The 1927 New York Yankees were given the nickname “Murderers’ Row” because the top of the lineup – Earle Combs, Mark Koenig, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel and Tony Lazzeri – was so devastating to opponents.
What those legends did to baseballs, the men listed below do to golf balls, leading the PGA Tour in strokes gained approach the green. The stat measures how much better (or worse) a player’s iron game compares to the average Tour player, measured in strokes. For example, a player with a 0.5 strokes gained advantage would pick up half a stroke on the field per round, or two strokes in a four-day event.
Following are the best ballstrikers at the end of the 2018-19 season and the irons they used.
10. Patrick Cantlay, 0.64
IRONS: Titleist 718 AP2 (4-PW), with True Temper XP 115 shafts
9. Corey Conners, 0.665
IRONS: Ping iBlade (4-PW), with Project X 6.0 shafts
8. Paul Casey, 0.706
IRONS: Mizuno MP-25 (3), Mizuno JPX 919 Hot Metal Pro (4), Mizuno MP-5 (5-PW), with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 TX shafts
7. Jim Furyk, 0.741
IRONS: Callaway X Forged UT (3), X Forged (4-PW), with KBS Tour 110 R shafts
6. Jason Kokrak, 0.745
IRONS: PXG 0311T GEN2 (3-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts
5. Hideki Matsuyama, 0.759
IRONS: Srixon Z-945 (4-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts
4. Adam Scott, 0.846
IRONS: Titleist 716 T-MB (3), Titleist 680 (4-9), with KBS Tour 130X shafts
3. Emiliano Grillo, 0.926
IRONS: Callaway Apex MB (4-9), with Project X 6.5 Flighted shafts
2. Justin Thomas, 0.985
IRONS: Titleist T100 (4), 718 MB (5-9), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts
1. Henrik Stenson, 1.149
IRONS: Callaway Legacy Black (3-PW), with Nippon Modus 120X shafts
