pga tour average for 10 foot putts

What Percentage Of 10ft Putts Do PGA Tour Pros Make? Clue: It's Not As Many As You Think

Many amateur golfers would fancy their chances over a putt from 10ft, but how many do the pros make on the PGA Tour? We dig into the data to find out...

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For anyone who watches the PGA Tour , it may look slightly perplexing how many putts are missed from the 10ft range. Clearly, we aren't able to see the complex nuances of the greens or feel the pressure these players are under, but it does make you wonder... what percentage of 10ft putts do PGA Tour pros make? We analysed the data and were surprised with the findings.

What percentage of 10ft putts do PGA Tour pros make?

Fortunately, the PGA Tour website has a dedicated stats section dedicated to this very metric. Throughout the 2022/2023 season, the average was around 41% - with 91 players falling short of that mark.

One of the more notable names on the list is current World No.1 Scottie Scheffler , who ranked 190th out of 193 players for putting from 10ft. Interestingly, Scheffler made just 25% of his putts, outranking only the performance of Michael Gligic, Doc Redman and Sung Kang that season.

To further amplify the enormity of that stat, the latest Arcoss data revealed that the average tour pro makes 22% of putts from 10-14ft and a 20-handicapper makes 18% from the same distance. While it is difficult to compare the standard and difficulty of the greens, and the magnitude of the measured events, this stat further highlights how challenging this area of the game is for players of all abilities.

Still, with players like Collin Morikawa (31.43%) and Sam Burns (33.3%) making a third or less of all putts from 10ft last season, it clearly isn't just the former Masters champion who struggled from this range. In total, 101 players made the cut to post above average putting numbers from this distance, with only 29 achieving better than 50%.

At the other end of the stats table, 2023 US Ryder Cup Captain Zach Johnson led the way after making a staggering 69% of his putts. The top of the list is a who's-who of putting brilliance, with the likes of Denny McCarthy, Rickie Fowler , Webb Simpson and Patrick Cantlay securing their place in the top-5 for this measure.

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Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

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What Percentage of Putts Do Pros Make? TV Does Not Tell the Story

Written by Graeme Hay | Last Updated: 21/05/2024

Watch the TV coverage of the PGA Tour for any length of time and you would be forgiven for thinking that the top pros hardly ever miss a putt.

Player after player seems to be rolling the ball in from any distance you care to think of and certainly rarely if ever appears to miss the short putts which cause us regular amateurs countless sleepless nights.

But what is the reality when it comes to the percentages of putts that the pros make?

On average PGA Tour pros make 99% of 2-foot putts, 96% of 3-foot putts, 88% of 4-foot putts and 77% of 5-foot putts according to strokes gained pioneer, Mark Broadie. From 10 feet their one putt percentage is 40%, 23% from 15 feet, 15% from 20 feet, 7% from 30 feet, 4% from 40 feet, 3% from 50 feet and 2% from 60 feet.

But hang on a second I hear some of you say, and especially those of you who sometimes keep an eye on the putting statistics on the PGA Tour website.

PGA Tour stats show pros make almost 100% of putts from inside 3 feet.

Well that stat is also true but that’s the per cent of putts they make when the ball is 3 feet or less from the hole. So it includes all the tap ins from right next to the hole in addition to those which are exactly 3 feet away.

To get a better view of how good the pros are at putting from various distances it is a much better idea to see how they get on from specific distances and if you look closely you will find that although they are indeed great putters amateurs by comparison are not that bad at putting themselves.

Putting from inside 10 feet is very different than putting from 10 feet. The PGA Tour average is 88% inside 10 feet, and just 40% from 10 feet. In 1 of 10 rounds tour pros hole 100 percent of their putts from inside 10 feet. https://t.co/qUgY9oOt1a — Mark Broadie (@MarkBroadie) May 1, 2018

Pros Do Not Make As Many Putts As You May Think

The best golf pros in the world playing on the PGA Tour are great putters. There is no question about it.

But if you watch too much golf on TV you may think that they almost never miss a short putt and are regularly rolling in long putts from all over the green.

And as a result you could find yourself expecting to hole most of the 15-foot putts you face on your regular rounds and for certain all of your putts from 10 feet and under because that is what the pros seem to be doing every week.

A closer analysis of the stats of the percentage of putts the pros make from 2 feet all the way to 90 feet, shown in the table below, however will show that they do not hole quite as many as you may think they do.

This data, taken from the official PGA Tour stats and the book ‘Every Shot Counts’ (Amazon link) – written by the pioneer of the ‘strokes gained’ metrics first adopted by the PGA Tour in 2011, Columbia Business School Professor Mark Broadie – highlights clearly the pros do not one putt as often as TV coverage may suggest.

And if you look at a standard 72-hole PGA Tour tournament as a whole you will find that on average pros make only 4.4 putts from over 10 feet and 1.2 putts from over 20 feet per event .

So despite what impression the TV highlights give you that means the best players in the world are only in reality making 1 putt from over 10 feet a round and only 1 putt from 20 feet across the 72 holes of a complete tournament.

So the next time you start giving yourself a hard time for missing that third or fourth 10 to 15 foot putt just remember that the pros would likely have missed them too more often than not.

My buddy: ▶️"Man I had a bunch of 15 footers today that I should have made." Me: ▶️"PGA Tour pros average one made putt per round from 13'3" or longer." #ManageYourExpectations — Lou Stagner (Golf Stat Pro) (@LouStagner) December 18, 2021

[Editor’s note – If you are interested in what putting stats and others are really important to help you improve we would highly recommend the book ‘Every Shot Counts‘ (Amazon link) by Professor Mark Broadie.  Check out the review of it here .]

Pros Are Great Putters but Amateurs are Good Too

While all the data shows that the pros do not make as many putts as you may think they are clearly fantastic putters and the best putters in the world.

However traditional golf stats have often proved misleading in explaining why the pros are so much better than regular amateur players.

The old adage of “you drive for show but putt for dough” has been drummed into generations of amateur golfers and allowed the impression to build that it is the short game – chipping and putting – which explains the difference in capability between players.

