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Golfing Focus

96.9% of golfers didn't manage this

Published about 2 months ago • 2 min read

Hi Reader,

⛳ How rare your great rounds actually are

Think of the best round you played this season.

Here is how unusual it actually was.

The R&A and USGA have finally published their 2025 World Handicap System report, built from 150 million rounds, more than 6.5 million golfers and 57 national associations.

In all of that, 96.9% of golfers produced no exceptional score at all. Not one round good enough to trigger a handicap reduction.

Just 1.2% triggered a one stroke cut, and 0.7% a two shot cut.

Male players between 10.1 and 20 averaged a score differential of 18.3 in competitions and 18.5 in general play.

Two tenths of a shot apart.

People scored the same whether there was a card in their hand or not.

We said a few issues back that the freak net score is variance rather than anything more questionable. This is the governing bodies’ own data saying it back.

So if you did have that round this year, you were in the tiny 3% minority!

Enjoy it. The odds unfortunately say it won't happen again anytime soon.

From Us

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Our GOLFINGFOCUS15 15% discount code does not stack on sale items. If the laser is what you are after, the sale alone is the better deal.

The code still works across the rest of the Arccos range though. So if there is something else you have had your eye on, you'll be able to use one or the other to get money off!

The club that's quietly doubled on Tour

​MyGolfSpy’s Tyler Allred swapped his 3-wood for a Callaway Elyte 7-wood this month, after noticing Justin Rose, J.J. Spaun, J.T. Poston, Chris Gotterup and Wyndham Clark had all won this year carrying one.

So we looked at our own analysis of the top 100 PGA Tour bags.

7-wood use has gone from 17% in 2022, to 21% in 2024, to 32% today. It has drawn level with the 5-wood, which has drifted the other way.

The lofts have settled too. Four years ago most were bent stronger than the standard 21 degrees. Now 25 of the 32 sit at exactly 21.

It has stopped being a club players fiddle with to plug a gap. They just carry it.

What about you though? Have you started carrying higher lofted fairway woods too more recently? Or have you always been a fan?

Drop us a note back - we'd love to hear what our own audience are choosing at the top of the bag.

Thanks for reading and as ever and most importantly enjoy your golf!

Play well until next time 👍

Graeme Hay

Founder, GolfingFocus.com

Golfing Focus Limited, 73 Maple Road, London, KT6 4AG
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