is second on the PGA Tour in that category this year, trailing only Jim Furyk.
Garcia is erratic off the tee, ranking 73rd in driving accuracy, and isn't a huge hitter with an average driving distance of 294.3 yards. His putting isn't much to brag about either, gaining just .164 strokes on the green.
In order for Garcia to be as successful as he has been this season, he's had to save a lot of shots. That's going to serve him well in the crucial match-play environment that makes up Ryder Cup weekend.
He doesn't have to worry about being perfect with every shot because he knows that there will be opportunities to make it up, which he takes advantage of more often than not.
Bubba Watson
Stat to know: 7th in strokes gained tee-to-green; 9th in total strokes gained
Even though Bubba Watson's prodigious driving power is worth talking about, it tends to get him in trouble because he doesn't know how to reel it in. He has the longest average distance off the tee (314.3 yards) but is 102nd in driving accuracy.
Despite those unstable shots off the tee, Watson's scoring average of 69.7 ranks 11th on the PGA Tour because he saves so many shots on the fairway (when he gets there) or out of the rough. Unfortunately for Team USA, McIlroy and Garcia rank first and second in strokes gained from the tee to the green.
We have seen the best Watson has to offer on the golf course with his two wins at the Masters. Finding consistency has always been his biggest problem, as he's known for having meltdowns in big spots.
Here are comments the American star made during the PGA Championship, via Amanda Balionis of PGATour.com:
Not even in a moment of frustration would you hear a player like McIlroy or Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods say something like that. Watson's emotions will be just as critical for him to have success this week as anything he's doing with his clubs.
The numbers line up for Watson to have a good weekend in Scotland, especially playing on a long 7,243-yard course. Now, does he have the mindset to keep calm when one shot doesn't go his way?
Note: Stats via PGATour.com
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