West Coast Swing: Taking stock of what happened early on

Scoring average

In determining the five players who produced the lowest Swing-long scoring average, we’re requiring a minimum of 15 completed rounds. Right away that will exclude some of the game’s megastars who used the West Coast Swing largely as a tuneup or refresher, limiting themselves to one or two appearances. To be considered, players had to tee it up in at least four of the events.

1. Daniel Berger, 68.93. Somehow, Berger managed to slide almost unnoticed through his four starts on the west coast swing. Although managing nothing higher than a tie for fifth at the AT&T, his 16 rounds included 11 in the 60s and nothing higher than a 71. He tied for ninth at the Waste Management, for 29th at the American Express and for 38th – his worst showing – at the Sony.

2. Hideki Matsuyama, 69.31. Matsuyama’s four starts produced three top 20 finishes, topped by his tie for fifth at the Genesis. He shot six rounds of 67 or better, and might have contended for a victory but for his recurring habit of tossing in a 74 at an inopportune moment. Those were his three worst rounds of the west coast swing.

3. Nick Taylor, 69.35. Taylor’s victory at the AT&T highlighted his time on the Coast, and also balanced off the pain of his three missed cuts. One of those missed cuts came at the always user-friendly American Express, where he fell two strokes short of the three-round cut line despite producing a 67 and 68.

4. Jon Rahm, 69.38. Rahm’s near-miss at the Waste Management highlighted a Swing that saw him produce only one above-par round, that a Sunday 1-over 72 at the Genesis.

5. Sungjae Im, 69.39. A Friday 75 cost Im a ticket to the weekend at the Genesis, and also ended an otherwise solid West Coast stay on an inglorious note. Playing in five events, he produced 11 of 18 rounds in the 60s.