The reality however – exposed by Professor Broadie and others – is that it is the long game that is more important and that simple fact is almost explained by itself when you look at how many putts the pros average compared to amateurs.

On average PGA Tour pros take 28.92 putts per round according to the official Shotlink data. By comparison typical 90 scoring golfers average 33.4 putts per round but this overstates the skill difference according to strokes gained pioneer, Mark Broadie, because amateur putts typically start further from the hole than pros.

And when you think also that pros are playing on the best putting surfaces in the world it again serves to highlight that putting is not the key thing that explains the mountainous gap in ability between pros and amateur golfers.

After all looking at the average putting stats per round shows it only explains less than 5 strokes of difference between a pros average score and an average 90 scoring golfer and I can’t imagine many regular amateurs accepting close to only 5 strokes for a matchplay game against a PGA Tour pro!

“A 90-golfer will beat a pro in almost 10% of rounds. An 80-golfer’s SGP (Strokes Gained Putting) will beat a pro’s almost 20% of the time. And a scratch golfer will putt better than a pro more than 30% of the time. Amateur golfers aren’t bad putters!” Mark Broadie, Columbia Business School professor and pioneer of the ‘strokes gained’ metrics adopted by the PGA Tour

In his fantastic book, Every Shot Counts, Professor Broadie again details the comparative percentages of how many putts the average 90 golfer makes to let us clearly see amateurs are actually not that bad when it comes to putting even when compared to the pros.

Focus on the Number of 3 Putts Pros Make

When it comes to explaining the difference between the putting of the best putters in the world on the PGA Tour and that of us regular golfers it is best not to focus on the number of putts the pros make but rather on the number of putting mistakes they do not make.

And when we are talking about putting mistakes we are focusing exclusively on the dreaded 3-putt!

Whether you are a professional golfer or a weekend hacker 3-putts are scorecard killers and it is when we come to counting how often pros 3 putt compared to amateurs that we see where the real difference lies.

PGA Tour pros 3-putt only 0.51 times per round according to PGA Tour Shotlink stats. From 5 feet their 3-putt percentage is 0.4%, 0.7% from 10 feet, 1.3% from 15 feet and 2.2% from 20 feet. On longer putts of 30 feet that rises to 5%, 10% from 40 feet, 17% from 50 feet, 23% from 60 feet and 41% from 90 feet.

And the key difference when it comes to comparing the putting of the pros to the average 90 scoring golfer is almost lost when you look at the basic data.

For example if you take a quick look at the average number of putts per hole comparison between a PGA Tour player and an average 90-scoring golfer in the graph below there does not appear to be a lot in it from all distances.

That is true but the crucial thing to look at is when those lines start going over the vital regulation ‘2 putts per hole’ mark on average.

For the 90-scoring amateur the dreaded 3-putts start to happen more often to drive that average up over the regulation at just over 16 feet from the hole while for the PGA Tour pros the average 2-putt range is 35 feet.

Given the PGA Tour pros don’t start ending up further than 35 feet from the hole on average until their approach shots are measuring over 200 yards that just shows how often they will manage to avoid adding those highly damaging 3-putts to their scorecards.

So rather than focusing on the question of how many putts the pros make it is probably better for all recreational golfers to focus on the stat of how often pros 3-putt as it by trying to match them in the latter statistic that will most quickly make a difference in your scores.

Because even for the pros 3-putt avoidance is key compared to one putt success.

Three-wiggles are bad for business. pic.twitter.com/Mjxt9Z2ef6 — Lou Stagner (Golf Stat Pro) (@LouStagner) November 30, 2021

Final Thought

If you are looking to improve your golf, and looking at the stats of the pros for some guidance, it is absolutely vital that you are clear where pros’ gains are coming from and which parts of your game may benefit from you looking more closely at them.

And when it comes to putting if you only do one thing simply stop counting the number of putts you take per round and start counting the number of times you 3-putt instead.

For the average golfer reducing the number of times they three-putt is the quickest way to take strokes off their score and the best way to do that is to reduce the length of your second putt from those all important mid-range distances of 11 to 30 feet.

Speed control is one of the two fundamentals of putting and it is key to helping you to get the ball closer to the hole with that first putt and avoid those damaging 3 putts.

[Editor’s note – If you are interested in finding out the other best golf stats to measure to help you improve your game check our article the 10 best stats to keep track of here .]

[Note – Just so you know, and we are upfront as an affiliate program participant, Golfing Focus, at no cost to you, earns from qualifying purchases made through links on this page.]

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Putt Average

Golf Science – Putting Numbers that Might Surprise You

The one golf shot everyone can make, and make successfully, is, of course, the putt. As the putter never rises very far from the ground, all a golfer needs to do is make a small movement back and a small movement through, and plonk, the ball is in the hole!

Perhaps that is why golfers, from rank beginners to the best of the professionals, feel and look very, very disappointed when they miss the hole by a thread. One case in point is Jordan Spieth, who looks disappointed whenever he misses any putt at all, even a long, sidehill, downhill putt.  

While putts-missed frustration is based on golfers’ expectations, the reality of what they should expect is quite different. What, really, are the odds of making a putt?  

According to research by Mark Broadie, a professor at Columbia University who is responsible for the ‘strokes gained” concept, on average PGA TOUR pros make 99% of 2-foot putts, 96% of 3-foot putts, 88% of 4-foot putts and 77% of 5-foot putts.

  From 10 feet, the pros’ one-putt percentage is 40%, 23% from 15 feet, 15% from 20 feet, 7% from 30 feet, 4% from 40 feet, 3% from 50 feet and 2% from 60 feet. Also, according to Broadie, putting from inside 10 feet is very different than putting from 10 feet. The PGA TOUR average is 88% inside 10 feet, and just 40% from 10 feet. Only in one of 10 rounds do tour pros hole 100 percent of their putts from inside 10 feet.

