Clippd used its two dynamic performance metrics, Shot Quality and Player Quality, to understand and measure skill levels of the six players. Shot Quality is the foundation, measuring each individual shot – both on and off the course. Shot Quality is represented as a number between 0 and 200, with 100 being the quality expected of a shot by a typical tour player and 200 representing “perfection”, such as a hole-in-one or a hole out from the fairway. Player Quality works on the same scale (0-200) and is created via a proprietary Clippd Algorithm that rolls up all of the shots a player hits. Find out more here.

Fordy, as he's known by all, is an RND stalwart who is on more boards than Warren Buffet. Traditionally, August Week is when his ball-striking powers are at their height but during the Club Silver Medal, the longest-running continuous medal competition in England, it was his Approach (APP) play that really let him down. “I just couldn’t get ‘ball first’, which is not a recipe for great scoring.” 

There was consolation after a disappointing 78. Clippd showed that his putting, something his What To Work On dashboard had identified as trending downwards (and that he’d worked on recently) was only just below tour average for the round.

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Coming into the week boasting the highest Player Quality amongst the Clippd contingent, Blair was odds-on for a strong performance. This was confirmed with a 3rd place finish in the Kashmir Cup, RND’s 36-hole scratch open. With the course setup at its toughest and the conditions firm and fiery, it was Blair’s Around The Green (ARG) play that shone. 

During the second round with ground to make up on the leader, Blair produced a really skillful display, utilising the bump-and-run shot wherever he could. An Average Shot Quality of 122 for Approach (APP) in the round helped him to secure a podium finish and cap off a fine few days.

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In what was his first competitive stroke play round in over five years, the “Prof” felt optimistic after seeing his opening drive sail down the fairway. “That feeling was quickly erased with a quick hook on the 2nd.” Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the hooks – indeed, those enjoying lunch in the visitor’s centre situated to the left of hole 4 may have feared they were coming under attack (see below).

After finishing with an 87 it would have been easy to let the negatives outweigh the positives but Clippd showed there was plenty to be pleased about. His PUTT performance was excellent, reflected in an Average Shot Quality of 95 for the round. Losing six balls only confirms why his What To Work On priority list has Off The Tee (OTT) play at the top!

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One of Clippd’s first ever users, Oli is a greenkeeper at RND and a very fine golfer and therefore used to seeing high Shot and Player Quality numbers. But this particular round was exceptional, even by his standards. After waking up at 4:30am to start his greenkeeping duties, Oli showed no signs of tiredness, going out in 31 and returning in 35 without a single blemish on the card. Not surprisingly he finished in pole position.

Oli is renowned for his putting and his silky touch was on display throughout. A Putts Made Distance of 124’2” (Tour Average is 73’2”, see above) alongside no three putts on hard, fast greens tells its own story. It also meant he was able to make the most of the good positions he put himself in. “The putt on 7 was that far away I didn’t have the nerve to raise the putter.” 

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“I’d never shot under par during competition, so the mental demons started to crowd in when I found myself -3 stood on the 9th tee.” The whole back nine was playing into the wind and Josh recognised it would be a case of hanging on. “I actually played the back nine better than the front but a bogey on the tough par-3 14th chipped away at the score.”

Standing on the 18th tee at -2, he just needed a safe drive. It was not to be. A tugged driver left him in with a ropey lie and an approach shot that would flirt with the burn that crosses the fairway just before the green. In the end it all came down to a 3-foot par putt, which failed to touch the hole. A disappointing bogey and a final score of 71, one under par. “It was made all the more disappointing when I found out I’d lost out on both the gross and nett first prize by a shot!”

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Dan had been playing quite nicely in the lead-up but the wheels came off in spectacular fashion in his first medal competition. “I had Car Crashitis, which is when you seem to achieve the worst outcome with every shot.” A disastrous outward nine made up of bad swings and terrible shots looked like it might lead to the dreaded 100. “I hit two shots on the 7th that scored 0 for Shot Quality,” he says. “It added up to a 9!”

There was a brief glimmer of hope on the inward nine, including his best shot of the day on the tough par-4 15th (see above) to set up his only birdie of the round. “It sticks out like a sore thumb in Clippd, that shot. But it’s the only one I’m going to try to remember!” Dan shot a dismal 94 (but got better as the week went on)!

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