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Who is Charley Hoffman?

Post by: TJ

// July 12th, 2009 // News

Before you nosh into this fantastic insight of one of the PGA Tours hidden gems, let me quickly take the time to introduce the writer Tim Tregonning. TJ is a key member of the mrbojumbles family and his perspective on our amazing game is second to none. He is the proud bearer of an outstanding moustache and his swing is looking more and more like Henrik Stenson as each day passes. We look  forward to more of TJ’s exceptional contributions.

Mr Tregonning… please take the stage.

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Charley Hoffman is not your average linksman. Rather, he is a flat-peaked, Frankenstein-like amalgamation of a series of bizarre statistics, each weirder than the last:

Longest drive on tour in 2009: 467 yards

Introducing Charley Hoffman, the beast. Regardless of the fact that Hoffman’s 467 yard (427 m) bomb was directed downwind and over a sizeable 125 ft (38 m) drop in elevation, this is still 25 yards longer than anyone has managed on tour since 2005. The sheer volume of the number is terrifying. He is currently ranked 6th on tour for driving distance (average 301 yds/275 m) and 11th in percentage of drives hit over 320 yds (15%).

Like they say on tour though, you drive for dough and you putt for more dough. A long ball is worthless if you can’t make the weekend, which appears to be something that Charley really isn’t losing a lot of sleep over.

Last cut missed: John Deere Classic, July 2008

Hoffman’s active cut streak of 24 consecutive tournaments is second only behind Tiger (35) currently on tour. This sort of consistency could almost get a blush out of Freddy ‘Five years without a mis-hit’ Couples.

PGA Tour All-Around Ranking 2009: 13th

The all-around ranking is derived from performance over selected statistics (driving, putting, GIR, scoring, sand saves, birdies and eagles) and is a pretty good measure of ability from tee to green. Combine this stat with the fact that Hoffman was leading the tour for rounds shot in the 60’s through April in 2009, and you could be forgiven why you haven’t seen this guy’s name in lights.

After 4 years on the tour he has just one notch on the belt, the 2007 Bob Hope Chrysler classic. If Charley Hoffman has shown in 2009 that he is capable of formidable length, consistency, tee-to-green performance and low scoring, then what is holding him back from, well, winning more?

Scoring average before the cut: 69.23 (2nd) vs Scoring average on final day: 71.94 (139th)

Ouch. If there is one attribute that all players on tour aspire to, it is the ability (sometimes simply referred to as ‘Tiger Woods’) to do whatever is required to win on Sunday. Unfortunately, at this stage in his career all of Hoffman’s great attributes have been marred by his inability score under pressure.

It’s not all bad news for Hoffman. This year he is top 25 for money winners on the PGA Tour and 18th in the Fed Ex stakes, not bad for a guy who apparently suffers from some bad cases of the Sunday jitters. He has a pretty cool logo (“This guy is good”), a cult following and an enviable crop of flowing blond locks. Furthermore, he has secured himself a place in the field of the Open Championship this weekend, the tournament in which he has claimed his previous best major finish (T35).

Good luck Charley!

Charley showing off an outstanding putter toss* at the Players – See below.
*Never buy a putter until you have had a chance to throw it.