And most recently, in 2021/22, Tour pros made an average 99% of putts that were 3ft or less. The number dropped slightly for 4ft putts, to 92%, while 81% of 5ft putts were successful, and 70% of 6ft putts were holed. That falls to around 61% of 7ft putts, 54% of 8ft putts and 45% from 9 feet.

So what should an average golfer do to improve their odds of holing more putts? The main difference comes from more practice. Good practice, naturally. Golfers should not just practice short putts but long putts, too – those that are often referred to as “lag” putts. In general, to improve putting, it is easier and makes more sense to reduce the number of three putts than to increase the number of single putts.  

The three aspects to good putting are – a good and repeating stroke, good distance control and good direction judgment or green-reading skills.  

Information abounds about how to read greens, from plumb-bobbing (which Dave Pelz of Putting Bible says does not work) to using AimPoint concepts to understand slope on a putt.  

With respect to the stroke itself, the main requirements are for putter-ball contact to be centered, with a square face, no deceleration through impact and a slight rise angle (club face moving upwards by about 2° or so). This is something that a golfer must work to improve, and there are two camps with regard to the best stroke to deliver consistent results – an in-to-out-to-in stroke or a straight back and through one. Ideally, golfers should experiment with a couple of styles (as recommended by famous putting gurus like Dave Pelz, Geoff Magnum and Craig Farnsworth).

The concept of speed or distance control is perhaps the most important and yet one that can only be learned from practice, which would improve hand-eye coordination. There are many phrases that tell golfers to never leave a putt short, such as “never over never in,” but how to know how hard and how fast to hit a putt?

Literally, the only thing that can improve this most important aspect of putting is putting in the reps. And making sure the stroke is a repeating one.

One very comforting point that Dave Pelz makes is that great putters are made, not born. Of the 15 aspects or building blocks that he believes matter for the execution of good putts, he says that most golfers are usually good at many of them. The 15 aspects (building blocks) that together result in good putting, are aim, path, touch, rhythm, ritual, feel, face angle, stability, attitude, routine, putter fitting, power source, impact pattern, flow lines and green-reading.  

Pelz also says that putting is both an art and a science. So, golfers, the best way to improve your putting – the one part of everyone’s game that can be on par with everyone else’s – is by … putting!

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Putting Statistics by Handicap: Which Stats to Track?

In this guide I’ll share recent data on putting statistics by handicap so you can see how well golfers like you are putting in different categories. Tracking putting stats is important to improving your short game so you can see where your weaknesses and strengths are and adjust strategy on the golf course.

One of the fun aspects about tracking your putting stats is you can compare them with the putting statistics of professional golfers to see how you fare. Putting is one area where amateur golfers can actually become as good as professionals.

In order for the amateur golfer to better understand how well the best players in the world actually putt, let’s take a look at the putting statistics on the PGA Tour.

Putting Stats

The following key putting statistics will give the amateur golfer perspective about how good or bad the pro’s actually putt in reality. Track these putting stats in your own golf game to see how you compare.

• Putts per round
• Putts from 3 feet
• Putts from 6 feet
• Putting from 10 feet
• Putts made from over 20 feet per event

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Putts Per Round

The PGA Tour keeps record of basically every putting stat that can be tracked via their Shotlink system. You can find a full page of putting stats here.

One of the most common stats that most golfers, even high handicap amateur golfers, know about are putts per round.

This tracks how many total putts a golfer has during a round of golf. If you are giving yourself 2-putts per hole as a goal and you play 18 holes, then that would calculate out to 36 putts per round you’d expect to hit.

The leader on the PGA Tour each year has usually averaged around 28 putts per round, so 8 shots lower than the 36 putt goal.

Looking at this stat will make the average golfer realize that having 30 putts or less per round is a very solid goal to strive towards instead of setting the goal at 36.

Putts per round by handicap:

• Professional golfer = 28-32 putts
• Scratch golfer = 30-34 putts
• Average golfer = 36-40 putts
• High handicap = 45+ putts

Putts from 3 Feet – Make Percentage

Normally during a round with friends most amateurs are very quick to give each other 3 and 4 foot putts, calling them good and letting the putt be picked up, rather than putted out to finish the hole.

If your playing partner is Patrick Cantlay then yes you can go ahead and give those putts to him, but on average social golfers don’t make nearly as many short putts as they should.

Patrick Cantlay made every single 3 footer that he had on the PGA Tour season. That’s over 700 3-footers made in a row to be exact!

You don’t have to make every single 3 footer that you have, but it will definitely improve your golf score if you can at least make 80% of your 3 footers on average.

Before you give yourself that 3 footer, ask yourself, is this going to benefit me by skipping the putt or will it help me get extra practice under pressure by making myself putt out?

3 Foot Putts by Handicap:

• Professional golfer = 99% (10 out of 10)
• Scratch golfer = 95% (9 out of 10)
• Average golfer = 60% (6 out of 10)
• High handicap = 40% (4 out of 10)

Putts from 6 feet – Make Percentage

Patrick Cantlay making a 100% of his 3 footers during a golf season is very impressive, but the human aspect in putting begins to show from the 6 foot mark.

Brian Harman was the leader in this recent PGA season with a 6 foot make percentage rate of 91%, which is still an incredible feat to achieve.

6 foot putts are your money range. They’re going to help you save pars and set you apart from the average golfer. Spend a lot of your putting practice time on this distance.

If professionals are averaging 80-90% from 6 feet, then set a goal for your game to achieve a 75% or better make rate at 6 feet. This will take 1000’s of reps to build skill but it’s a great goal to aim for and impress your opponents on the golf course.

6 Foot Putts by Handicap:

• Professional golfer = 85% (8 out of 10)
• Scratch golfer = 75% (7 out of 10)
• Average golfer = 20% (2 out of 10)
• High handicap = 10% (1 out of 10)

Putts from 10 Feet – Make Percentage

At the 10 foot mark, the percentage of putts made decreases considerably.

Zach Johnson held the top spot this recent season with a 70% make rate at 10 feet on the PGA Tour, and the last place player was at just 23%

Amateur golfers can learn a lot by looking at this statistic, having perspective about what realistic expectations are to have of yourself is a great start.

