The Beat Goes On

Some golf streaks are harder to pull off than others. Among the toughest? Always doing better than the other guys.

- Mark Broadie

IN THE 2018 SEASON, Chris Kirk led the PGA Tour with 12 made cuts in a row. While that’s notable, I find “beat-the-field” streaks to be much more impressive. (A player beats the field when, in a round, his score is better than the field’s average score, e.g., a score of 69 beats the field average of 70.3.) A beat-the-field streak demands sustained good play over many consecutive rounds, while a made-cut streak only requires a good combined score on Thursday and Friday, when the field has yet to be narrowed—and toughened— for the weekend. Kirk’s longest beat-the-field streak in 2018 was just nine rounds.