Distance to Pin

[bbbuckshot1]

Can anybody explain what/how "distance to pin" is measured in Stats?

[charlie]

On the PGA Tour, proximity to the hole is measured by the average distance the ball comes to rest from the hole after the player's approach shot. The shot must not originate from on or around the green and the shot must end on or around the green, defined as around 30 yards of the edge of the green.

In general, it is the distance your ball lies from the pin after hitting your approach shot. However, the approach shot does not have to be the shot taken in regulation for a particular hole. For example, on a par 5, Player 1 may hit his second shot from over 200 yards and land on the edge of the green and that would be his approach shot; on the other hand Player 2 on the same hole may lay up to inside 100 yards with his second shot then hit his third shot to 5 feet and that would be his approach shot. I don't know about shots over regulation; for example, let's say Player 2 does not make his approach shot until his 4th shot. But I think "approach shot" means the shot you take from more than 30 yards from the green with the intent to hit the green.

For a computer game it depends on how they have coded it. It is possible that proximity to the green is not measured from each pin location, but only from a single spot on the green. And I don't know how they define which shot is the approach shot in their code. You would have to ask the guys at PP how they programmed it.

[bbbuckshot1]

Many thanks for your definitive response, Charlie! Most appreciated!!