Birdie Leaders on the PGA Tour
The Birdie Average stat takes the number of birdies a golfer has made during the PGA Tour season and divides by the number of rounds. The result is the average number of birdies a golfer makes per round. Total Birdies is just that: the total, cumulative number of birdies a golfer makes over the course of a PGA Tour season.
Your first look at the yearly leaders below will tell you that Birdie Average is a far better indicator of tour success than is Total Birdies. That's because Total Birdies is hugely influenced by the number of rounds played. A golfer who plays a lot of tournament, and a lot of rounds, will pile up more birdies overall than, for example, one of the tour's stars who tends to player fewer events.
Birdie Average
The PGA Tour has kept the Birdie Average (average of number of birdies made per round) statistic since 1980. During that time, the highest Birdie Average yet recorded is 4.92 birdies per round, by Tiger Woods in the 2000 season.Woods also has led this category most often — he's topped the annual Birdie Average charts eight times. The first golfer since 1980 to average four birdies per round was Greg Norman in 1986; the last time a golfer led the PGA Tour in Birdie Average with an average less than four was in 1990, when Mark O'Meara led with a 3.88 average.
These are the annual PGA Tour leaders in Birdie Average:
2023 — Jon Rahm, 4.52 birdies per round
2022 — Cameron Smith, 4.63
2021 — (tie) Rory McIlroy, John Rahm, 4.51
2020 — Webb Simpson, 4.67
2019 — Justin Thomas, 4.58
2018 — Dustin Johnson, 4.70
2017 — Jordan Spieth, 4.49
2016 — Dustin Johnson, 4.45
2015 — Jason Day, 4.71
2014 — Rory McIlory, 4.58
2013 — Phil Mickelson, 4.22
2012 — Rory McIlroy, 4.20
2011 — Steve Stricker, 4.28
2010 — Tom Gillis, 4.06
2009 — Tiger Woods, 4.15
2008 — Ryan Palmer, 4.16
2007 — Tiger Woods, 4.03
2006 — Tiger Woods, 4.65
2005 — Tiger Woods, 4.57
2004 — Vijay Singh, 4.40
2003 — Vijay Singh, 4.41
2002 — Tiger Woods, 4.47
2001 — Phil Mickelson, 4.54
2000 — Tiger Woods, 4.92
1999 — Tiger Woods, 4.46
1998 — David Duval, 4.29
1997 — Tiger Woods, 4.25
1996 — Fred Couples, 4.20
1995 — Joe Ozaki, 4.02
1994 — John Huston, 4.11
1993 — Greg Norman, 4.15
1992 — Fred Couples, 4.32
1991 — John Huston, 4.18
1990 — Mark O'Meara, 3.88
1989 — Greg Norman, 3.98
1988 — Fred Couples, 4.12
1987 — Mark Calcavecchia, 3.89
1986 — Greg Norman, 4.31
1985 — Craig Stadler, 3.83
1984 — Craig Stadler, 3.90
1983 — Ben Crenshaw, 3.71
1982 — Tom Kite, 3.85
1981 — Bruce Lietzke, 3.91
1980 — Tom Watson, 3.76
You can also check this stat category on PGATour.com to view the birdie averages for all tour members in any year going back to 1980.
Total Birdies
Nobody has yet topped 500 birdies in a single PGA Tour season, but Sungjae Im came very close when he established the new record in the 2020-21 season: 498 total birdies. Im also shares the record for most times leading the PGA Tour in total birdies with Brendon de Jonge. They've each done it three times.As with Birdie Average, the PGA Tour has kept the Total Birdies statistic since 1980. These are the yearly PGA Tour leaders in Total Birdies:
2023 — Eric Cole, 438
2022 — Sahith Theegala, 433 (115 rounds)
2021 — Sungjae Im, 498 (127 rounds)
2020 — Sungjae Im, 390 (94 rounds)
2019 — Sungjae Im, 480 (122 rounds)
2018 — Austin Cook, 419 (107 rounds)
2017 — Charley Hoffman, 423 (112 rounds)
2016 — Si Woo Kim, 400 (113 rounds)
2015 — Danny Lee, 475 (120 rounds)
2014 — Jimmy Walker, 401 (98 rounds)
2013 — Brendon de Jonge, 399 (96 rounds)
2012 — Brendon de Jonge, 425 (115 rounds)
2011 — Blake Adams, 433 (116 rounds)
2010 — Brendon de Jonge, 429 (114 rounds)
2009 — Bo Van Pelt, 395 (100 rounds)
2008 — Steve Marino, 440 (119 rounds)
2007 — Briny Baird, 411 (115 rounds)
2006 — Daniel Chopra, 435 (110 rounds)
2005 — Ted Purdy, 437 (122 rounds)
2004 — Vijay Singh, 484 (112 rounds)
2003 — Robert Gamez, 466 (114 rounds)
2002 — John Rollins, 463 (124 rounds)
2001 — Brian Gay, 441 (114 rounds)
2000 — Steve Flesch, 493 (123 rounds)
1999 — Chris Perry, 468 (124 rounds)
1998 — Chris Perry, 404 (111 rounds)
1997 — Kelly Gibson, 424 (123 rounds)
1996 — Woody Austin, 422 (117 rounds)
1995 — Steve Lowery, 410 (107 rounds)
1994 — Brad Bryant, 397 (109 rounds)
1993 — John Huston, 426 (112 rounds)
1992 — Jeff Sluman, 417 (111 rounds)
1991 — Scott Hoch, 446 (115 rounds)
1990 — Mike Donald, 401 (114 rounds)
1989 — Ted Schulz, 415 (114 rounds)
1988 — Dan Forsman, 465 (122 rounds)
1987 — Dan Forsman, 409 (121 rounds)
1986 — Joey Sindelar, 415 (117 rounds)
1985 — Joey Sindelar, 411 (120 rounds)
1984 — Mark O'Meara, 419 (111 rounds)
1983 — Hal Sutton, 399 (113 rounds)
1982 — Andy Bean, 392 (109 rounds)
1981 — Vance Heafner, 388 (126 rounds)
1980 — Andy Bean, 388 (104 rounds)
You can also check this stat category on PGATour.com to view the total birdies for all tour members in any year going back to 1980.
