A new Sports Illustrated/Golf.com anonymous poll of 200 PGA, Champions, and LPGA tour players was released, and below are ten of the findings:
- Despite much of the media making a big deal out of Tiger Woods’ controversial/illegal drop after hitting a ball in the water at the Masters, and that almost half of the players (49%) felt he should have disqualified himself from the tournament, a hefty 85% of the golfers claim that it did not lower their estimation of him.
- The golf axiom that you “drive for show and putt for dough” must be true. More than three-quarters (76%) of the PGA players said they would prefer to have Brandt Snedeker’s putting stroke than Dustin Johnson’s three-hundred-plus drives. A convincing 96% of LPGA golfers would prefer to have Inbee Park’s putting stroke than be able to whack the ball like long-driving Nicole Smith.
- Almost two-thirds (64%) of the PGA tour pros said they would suspend Vijay Singh for having used banned substances while competing.
- Tour pros still believe in Sergio Garcia, who has not won a major in his 15-year career and is known for having many good starts but having Sunday disaster rounds. Nevertheless, more than two-thirds (66%) of tour players polled think he still has a major victory in him.
- If a Champion’s tour player needed someone to make a 10-footer to save your life, almost one-quarter (24%) would want Bernhard Langer with his long chest-anchoring putter to pull the trigger. Surprisingly, legendary Ben Crenshaw, who many believe to be the greatest putter of all time and about whom at least one person (me) has said that he could two-putt Rhode Island, received only 4% of those polled.
- Sports Illustrated thought that it was relevant to ask whether there are any gay players on tour, and 81% answered yes.
- There was no data on how many answered, “Who cares?” to the last question.
- LPGA players love their jobs: 68% of those polled said that if they won the $100 million dollar lottery they would continue playing on the LPGA.
- LPGA players prefer Adam Scott to Ricky Fowler and Jordan Spieth. The poll question doesn’t ask what they prefer them for.
- Over one-fifth (21%) of all LPGA players polled have spent over $2,500 on a purse.