Cut Differential

In 1995, GolfInvestors introduced a figure called the "Cut Differential" -- aggregate and average. These figures are calculated for a player based upon their tournament results.

The Cut Differential - Aggregate provides the total number of strokes a player has made and missed cuts in the tournaments they have played in. The Cut Differential - Average provides the average number strokes a player has made and missed the cuts by.

When looking at a player's Cut Differential figures it is important to see if the figures are positive or negative and by how many strokes they are positive or negative.

If the figures are negative, that is a good thing. It means the player makes the cut more than they miss the cut in tournaments they play in. Why is that important? That is important because if a player makes the cut more than they miss the cut that means they earn money more times than not when they play a tournament.

If the figures are positive, like scores above par, that is not a good thing as that means the player misses the cut more than they make the cut. Thus they are more prone to not earn money from tournaments they play in.

If a player has a large negative number for their Cut Differential - Average that means the player has a much better chance of making the cut. For example, Tiger Woods' Cut Differential - Average was -3.9 in the 27 tournaments he played in 2005. He distances himself from the cut line, not leaving anything to chance.

The Cut Differential is just another tool to use when deciding to invest in a player. Use it as mush or as little as you like.