If a PGA Player only makes 3 out of 10 of his 10 foot putts for a 30% make rate then you definitely can’t get mad at yourself for missing them out on the course.

The average make percentage at 10 feet for the PGA Tour fell around 40%. Anyone above 50% was top 20 in the league.

10 Foot Putts by Handicap:

• Professional golfer = 40% (4 out of 10)
• Scratch golfer = 20% (2 out of 10)
• Average golfer = 0-5% (0 out of 10)
• High handicap = 0-1% (0 out of 10)

Green in Regulation Made Putts from 10-15 Feet

This putting stat tracks your birdie make percentage. When a professional golfer hits the green in regulation, what are the chances he makes the putt.

In this stat we chose to highlight the 10-15 foot birdie putt, and the leader on the PGA Tour was Adam Scott at 42% conversion.

Therefore, if he can hit his approach shots inside of 15 feet, Scott has a good chance of making 1 out of every 2 putts for birdie.

Putts made from over 20 feet per round

We all remember that long putt we made to save par or better yet that 30 foot birdie putt to win the money game against your friends.

No surprise that Jordan Spieth is right up there at the top of the leaderboard in this statistic.

Patrick Cantlay is technically the leader in this category with 2.3 putts made over 20 foot per round.

Spieth ranked 2nd in this category with 2.2 putts made over 20 foot per round.

Justin Rose is also high on the leaderboard for make percentage from 20 feet or beyond. He sank 10% of his 20 foot putts overall, and when he was on the green in regulation that stat jumps to 28%.

How to Track Your Putting Statistics

Start by giving yourself a couple blank lines on the scorecard for writing in putting stats. Then transfer these stats over to a spreadsheet or an app like 18Birdies so you can keep data digitally on your smart phone.

During practice I like to pull up notes on my phone and log putting stats for different drills I complete.

For example, if I do the make 100 putts from 3 feet drill, I’ll write down “99/100 – 3 feet” and then “70/100 – 6 feet” so I can compare my stats later on in future practices.

Golf Round Stats to Track on Scorecard

• Putts made at various distances
• Total putts per round
• Total 3 putts
• Birdie putt conversion rate

To some these putting stats might sound confusing, but if you take the time to read through it and process what they are portraying then they might actually give you perspective to use with your own putting skill level.

It is important to have realistic goals and expectations of your golf game, as having unrealistic expectations will only add pressure and anxiety to your mental game, causing worse performance.

These statistics can also add value to your practice regime. Knowing how many putts the best players in the world make from a certain distance can provide you with a good goal to work towards.

Golf Practice System for Lower Scores

Learn the exact golf practice routines thousands of students at Foy Golf Academy are using to lower their golf scores.

Follow these step by step practice plans and watch video lessons to learn how to improve your golf swing, chipping, and putting fundamentals.

Get access to hundreds of golf drills to practice as well as content on the mental side of golf, fitness plans, worksheets, and many more resources. This is a complete golf practice system.

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• Instruction and Playing Tips

PGA Tour Putts Gained/Make Percentage Stats

By iacas , July 24, 2011 in Instruction and Playing Tips

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twilliams16

is this for pga players?

Originally Posted by twilliams16 is this for pga players?

R9 with 757 Speeder mp 57 3-pw project x 6.0 flighted Vokey* 56* 60* Monza Corsa Putter

"Golf is an entire game built around making something that is naturally easy - putting a ball into a hole - as difficult as possible." - Scott Adams Mid-priced ball reviews: Top Flight Gamer v2 | Bridgestone e5 ('10) | Titleist NXT Tour ('10) | Taylormade Burner TP LDP | Taylormade TP Black | Taylormade Burner Tour | Srixon Q-Star ('12)

• 5 years later...

Have these numbers been updated for 2016?

From the land of perpetual cloudiness.   I'm Denny

They were updated last year. 8 feet is the 50% point.

Maybe someone can find a good chart. If not I'll try to remember to add it tomorrow.

http://www.pgatour.com/news/2016/05/31/strokes-gained-defined.html

• 1 year later...

I played with someone over the weekend that told me he needed to improve his 10 footers. He said he's not expecting to be PGA Tour level, but he wants to be closer to 50% because right now he's more like 40% and he needs to be better if he wants to make more birdies.

I asked him what he thought the make % from 10' is on tour and he said 70%. He didn't believe me when I told him tour players average 50% from 8'.

This guy is going to spend extra time working on his putting when his putting isn't the skill that's holding him back, all because of misinformation. And no, I don't believe he's 40% from 10', but that's not really the point. He's not going to get a good return on that investment.

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” - Confucius

My Swing Thread

22 minutes ago, billchao said: I asked him what he thought the make % from 10' is on tour and he said 70%. He didn't believe me when I told him tour players average 50% from 8'.

I asked my uncle once, "At what distance do you think PGA Tour players make or miss 50% of their putts?". He said, 15 FT or so. I told him it was 8-9'.

Matt Dougherty, P.E.  fasdfa dfdsaf 

I told the same thing to 20´s hadicapers at my club when they get really ungry after they miss a 10 footer.

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Performance Putting – The Evaluator

By Alex Yeazel, PGA

The release of Performance Putting has come with excitement around the industry as now TrackMan finally is telling the WHOLE story of a putt.

Historically technology has only been able to provide the first feet or two of ball data OR club data only via a marked club. Much more information is being provided & uncovered now that the total putt is being tracked AND club data is tracked without any adjustment to the club.

Why does this matter? Coaches, Players, and Equipment Manufacturers can now get all this data in the comfort of their own studio, at home, or even on an actual outdoor putting green.

With all this information now available at the fingertips of TrackMan Users everywhere, the question I most commonly hear is “How do I use it?” Traveling around the United States and seeing the best players & coaches, I posed this question many times. What one unnamed golf professional said stuck with me. “TrackMan is not changing how I teach & coach putting. TrackMan is helping me pinpoint weaknesses and develop my plan of attack. Truly, Performance Putting is The Evaluator.”

