Which players improved the most in scoring average in 2012? And which players took the biggest fall in that category?
The PGA TOUR’s Alex Turnbull compared adjusted scoring averages with the TOUR ranking of 136 players who played the minimum number of rounds in both 2011 and 2012 (thus, qualifying statistically in the category). Here are the five players at the top of the list and the five at the bottom, based on their change in ranking from one season to the next.
BIGGEST IMPROVEMENTS
| Player | 2011 rank (Adj. scoring average) | 2012 rank (Adj. scoring average) | Increase in rank |
| Daniel Summerhays | 182nd (72.487) | 75th (70.722) | +107 |
| Billy Horschel | 152nd (71.512) | 53rd (70.494) | +99 |
| Ernie Els | 121st (71.062) | 25th (70.131) | +96 |
| Kevin Stadler | 139th (71.295) | 54th (70.525) | +85 |
| Robert Garrigus | 105th (70.931) | 23rd (70.066) | +82 |
BIGGEST DROPS
| Player | 2011 rank (Adj. scoring average) | 2012 rank (Adj. scoring average) | Decrease in rank |
| Gary Woodland | 15th (69.875) | 158th (71.552) | -143 |
| Robert Karlsson | 26th (70.211) | 148th (71.453) | -122 |
| Robert Allenby | 33rd (70.284) | 139th (71.355) | -106 |
| Andres Romero | 54th (70.495) | 157th (71.543) | -103 |
| Aaron Baddeley | 28th (70.230) | 123rd (71.113) | -95 |
RORY AND TIGER
Neither Rory McIlroy nor Tiger Woods played enough rounds on the PGA TOUR in 2011 to qualify for the comparison list. But here are their numbers had each player met the minimum number of rounds last year.
| Player | 2011 rank (Adj. scoring average) | 2012 rank (Adj. scoring average) | Difference in rank |
| Rory McIlroy | 3rd (69.48) | 1st (68.873) | +2 |
| Tiger Woods | 51st (70.46) | 2nd (68.904) | +49 |
Kinnaird/Getty Images
Ernie Els improved his scoring average by nearly a full stroke from 2011 to 2012.
