Yearly Sand Save Leaders on the Champions Tour
Which golfers have led the Champions Tour in sand saves each year? That's what the list below shows for this statistical category on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.
2023 — Mike Weir, 67.90
2022 — Jerry Kelly, 67.68
2020-21 — Mike Weir, 63.40 (the Tour combines these two years into one for stats purposes due to the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season)
2019 — Paul Broadhurst, 63.53
2018 — David Toms, 64.18
2017 — Tom Pernice Jr., 67.65
2016 — Scott Verplank, 62.11
2015 — Fred Funk, 61.02
2014 — Jay Haas, 67.61
2013 — Corey Pavin, 65.08
2012 — David Frost, 58.23
2011 — Dan Forsman, 68.57
2010 — Fred Couples, 65.38
2009 — Loren Roberts, 67.44
2008 — Ron Streck, 69.64
2007 — Mark O'Meara, 64.81
2006 — Jerry Pate, 62.07
2005 — James Mason, 64.06
2004 — Isao Aoki, 63.53
2003 — Rodger Davis, 60.00
2002 — Jay Overton, 65.08
2001 — Bob Eastwood, 62.62
2000 — Vicente Fernandez, 65.81
1999 — Bob Eastwood, 58.39
1998 — Jose Maria Canizares, 64.38
1997 — Isao Aoki, 64.67
1996 — Raymond Floyd, 58.51
1995 — Dave Stockton, 57.76
1994 — Lee Trevino, 62.89
1993 — George Archer, 64.15
1992 — George Archer, 63.06
1991 — Gary Player, 59.26
1990 — Chi Chi Rodriguez, 58.16
1989 — Jerry Barber, 55.09
1988 — Butch Baird, 58.82
The "sand saves" stat is officially named "Sand Save Percentage." A golfer is credited with a sand save when, after hitting into a greenside bunker, that golfer gets up-and-down. (And what does it mean to get "up and down"? It means to put the golf ball in the hole from that spot in two or fewer strokes.) The Sand Save Percentage stat is the rate at which a golfer successfully gets up-and-down once in a greenside bunker.
Champions Tour Leaders in Sand Saves By Year
2024 — Brian Gay, 67.86 percent2023 — Mike Weir, 67.90
2022 — Jerry Kelly, 67.68
2020-21 — Mike Weir, 63.40 (the Tour combines these two years into one for stats purposes due to the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season)
2019 — Paul Broadhurst, 63.53
2018 — David Toms, 64.18
2017 — Tom Pernice Jr., 67.65
2016 — Scott Verplank, 62.11
2015 — Fred Funk, 61.02
2014 — Jay Haas, 67.61
2013 — Corey Pavin, 65.08
2012 — David Frost, 58.23
2011 — Dan Forsman, 68.57
2010 — Fred Couples, 65.38
2009 — Loren Roberts, 67.44
2008 — Ron Streck, 69.64
2007 — Mark O'Meara, 64.81
2006 — Jerry Pate, 62.07
2005 — James Mason, 64.06
2004 — Isao Aoki, 63.53
2003 — Rodger Davis, 60.00
2002 — Jay Overton, 65.08
2001 — Bob Eastwood, 62.62
2000 — Vicente Fernandez, 65.81
1999 — Bob Eastwood, 58.39
1998 — Jose Maria Canizares, 64.38
1997 — Isao Aoki, 64.67
1996 — Raymond Floyd, 58.51
1995 — Dave Stockton, 57.76
1994 — Lee Trevino, 62.89
1993 — George Archer, 64.15
1992 — George Archer, 63.06
1991 — Gary Player, 59.26
1990 — Chi Chi Rodriguez, 58.16
1989 — Jerry Barber, 55.09
1988 — Butch Baird, 58.82
A few notes:
- No golfer has yet led the Champions Tour in this stat in more than two seasons.
- George Archer is the only golfer to top the senior sand save percentage stat in back-to-back years.
- Jerry Barber led the senior circuit in sand saves in 1989 when he was 73 years old.