The next three segments we will outline 3 great evaluations for launch direction skill, speed control, and the whole putt.

Launch Direction Skill

To make a putt, the ball must start on line. This is most commonly practiced with gates and other training aids but how does one evaluate a player’s ability to get the ball to start on line? The evaluation needs to be a mix of geometry and technique.

When it comes to geometry, simple math identifies allowable tolerances based on length of putt, hole size, and speed. A great viewpoint of this can be seen in the following chart.

The chart provides a look based on distance and speed strategy. For example, if you plan to take the firm line (entry speed of 3.15mph) on a 10’ foot putt then a Launch Direction (LD) tolerance of +/- 0.37 degrees is allowed. Or if you plan to die the putt (entry speed of 0.01mph) into the hole from 5’ feet then a LD tolerance of +/- 2.00 is allowed.

For most players, the middle strategy should be preferred, as this allows for a speed that reaches the hole more often, and the next putt won’t be too long. In addition to that, the break will be played more predictable as the ball has enough speed to hold the line when reaching the hole and be more similar from one putt to the next.

This is because there can be an excessive break on the last foot of roll due to gravity and green inconsistency.

Now that we have this chart describing the allowable tolerances, we must understand what creates that LD. Just like we see with full swing, there is a combination of Club Path & Face Angle.

What TrackMan has found is that LD is influenced by 13% Club Path & 87% Face Angle. The main point we should take away here is that LD is heavily weighted by the Face Angle. Consistency with Face & Path is key to LD skill.

The Evaluation

Surface: Anywhere Slope: Flat Distance: 10’ Feet Putts: 6 Balls TM4 Alignment: Pointed at the target Goal: LD group consistency of +/- 0.5 (pro level) or +/- 0.8 (amateur level)

Set up the TM4 with your student on a flat 10’ foot putt. Align the unit with the target (the hole) and place a coin or tee as a marker for the hitting area roughly 7’ feet away.

This is for the student to use as a reference for when they strike their six putts. After they hit their putts, focus on these three parameters; LD, Face Angle, & Club Path. Below is an example from a recent session.

As we begin to review the results, we must understand the student’s strategy. They planned to get all balls to enter the hole with enough speed to stop 1.5 feet past the hole.

Given that strategy, he had a LD Tolerance of +/- 0.74 degrees. The results show that the average LD was 0.17 and consistency being 1.12. The average LD is well within the tolerance to make many putts, but the student only holed out 2 (#3 & #5).

The PGA Tour make percentage from 10 feet is 40%. Given the number of putts, the player hit they were quite close to that number but in this exercise that is not the goal.

A make percentage on a flat putt at 10’ feet of 40% is not that great. The PGA Tour make percentage number is quite misleading because that includes breaking putts, elevation change, and pressure situations.

A better stat to look at is that the average PGA Tour player should make 95% of putts at 12 feet given how strong their LD Consistency is on a flat putt. For this exercise, we want to meet in the middle which is why that goal of 4/6 is set.

Now we must understand why the ball launched where it did from an input’s perspective. As we dive into the data it is quite clear that the player had a Club Path that was consistently left of the face.

For a RH golfer, one might say that they cut their putts. From an instructor’s point of view, the question was posed of whether that is good or not. From a data perspective, it doesn’t matter whether you Cut or Draw putts as long as the ball starts within your tolerance for most cases. The Face-to-Path difference won’t create a curve on the ball since it’s on the ground when rolling.

I would even go as far as to point towards PGA Tour Winner, Michael Thompson, and his data. This was captured the week he won the 3M at TPC Twin Cities. He consistently has a path that is more left that his face on all putts but the ball always started where he wanted.

This specific week he led the field with over 7 Strokes Gained Putting. Cutting putts worked for him but it may not be what’s best for the student in front of me.

Now as we go back to the core issue that the student was not making putts, it was clear to see that their F2P was consistently Positive.

The problem our students faced was not their F2P rather the varying LD from the varying Face Angle. We see consistency with the F2P but not with the LD. Now, where do we go from here?

There are many things we could have tackled to solve the issue, but I will leave it up to your preferences to pick from the strategies below for possible improvement. Note, one was selected, and we came back to this drill location later and holed 5 of 6 putts ?

Technique Change: One could argue the large F2P difference is not helping them so we should tackle that large gap. From there we would focus on getting the putter to release more so that it became closer to square with the path. However, then the baseline (aim) might need to change as well.

Technique Change: The student is consistently hitting putts with an open face. Why not just refine that orientation? One solution is to help the player consistently get their Club Path between -1.0 and -2.0. Assuming all else stays the same a significant number of putts will start to drop.

Equipment Change: Some may think we need to get the toe to swing more freely. A possible switch to a putter with more toe hang or different weight could help get that putter to square up easier.

Speed Control

Speed control is a crucial component of all putts. We have already seen how it influences effective hole size when it comes to making putts but for many golfers, it is the difference between a 2-putt or 3-putt. Most average golfers need to 3-putt less. This is almost always a bi-product of better speed control, as well as predicting the actual speed of the putt (Effective Stimp) is also important, but in this exercise, we will focus on the speed control from club delivery.

For all players, the goal is to get all putts as close to the hole as possible to avoid 3-putts. A PGA Tour Player make percentage at 3 feet is 96% and for a bogey-golfer the make percentage for the same distance is 84%. It can be argued that the goal should be inside 2 feet from the hole (Make % 99 for Tour Player vs 95% for amateurs) and our exercise below will focus on the +/- 2 feet target.

Inside 2 feet is to be within a circle with a radius of 2 feet around the hole, however, the biggest error will be seen in distance rather than direction. If we try to get all our putts to end up within a 2 feet circles around the hole, then a target of +/- 1 foot allows the player to have a margin of error that is challenging but hopefully helping the player to focus on the speed that allows for the putts to end up inside 2 feet when playing on the course.

