Mr. Consistency
Davis Love III a favorite at Bay Hill Invitational
Posted: Monday March 15, 1999 06:23 PM
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Davis Love III is averaging 69.24 per round this year. Harry How/Allsport |
By Benjamin Berman, CNN/SI
Coming off the first correct prediction of the year -- picking Vijay Singh at the Honda Classic -- the CNNSI.com Player to Watch goes for two straight.
And who better to take us there than Davis Love III?
Love doesn't hit the ball as long as John Daly or putt like Jim Furyk. He isn't a household name like Tiger Woods. But he's pretty close.
In fact, Love is the PGA Tour's "Mr. Consistency." Whether he has a driver in his hand or a long iron, a sand wedge or a putter, Love is going to fare well.
Statistically, there isn't a more consistent golfer on Tour. In 1998, he was third in overall statistics. He ranked 14th in driving distance, No. 1 in eagles, No. 2 in birdie average and No. 3 in scoring and putting. No wonder he finished in the Top 10 nearly 50 percent of the time.
In 1997, it was a similar story. While winning his only major -- the PGA Championship -- Love finished in the Top 10 13 of 25 times.
Why Davis Love III is a
Bay Hill favorite |
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1999 Love has failed to finish a round par or better only once.
1999 is averaging 69.24 strokes per round.
1998 No. 3 in all-around statistics.
1998 had 10 Top 10s in 21 starts.
1997 had 13 Top 10s in 25 starts.
Most consecutive years with $1 million or more (four from 1995-1998).
Ranks 5th all-time in career earnings on the PGA Tour at $10,012,134.
Love has 13 PGA wins since he turned professional in 1985.
Ranked 5th in Official World Golf Rankings.
Runner-up twice at Bay Hill (1989 and 1993).
Has a victory each season since 1995.
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He is also one of the Tour's richest players. He has the most consecutive years with $1 million or more in earnings (four from 1995-1998). And he ranks fifth all-time in career earnings on the PGA Tour at $10,012,134.
Love has 13 PGA wins since he turned professional in 1985. Ranked fifth in the World Golf Rankings, Love hasn't showed signs of weakening in '99.
He may be better than ever.
Love has shot only one round over par in 1999. Overall, he is averaging 69.24 strokes per round. He is eighth in overall statistics.
As the PGA heads to the Bay Hill Invitational this weekend at Orlando, Fla., Love already has finished in the Top 10 four times -- including second at the Sony Open and Nissan Open.
But why Love this weekend?
Love has been on the doorstep at the Bay Hill Club several times. He was a runner-up in 1989 and 1993. In '89, Love lost in a playoff to Tom Kite.
If the loss to Kite wasn't hard enough to take, Love was knocking on the door at Bay Hill again in 1998, only to be turned away.
After rounds of 68 and 66 in the first two rounds, Love was tied with Tiger Woods heading into the weekend. Then Ernie Els, who trailed by two strokes, caught fire. Els shot the Saturday-low 65 and cruised to a four-stroke victory.
Love didn't help his own cause. He shot an uncharacteristic 75 on Saturday and followed that with a 76 on Sunday.
| Player Watch Scorecard |
| Player |
Event |
Results |
Place |
Mark O'Meara
Phil Mickelson
Tiger Woods
Greg Norman
Vijay Singh
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Pebble Beach
Buick Invitational
World Match Play
Doral-Ryder Open
Honda Classic
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3-over
2-under
3-1
7-under
11-under
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Tied 53rd
Cut
Tied 5th
Tied 19th
Winner
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Look for Love to be on a mission to prove he can play Bay Hill, especially with the Masters looming ahead (April 8-11).
A win also will keep his streak of consecutive years with a win intact, dating to 1995.
Like most weeks on Tour, Davis Love III is a player to watch this week.
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