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Up to the Challenge? Golf young stars trying to end winless streaks
Posted: Friday April 21, 2000 01:24 PM
While Tiger Woods has won 10 of his last 18 official events, some of the stars that are considered his main challengers can't seem to get into the winners circle. David Duval, the world's No. 2 player, hasn't won in his last 23 official events, while Ernie Els hasn't had an official victory in his last 26 tries. Meanwhile, Davis Love III is 0-for-52, and Justin Leonard 0-for-55. Senior supremacy?Several statistical leaders on the Senior PGA Tour have better numbers than their PGA Tour counterparts. Tom Watson's 75.6 percent of greens hit in regulation is better than Hal Sutton's 73.8. Calvin Peete's driving accuracy trumps Jeff Maggert's by eight percentage points. And Hubert Green takes fewer putts on the greens he hits in regulation than the regular tour's leader, Mike Springer. How can this be? Two words. Easier courses. Not in a FunkIn case you wondering, Fred Funk played the most PGA Tour events of any competitor in the 1990s, a total of 318 for an average of just under 32 tournaments a year. Fleisher the finisherTiger Woods isn't the only "closer" in professional golf. Nine times Bruce Fleisher has led Senior Tour events after 36 holes, and each time, he has won. StreakersThe longest streak of winning at least one tournament a year on the LPGA Tour belongs to Kellie Robbins, stretching back to 1993. Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb and Rosie Jones are on a current streak going back to 1995, but neither Jones nor Robbins has won yet this year. And with her victory last week, Juli Inkster has now won a tournament four years in a row.
Sports Illustrated senior writer Jaime Diaz covers the golf beat and appears regularly on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN's Pro Golf Weekly.
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