Surface: Anywhere with 35+ feet Slope: Flat Distance: 10’ Feet, 20’ Feet, & 30’ Feet Putts: 4-6 Balls at each distance TM4 Alignment: Pointed at the target Goal: Inside +/- 2 Feet at 10’ Feet, 20’ Feet, and 30’ Feet. This is a Standard Error of 20% at 10’, 10% at 20’ and 7% at 30’

Set up the TM4 with your student on a flat area of the green with at least 35’ feet to putt. Align the unit with a target set at 35’ feet away and place a coin or tee to mark the hitting area roughly 7’ feet away.

This is for the student to use as a reference for when they strike their putts. The student will then hit 4 putts to a tee you place at 10’ Feet, 20’ Feet, and 30’ Feet. After the student hits their putts to the target, move on to the next distance, and move the tee. Below is an example from a recent session where we dive into Tempo information and Stroke Length.

As we begin to review the data it is best to start with diagram 1. This dispersion view is extremely helpful in understanding how the golfer performed at each segment.

With the 10’ foot putts, we see a 15% error. They did great here as the goal was 20%. Now as we look towards the 20’ foot putts, the percent of error was 12%.

That was a miss on our goal of 10%. Lastly, with the 30 footers, we saw a percent error of 13%. Overall, we hit 1 of our 3 goals. Now we will dive into why we missed on the others.

A good place to start is with the 10’ Footers. These were hit well, and our goal was achieved. As we look at the data set, we see a Tempo number of 2.33 and a Stroke Length of 8” inches. Knowing this, I would look for a good player to keep a relatively similar Tempo and just increase the Stroke Length for longer putts.

That was not the case here on the 20’ footers. The Tempo moved lower. The student did lengthen the stroke but the timing piece in the backswing was changed. What we see with the best players is the Tempo stays the same AND the Backswing / Forward swing Time stays the same.

A similar story can be told for the 30’ foot putts. The tempo was even lower and now the stroke is taking more time. The student did take it back longer, but the Tempo piece was still off.

For this student, working to match his 10’ Tempo and stroke profile to his true lag putts was our goal. This was done yes because the data showed that he was best here but also because these were the putts where the student was most comfortable. Trying to match that comfort level can help all golfers when taking this out on the course.

Technique Change: One could think of possibly introducing a ruler so that the student develops more awareness around the Stroke Length. This is similar to what is commonly taught when it comes to a Clock System with wedges. “This far back means this much distance”. Another reference could be the right foot (for a right-handed player), where the player knows that inside, mid and outside of the trailing foot gives a certain speed.

Equipment Change: Weight within the putter is a common way to address Tempo inconsistencies with a golfer. This may be an option here as a push to streamline the Tempo across all distances.

The Total Putt Evaluation

The three items that a golfer must typically get right to make a putt is Line, Speed, and Green Reading. They are all intertwined as the Line never truly exists until a Speed and Strategy are chosen.

The same can be said that a player must match their speed to the read they make. You can make putts accidentally but this not a good thing from a player development perspective. That will almost always lead to bad habits and a false sense of confidence that can fail you on the course.

Surface: Putting Green Slope: Varying slopes of (1%-3% R2L & L2R) Distance: 10’ – 25’ Feet Putts: 2 Balls at each distance TM4 Alignment: Pointed down the start line Goal: Hit the line, leave the ball within 1’ +/- of stopping distance, & accurately predict break

Find a breaking putt that has a percent of slop falling within 1% – 3% at a distance of 10’ – 25’ Feet. From there ask the student to explain how they read greens and what their intended strategy is.

What you will find is that some putters are very linear, and some see curves. For the linear green reader, ask them to place a marker Left or Right of the hole that they plan to aim at (like below).

Then ask the student to place a ball behind the hole where they would ideally want the ball to stop if there was a cap over the hole. This will give you some good insight into their speed strategy and then their resulted launch direction tolerances. It is great to have the Performance Putting Cheat Sheet on hand for this exercise.

If the student is someone who sees an apex or curves, ask the student to identify that apex or fall line. Then ask the student to address where they will aim to get the ball to roll over that point.

Align the TM4 with that point and ask the student to place a ball behind the hole where they ideally want the ball to stop if there was a cap over the hole.

Once you have the TM4 aligned and had a chance to discuss the putt with the student, ask them to execute their stroke. Below is a screenshot from a session with a linear green reader.

They were RH so we choose a Left to Right Putt as this is what they commonly struggle with. The total distance of the putt was about 5 paces. The student made their read and picked a point that was one cup outside to the Left.

For strategy, they chose a spot that was about 16” behind the hole. The student hit the putt and barely missed on the low side.

As we start to evaluate the initial stroke, we look at the 3 areas of importance (Line, Speed, & Green Reading). For line, it is not about making or missing rather that they launched the ball within their allotted tolerance.

This putt was about 16’ and the student was aiming to hit it past the hole so a total LD tolerance of +/-0.5 degrees was allowed to be on the line. We failed this part as the LD was 1 degree outside of that.

Now for speed though, the ball stopped within a foot of the intended stopping point. We get a pass on Speed.

The last part we must evaluate is the Green Read. The student decided the ball would break a total of one cup. A cup is 4 ¼ ” inches and the TM4 tracked a break number of 8” inches. It is quite easy to see the student under-read the putt. We get a fail here.

The student here passed 1 of the 3 tests but missed on the rest. Why? As we talked about the putt it was clear that a bad read was made and then the student corrected mid-stroke.

They could feel that there was more break then what was originally decided so pulling it (launching more left) higher up the slope was the only way to give the ball a chance to go in. Interestingly, the student did not pull it high enough.

After that conclusion was drawn and we now knew how much break, a second putt was hit. The TM4 was aligned at the 8” mark with the same speed strategy intended. The student hit the putt and their data can be seen below. They made it!

Though the putt did not have the same Entry Speed distance, it snuck in on the lower front edge. This second putt built some confidence and allowed the player to know they had the right read when executing the stroke. A freer mind allowed for a free stroke.

We then moved on to a completely different putt. It is crucial not to let the golfer hit too many putts in one location as they can become too comfortable and stifle the learning process. Further, the green reading ability comes from prediction and evaluation, not dialing in on a known break.

