Pro Hole in Ones

[TMWineGuy]

Please help me settle a $100 bet.

Last night a buddy and I made a bet about PGA players and holes in one. He contends that they are so common to Pros that the top 30 on the money list currently have at least 5 each. The holes in one don't necessarily have had to occur in tournament play.

I can't think of a way to disprove this, does anyone know for certain that one of those guys doesn't have 1 hole in one? How common are these things to pros???

[TMWineGuy]

ok, here's the top 30....anyone know for certain that at least one of these guys has never had an ace or at least less than 5????




1 1 Tiger Woods 12 $6,351,563
2 2 Jim Furyk 19 $4,734,016
3 3 Phil Mickelson 18 $4,217,005
4 4 Geoff Ogilvy 18 $4,178,369
5 5 Vijay Singh 19 $3,434,570
6 8 Adam Scott 14 $3,065,783
7 6 Trevor Immelman 18 $3,065,246
8 7 Stuart Appleby 18 $2,981,881
9 9 David Toms 18 $2,558,894
10 16 Luke Donald 15 $2,542,242
11 10 Chad Campbell 19 $2,477,607
12 11 Rory Sabbatini 18 $2,411,584
13 12 Carl Pettersson 21 $2,372,482
14 13 Stephen Ames 18 $2,318,155
15 14 Rod Pampling 20 $2,239,723
16 15 Zach Johnson 22 $2,192,216
17 18 Retief Goosen 14 $2,180,203
18 17 Brett Wetterich 19 $2,148,663
19 20 Jose Maria Olazabal 16 $1,967,422
20 19 Arron Oberholser 18 $1,957,972
21 21 Dean Wilson 26 $1,941,701
22 22 Tom Pernice, Jr. 25 $1,842,258
23 23 Tim Clark 18 $1,768,588
24 37 Mike Weir 19 $1,747,323
25 24 Lucas Glover 24 $1,721,221
26 29 Tim Herron 21 $1,696,642
27 26 J.J. Henry 22 $1,685,075
28 25 Brett Quigley 25 $1,665,736
29 27 Tom Lehman 17 $1,635,208
30 34 Ernie Els

[Heits]

ok, here's the top 30....anyone know for certain that at least one of these guys has never had an ace or at least less than 5???
1 1 Tiger Woods 12 $6,351,563
2 2 Jim Furyk 19 $4,734,016
3 3 Phil Mickelson 18 $4,217,005
4 4 Geoff Ogilvy 18 $4,178,369
5 5 Vijay Singh 19 $3,434,570
6 8 Adam Scott 14 $3,065,783
7 6 Trevor Immelman 18 $3,065,246
8 7 Stuart Appleby 18 $2,981,881
9 9 David Toms 18 $2,558,894
10 16 Luke Donald 15 $2,542,242
11 10 Chad Campbell 19 $2,477,607
12 11 Rory Sabbatini 18 $2,411,584
13 12 Carl Pettersson 21 $2,372,482
14 13 Stephen Ames 18 $2,318,155
15 14 Rod Pampling 20 $2,239,723
16 15 Zach Johnson 22 $2,192,216
17 18 Retief Goosen 14 $2,180,203
18 17 Brett Wetterich 19 $2,148,663
19 20 Jose Maria Olazabal 16 $1,967,422
20 19 Arron Oberholser 18 $1,957,972
21 21 Dean Wilson 26 $1,941,701
22 22 Tom Pernice, Jr. 25 $1,842,258
23 23 Tim Clark 18 $1,768,588
24 37 Mike Weir 19 $1,747,323
25 24 Lucas Glover 24 $1,721,221
26 29 Tim Herron 21 $1,696,642
27 26 J.J. Henry 22 $1,685,075
28 25 Brett Quigley 25 $1,665,736
29 27 Tom Lehman 17 $1,635,208
30 34 Ernie Els

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060822153932AAW7uNd

Here's another link that may or may not help you...

http://www.golfdigest.com/features/index.ssf?/features/gd200509holeinone4.html

[Thimble]

looking at:
2004-34 1999-27 1994-44 1989-32
2003-32 1998-27 1993-25 1988-22
2002-40 1997-31 1992-33 1987-30
2001-27 1996-39 1991-29 1986-21
2000-31 1995-35 1990-34 1985-35

i would guess that it's is closer to 3 per player:

it looks like the top30 is composed of players who've been on the tour about 15 years each (on average). 30 top30s over 15 years is equal to 3 years of top 150s (if each player has an equal chance at a hole-in-one). 3 years = about 90 HIO. 90/30 = 3.

that being said, top30 players are probably better at getting HIOs, so it could be higher than 3 each...

also, the 15 year average is a wild guess...