RSM and European Tour launch study into player performance

21 October 2016 Consultancy.uk

Professional services firm RSM and the European Tour have announced that they are collaborating on a new player performance study designed to help golfers at all levels improve their performance.

The new academic study, launched at the British Masters supported by Sky Sports, one of the European Tour’s main tournaments, will be led by Matt Bridge from the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Birmingham. The research programme will explore a number of factors with the potential to affect golf performance, including:

Time spent at address - is there an optimal amount of time to spend over the ball?
Player behaviour – number of looks at target, increased practice swings, negative reactions, etc.
Patterns of the time spent on the practice ground and players’ pre-round routines

Bridge will be assisted by be a panel of golf experts, made up of current and past players, coaches, golf journalists, and RSM personnel, and key members of the European Tour. Andy Sullivan, RSM golf ambassador, will also participate in post-tournament interviews to enhance the study.

RSM and European Tour launch study into player performance From left to right: Nathan Homer, Felipe Aguilar, Andy Sullivan, Matt Bridge and David Gwilliam.

The data for the study will be collected by RSM volunteers at ten tournaments on the European Tour, including the BMW PGA Championship, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation, the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, and the British Masters supported by Sky Sports.

Commenting on the partnership and research, Keith Pelley, CEO of the European Tour, says: “We are always looking at ways to better understand the numerous factors which contribute to player performance. This study will provide vital insights which will help inform our future decisions and we look forward to receiving the findings next year.”

David Gwilliam, Chief Operating Officer at RSM, says that by combining RSM's business expertise with the know-how of the University of Birmingham and the various experts from the golf sector, the research team promises to develop “fascinating insights” into the factors that can affect golf performance. “We hope that by supporting this study we can help golfers of all abilities to improve their game.”