Final Thoughts

Performance Putting is extremely versatile and allows students and coaches to analyze the areas of greatest improvement to them. Putting might be the next revolution once the potential of understanding speed and read is unleashed.

We hope that users can start validating their feel using Club, Ball, and Green data synched with video. Give performance putting a try and don’t hesitate to reach out to your local TrackMan Representative for a more detailed presentation.

I have access to a Trackman at my club. Not sure if it has putting features available on it. If it does, do you have a recommendation on how I might go about testing different putters to see which one gives me the best results. I.e. are there a certain number of putts to hit, a mode to get the analysis comparing them, etc.

On the short putt test, how the heck did putt #3 go in the hole? Based upon the data presented here (and that I’ve seen elsewhere), that would not be possible, regardless of speed. A 1.8 degree miss on the LD would produce a miss every time. Also, is the screen shot of the Trackman results correct? You are showing the LD to be in “mph.” And the results include negative numbers and appear to be degrees of variation from the ideal….thanks

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Average Putts Per Round: Myth versus Reality

Putting is unlike any other part of the game of golf – sometimes amazing, other times it’s infuriating. But how many putts per round should you have? How many putts per round is considered “good?”

It ultimately depends on a lot of factors including pros vs. amateur golfers. For example, pros in the PGA championship or any major might have more than a normal tour event as the greens and course is extra difficult in majors.

While average golfers can vary too. Lower handicap players have fewer putts per round (in general) which contributes to consistently lower scores. While higher handicap golfers tend to have more putts and higher scores.

But there are so many factors that go into putting for the average golfer including lag putting, the golf course itself, number of greens hit, hitting long putts closer, and a lot of other factors.

Putts Per Round

If you’re like a lot of golfers, nothing makes you as mad as a three putt (or maybe even a four putt). It stinks when you hit a great shot on the green in regulation only to walk away with a bogey from a poor second putt.

But I’ve found that a lot of golfers make putting more difficult by simply setting unrealistic expectations. For example, did you know that pros average 50% from 8-feet? Yet, how many times have you gotten mad for missing one at that length.

Today we’ll help you reset expectations and give some easy to apply tips for better putting performance.

Key Takeaways

• Tracking your performance from tee to green is vital to hitting your  golf goals .
• When you track stats, like putts per round, you can learn more about each part of your game and create practice plans to improve.
• Tracking the number of putts is important but using strokes gained measurement is a better representation of your putting performance.

Keep reading to learn more now about the average putts per round. 

Early on in my golf journey I learned the importance of  tracking stats . For me, this started in high school as our coach wanted us to track fairways hit, greens in regulation, scrambling, and putts per hole. This is a very basic way to track stats but great for beginners as you easily learn your strengths and weaknesses.

Putting is one of the most important parts of the game and has a direct impact on your score for the day. As you probably know, a good putting day almost always leads to having one of your best rounds ever. While a bad putting day can ruin a great ball striking day and make a bad round even worse.

So how many putts per round is average? 

Let’s break it down with pros and amateurs using a few different resources.

PGA Tour Putting Averages 

Let’s start with the best golfers in the world on the PGA Tour. It seems like every time we turn on the TV all we see is them making putts from all over the course. But are we just seeing the highlight reel?

Yes… don’t get me wrong, they’re amazing players but they aren’t making every putt or even a majority. In fact, the 2022 PGA Tour average  was 29.06 putts per round.

For the past few years the number has remained the same. Yet, some rounds they’re in the low 20s and other times they’re in the 30s, which is closer to the everyday amateur golfer. 

But it’s a different story for amateur golfers.

Amateur Golfer Putting Averages 

If you’re like most golfers you love having less than 30 putts in a round. But what is the average putts per round for male amateur golfers?

Here’s what  18Birdies  (a great golf app) had to say about this putting statistic.  “The USGA statistics states the average male golfer shoots a 98-99 and has at least 40 putts per round or 2.2 putts per hole. Most recreational and amateur golfers are well above this number while professional golfers average about 1.8 putts per hole and 32 putts per round.”

This might be a little higher than I expected – not to mention the PGA Tour metric is higher than the ShotLink data on the PGA website.

Here’s what the  PGA  said about average putts for amateur golfers.  “Anywhere between 31-35 putts per round is acceptable good putting for the average golfer. 26-30 putts per round and you have now crossed over into the realm of great putting. If you average 25 or less putts per round, please contact me immediately, because I’d like to be your talent agent.”

Needless to say, amateur golfers need to improve their putting.

As the 18Birdies article mentioned, the biggest factor is how close you can get your first putt to the hole. Because every foot further from the cup, your likelihood to make goes down significantly.

For example, the PGA Tour average is about 90% from four feet. When they’re putting from 8-feet they’re down to about 50%! Needless to say, every foot counts and that’s why you want to give yourself closer putts to save shots every round. 

I like to think of putting as the lowest hanging fruit for the everyday golfer. The sooner you can eliminate three and four putts, the sooner you can play better golf fast! 

Strokes Gained Putting 

Now that you know the average putts per round for different types of golfers, let’s talk about another important aspect of putting –  strokes gained . 

Here’s how  ShotScope  defined the game changing metric.  “Strokes gained is a way of analyzing a player’s performance level when comparing every aspect of their performance with other players within a particular dataset. It measures the golfer’s performance taking into account, the hole length, shot length, lie type of every shot and putt during a round of golf.”

Inside the strokes gained category there is one for driving, approach shots, scrambling, and putting. This is a much better way to measure performance to figure out if you’re better or worse than average instead of tallying up fairways, greens, and putts. 

As Mark Broadie, author of the book Every Shot Counts said,  “Old habits die hard, but using putts per round instead of strokes gained putting is like driving a horse and buggy when a car is parked out front.”

Here’s why… you might have 29 putts per round (the PGA Tour average) and think it’s a good day on the greens. But if you’re putting from inside 15–20 feet consistently from a great ball striking day, that’s actually a bad day putting (statically speaking).

