Genworth Unveil the European Tour's Ultimate Golfer

World number one Donald is joined by the likes of McIlroy, Quiros and Rose in new vision of Europe’s “perfect” golfer.

5^TH December, 2011 –Genworth Financial, Official Statistics Partner of the European Tour, today launched the Ultimate Performing Golfer - a new composite model designed using statistical analysis from across the current European Tour season. From the accuracy of Luke Donald to the driving distance of Alvaro Quiros, the Ultimate Performing Golfer utilises the key attributes from the leading European Tour players in 2011.

Ahead of the season finale Dubai World Championship, Genworth have used their sponsorship of the European Tour statistics to look at what makes the ultimate golfer. Based on statistical categories including Stroke Average, Driving Accuracy, Driving Distance, Greens in Regulation and Putts per round, Genworth have taken the leader from each category to create the Ultimate Performing Golfer.

Luke Donald is top of the World Rankings and money lists on both sides of the Atlantic and it is no surprise that he comprises one-third of the Ultimate Performing Golfer by leading three of the nine categories. Donald boasts a Stroke Average of 69.24, a Driving Accuracy of 77.7% fairways hit and a Sand Saves average of 72.7% while also featuring in the top 5 for Greens in Regulation (GIR), Putts per GIR and one putts per round.

However, to become the ultimate golfer it is essential to master all aspects of the game. Rory McIlroy, Charl Schwartzel and Sergio Garcia are all pushing Donald for the Stroke Average title, with a Par 70 course in Hong Kong looking to suit McIlroy’s play and propel him to the top of the standings ahead of Dubai. McIlroy is the only golfer to match Donald’s consistency this season on the European Tour circuit, with a Stroke Average of 69.27 which is only marginally behind that of Donald, but from 60 rounds compared to Donald’s 37 rounds, worthy of inclusion in the Ultimate Performing Golfer. His performances have rewarded him with a place in the top ten in three of the most important categories on tour - Stroke Average, GIR and scrambles.

Alvaro Quiros sits easily at the top of the leaderboard for Driving Distance with an average distance of 311.5 yards and a total length of 27,101 yards from 87 drives, whilst Justin Rose and Lorenzo Gagli are fighting it out for Greens in Regulation (GIR) with Rose currently leading 77.4% to Gagli’s 77.3%.

Finally, in the putting standings, an essential skill in any golfer’s armory, Retief Goosen’s dominance on the greens is demonstrated with an average of 28.2 putts per round. He is also in the top three for the putts in GIR category and places second in scrambles behind Sergio Garcia, who has an impressive 65.3% success rate, making 77 scrambles of par or better when missing a GIR (from the 118 he has missed).

Dr Karl Morris, Sports Psychologist and Mind Coach to recent Major Winners Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, commented “Performing at the ‘optimum level’ is the ultimate quest for professional golfers on The European Tour. The difference of just one shot in a tournament can be the difference between making and missing the cut, winning a Major Championship or securing your place in a Ryder Cup team. Success in golf has a lot to do with being able to perform consistently at the highest level. This requires great mental strength and self-belief, so that when you hit a bad patch, you can quickly get back on track.”

“The inclusion of these individuals who make up the Ultimate Performing Golfer pays testament to their achievements this year and the hard work they put into all aspects of the game.”

Peter Barrett, Senior Vice President, Lifestyle Protection at Genworth commented, “The Genworth Ultimate Performing Golfer is a great way to illustrate why Luke Donald and other leading golfers are at the top of their game. The concept is designed to provide golf fans with a real insight into which attributes make the difference within the professional game and specifically what makes these players the best in Europe”.

The full list of category leaders and the current standings ahead of the Race to Dubai can be found at www.europeantour.com