The stats that defined the PGA Tour in October

Echavarria, Poston, McCarty and Yu shine brightly during PGA Tour FedExCup Fall

Nico Echavarria poses with the trophy after the award ceremony following the final round of the Zozo Championship 2024 at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club on Sunday in Inzai, Chiba, Japan. [GETTY IMAGES]

Echavarria triumphs in Japan

An adjustment to a new putting grip turned out to be the difference for Nico Echavarria as he made a highly successful debut at the Zozo Championship. The 30-year-old Colombian birdied the 18th hole on Sunday to hold off two-time major champion Justin Thomas and Max Greyserman, who had partnered with Echavarria to finish tied for fourth at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans earlier this year.

Echavarria came to Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club ranked 107th in Strokes Gained: Putting. But he worked on some new drills with his coach in Las Vegas last week, where he missed the cut at the Shriners Children’s Open. Still not completely satisfied, Echavarria decided to change the grip of his putter on Tuesday after arriving in Japan.

The improvement was dramatic. Echavarria, who opened with back-to-back 64s, ended up eighth in Strokes Gained: Putting for the week. He was first in putts per green in regulation and second in total putts with 106. Echavarria played the pivotal par-5 18th hole in five under, which tied for the best all week, and was a bogey-free nine under over the final four holes. He gained .51 strokes on the field on No. 18 and made a two-putt birdie there for the win.

Echavarria’s work on the par 3s was particularly strong. He played them in 10 under which tied Justin Leonard for the best performance by a winner since 1983 and his scoring average of 2.50 was the fourth lowest for a champion on the par 3s since 2003. He gained 7.61 strokes total on the par 3s and made total putts of 122 feet, 8 inches. He finished with a career-low total of 20-under 260 that eclipsed the tournament record set by Tiger Woods in 2019 by one, to lift his second PGA Tour title.

Poston secures Shriners victory

J.T. Poston has certainly found a comfort zone at TPC Summerlin. His win at the Shriners Children’s Open was his third finish among the top-four there and marked the second time in his career that he’d shot 67 or better in all four rounds of a Tour event. He tied for third in Las Vegas last year.

J.T. Poston celebrates after winning the final round of the Shriners Children's Open 2024 at TPC Summerlin on Oct. 20 in Las Vegas, Nevada. [GETTY IMAGES]

Poston didn’t exactly prosper with his driver, hitting just 34 of 56 fairways to tie for the least hit among winners at the Shriners Children’s Open. But he still managed to rank inside the top-20 in four Strokes Gained categories — 15th Off the Tee, 20th Approach the Green and sixth in both Putting and Around the Green — for just the second time in his career.

The North Carolinian played the three par 5s particularly well with three eagles and four birdies. In fact, he makes an eagle at Summerlin every 63 holes and has eight in 504 total holes there. Want a comparison? The Tour career average is one per 182 holes played.

Poston’s 22-under total tied for the fourth lowest to par in his career, due in large part to the final five holes, which he played in 11 under, better than any Shriners winner other than Ben Martin in 2014. For the week, Poston also gained 9.82 strokes Tee to Green, bettering the field on 49 of the 72 holes.

McCarty captures inaugural Black Desert title

It was a week of firsts for the Black Desert Championship. The tournament was the first PGA Tour stop in Utah since 1963 and newly-minted rookie Matt McCarty took advantage to pick up his first Tour win.

Matt McCarty celebrates on the 18th green after winning the final round of the Black Desert Championship 2024 at Black Desert Resort on Oct. 13 in St George, Utah. [GETTY IMAGES]

Maybe we should have seen it coming. After all, McCarty had just earned the Korn Ferry Tour’s Three-Victory Promotion to the PGA Tour. The victory in Utah, which was his fourth in his last 10 starts, made McCarty just the second player to win on Tour in the same year after earning the promotion since Jason Gore did it in 2005. Only two players have needed fewer starts to pick up their first Tour wins — Jim Benepe (1) and Garrett Higgo (2). McCarty was playing in his third Tour event.

McCarty, who took a two-stroke lead into the final round and won by three, led the field in Strokes Gained: Total at +15.13. He was particularly solid down the stretch, playing the final three holes in seven under — gaining 3.46 strokes Tee to Green and 4.28 Around the Green to rank first in both categories. He also eagled two par 4s, joining Dustin Johnson (who did it twice), Rocco Mediate and Brad Faxon as Tour winners to accomplish that feat.

Yu breaks through in Mississippi

The Sanderson Farms Championship has been good to first-time winners over the years and 2024 was no exception. Kevin Yu of Taiwan had to work hard for that victory, though, making birdie on the 18th hole in regulation as well as in a playoff to come from two strokes off the pace and beat Beau Hossler.

Kevin Yu poses with the trophy on the 18th green as he takes a selfie after his winning putt during the first playoff hole of the final round of the Sanderson Farms Championship 2024 at the Country Club of Jackson on Oct. 06 in Jackson, Mississippi. [GETTY IMAGES]

With the win, Yu becomes the third player from Taiwan to win on the PGA Tour (joining C.T. Pan and T.C. Chen), as well as the tournament’s 14th first-time champion. Yu, who played collegiately at Arizona State, was playing in just his 56th PGA Tour event.

Yu’s 23-under total set the scoring record at the Country Club of Jackson. While his driving accuracy percentage of 51.80 tied for the fourth lowest by a winner this season, Yu more than compensated with a hot putter. He made 27 birdies (second most in his career), ranked second in distance made and gained 8.66 strokes on the field in putting.

In addition, Yu’s Strokes Gained: Total tally of +12.52 was just over 2 ½ strokes better than his previous career best, accomplished earlier this year at the Myrtle Beach Classic.

BY CHUAH CHOO CHIANG [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]