Yearly GIR Leaders on the Champions Tour
Which golfers have led the Champions Tour (today officially named the PGA Tour Champions) in GIR? That's what the list below shows: Every golfer on the senior circuit who has topped the tour in this statistical category, going back to 1988, the first year the tour officially kept this stat.
2023 — Bernhard Langer, 76.53
2022 — Steven Alker, 76.84
2020-21 — Jim Furyk, 76.28 (The Tour combines these two years into one for stats purposes due to the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.)
2019 — Jerry Kelly, 73.53
2018 — Kevin Sutherland, 78.03
2017 — Kevin Sutherland, 78.57
2016 — Bernhard Langer, 78.07
2015 — Bernhard Langer, 75.68
2014 — Bernhard Langer, 78.35
2013 — Fred Couples, 77.26
2012 — Tom Lehman, 77.68
2011 — Tom Lehman, 77.68
2010 — Bernhard Langer, 74.95
2009 — Bernhard Langer, 75.96
2008 — Joey Sindelar, 75.47
2007 — Tom Purtzer, 76.24
2006 — Tom Watson, 76.42
2005 — Mark McNulty, 76.09
2004 — Hale Irwin, 75.95
2003 — Tom Kite, 74.33
2002 — Tom Kite, 75.93
2001 — Tom Kite, 74.13
2000 — Tom Kite, 77.97
1999 — John Mahaffey, 77.04
1998 — Hale Irwin, 76.37
1997 — Hale Irwin, 76.20
1996 — Hale Irwin, 74.70
1995 — Raymond Floyd, 75.34
1994 — Raymond Floyd, 76.01
1993 — Bob Charles, 75.89
1992 — George Archer, 73.80
1991 — Bob Charles, 75.32
1990 — Lee Trevino, 77.58
1989 — Charles Coody, 75.98
1988 — Al Geiberger, 73.50
What is a GIR? That stands for "green in regulation." To achieve a green in regulation, a golfer's ball must come to rest on the putting green in one stroke on a par-3 hole, in two (or fewer) strokes on a par-4, or in three (or fewer) strokes on a par-5.
The GIR stat on the Champions Tour is officially named "Greens in Regulation Percentage," and the tour defines it as "(t)he percent of time a player was able to hit the green in regulation (greens hit in regulation/holes played)."
Champions Tour Greens in Regulation Leaders By Year
2024 — Steven Alker, 75.64 percent of greens hit in regulation2023 — Bernhard Langer, 76.53
2022 — Steven Alker, 76.84
2020-21 — Jim Furyk, 76.28 (The Tour combines these two years into one for stats purposes due to the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.)
2019 — Jerry Kelly, 73.53
2018 — Kevin Sutherland, 78.03
2017 — Kevin Sutherland, 78.57
2016 — Bernhard Langer, 78.07
2015 — Bernhard Langer, 75.68
2014 — Bernhard Langer, 78.35
2013 — Fred Couples, 77.26
2012 — Tom Lehman, 77.68
2011 — Tom Lehman, 77.68
2010 — Bernhard Langer, 74.95
2009 — Bernhard Langer, 75.96
2008 — Joey Sindelar, 75.47
2007 — Tom Purtzer, 76.24
2006 — Tom Watson, 76.42
2005 — Mark McNulty, 76.09
2004 — Hale Irwin, 75.95
2003 — Tom Kite, 74.33
2002 — Tom Kite, 75.93
2001 — Tom Kite, 74.13
2000 — Tom Kite, 77.97
1999 — John Mahaffey, 77.04
1998 — Hale Irwin, 76.37
1997 — Hale Irwin, 76.20
1996 — Hale Irwin, 74.70
1995 — Raymond Floyd, 75.34
1994 — Raymond Floyd, 76.01
1993 — Bob Charles, 75.89
1992 — George Archer, 73.80
1991 — Bob Charles, 75.32
1990 — Lee Trevino, 77.58
1989 — Charles Coody, 75.98
1988 — Al Geiberger, 73.50
A few notes:
- Bernhard Langer is the only golfer to top this stat category five times, and he's actually done it six times. Hale Irwin and Tom Kite led in GIR four times each, Kite doing so four years consecutively from 2000 through 2003.
- No golfer has yet hit 80-percent in GIR Percentage, or 79-percent. The highest percent so far to lead the Champions Tour is the 78.57 recorded by Kevin Sutherland in 2017.
- The lowest greens in regulation percentage to lead the tour was the 73.50 recorded by Al Geiberger in the first year the Champions Tour officially tracked this stat, 1988.
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