Meanwhile, if you’re hitting greens but leaving yourself 30–50 footers all day, 29 putts might be amazing in terms of strokes gained. This is why it’s such a crucial statistic to track as it provides much deeper insight into all aspects of your game. 

PGA Tour Strokes Gained Putting 

As mentioned above, the best golfers in the world average about 29 putts per round. But the real metric these players focus on is  strokes gained putting . In the 2022 season Lucas Herbert was #1 in this category with .853 shots gained on the greens.

Unfortunately, they don’t provide an average like putts per round. But the worst player was Joseph Barmletti n the 2022 season who had -.951 strokes lost per round. As you can tell, the range changes quite a bit from round to round. 

Strokes Gained Putting for Amateurs 

Now with some of the  best golf apps  it’s easier than ever to figure out your strokes gained putting too. For example, apps like Decade Golf and Shot Scope allow you to learn your strokes gained in all four areas and compare it with other amateur golfers.

As the same Shot Scope article mentioned,  “ For any golfer looking to improve, this feature helps to give clear direction of which aspects of their game they need to sharpen up in order to achieve their goal of improvement or handicap reduction. Comparisons can be made against six different handicap benchmarks (scratch golfer, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 handicap).”

This is helpful as you can compare your strokes gained vs. other amateur golfers, not just PGA Tour players. Since most of us are just weekend warriors, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to compare our game vs. the best golfers in the world.

When you start tracking your stats I think you’ll be amazed at how you can learn about your game (and improve quickly by focusing on your weaknesses). 

Putting Blueprint

To improve your putting performance and reduce your number of putts follow these five tips:

Improve your proximity

The easiest way to have fewer, not more putts every round is to simply hit it closer. The closer you are to the cup, the more two putts (or one putts) you’ll have every round.

A closer proximity makes a huge difference.  To hit the ball close to the pin and have more short putts make sure to:

• Get your iron lie angles bent to your swing.
• Play more toward the flag with wedges and short irons.
• Use a launch monitor to dial in your distances for each club.

Check out our favorite launch monitors  here .

Find the right putter

Golf is a lot easier when you have tons of confidence in your flatstick. Make sure you  choose the right putter  for your game (including length, grip, alignment features, etc.) so you can look down at putts with confidence.

Dial in short putts

The data shows that the closer the distance, the more likely you are to make putts compared to mid to long putts. There is no doubt that the average golfer wastes way too many shots inside 6–8 feet.

To have fewer putts, spend a bulk of your practice time working on short putts (3-8 feet). Practicing from the same distance over and over again can feel repetitive but I can guarantee it will lead to lower scores fast.

Improve lag putting

If you can get the ball closer to the hole with your first putts it makes a big difference in putts per round. Make sure to check out our full guide on lag putting  here .

Test Out Aimpoint Golf

If you need a new green reading strategy used by pros and scratch golfers, check out  Aimpoint Golf . This is a unique system to learn how to read greens with your feet and hopefully avoid three putts.

FAQs About Putting

Do you have more questions about putting and getting the most out of your short game? If so, keep reading through our most frequently asked and answers below. 

How many putts does it take to break 80?

It depends on the rest of your game. For example, you might hit every green in regulation and can two putt every hole (36 putts) and shoot par – easily breaking 80. Heck, you can even have some three putts too.

But if you’re only hitting half the greens, you’ll need fewer putts from scrambling and saving pars. There is no set number of putts needed and ultimately depends on how many greens you’re hitting in regulation. 

If your goal is to break 80 more consistently, click here to  read our full guide now . 

How many putts are in a 15 handicap round? 

It’s important to remember that golf handicaps are not an expected score. A 15-handicap golfer would likely shoot in the low to mid 90s. The number of putts can vary on a lot of factors including greens in regulation, proximity to the hole, and more. 

How many 3 putts are in a round on the PGA Tour? 

Not very often – which is why these are the best golfers in the world. According to the  PGA Tour , in the 2022 season they averaged .54 3-putts per round. 

How is putts per hole calculated? 

Simply add up any time you are putting on the green, not from the fringe. Even if you broke your putter and are using a wedge to putt, this would count as a putt since you’re on the putting surface. 

Do fringe putts count for total putts?

No, putts per hole only counts if you’re on the green. While we suggest putting from the fringe more often (as it’s a higher percentage shot than most chips), it doesn’t count as a putt. If you’re tracking your stats a fringe putt actually counts toward your strokes gained in short game/scrambling. 

My Experience

As mentioned, putting can make or break your round. A few weeks before writing this article I had one of my best ball striking days ever hitting 16/18 greens. Sadly, the putter was icy cold but still shot under par. 

Conversely, I’ve had other rounds where I can’t seem to hit the center of the face but end up shooting around par thanks to a hot putter. Sometimes the greens and course setup are much better for your putting especially in terms of green reading. Other days, you can do everything right but the Golf Gods just don’t allow them to go in.

But if you’re having a tough day on the greens, it’s important to stay patient and positive . If you get impatient and frustrated it’s easy to hit putts too hard which essentially makes the hole smaller. Plus, you’re more likely to engage in negative self talk which also won’t help your performance either.

Final Thoughts on Average Putts Per Round

The average number of putts per round will vary on a number of conditions. But it’s up to you to go through the steps above to try and putt more consistently. Becoming a good putter and gaining more confidence on the greens takes extra practice time but it’s worth it.

To avoid a lot of three putts and improve your putting performance make sure to:

• Work on putting mechanics.
• Develop a green reading routine .
• Stick to a consistent pre-shot putting routine.

Plus, don’t forget to use the right putter for your game

Lastly, make sure you use some sort of statistical tracking system like Arccos Golf Sensors (read our full review of the product  here ). This way you can track your performance over time and learn if you need to spend more time on the putting green in practice. Or, buy an  indoor putting green  to dial in your fundamentals at home. 

For more on where you rank, make sure to check out our article on Golf Statistics by Handicap .

What Percentage Of 10 Foot Putts Are On The PGA Tour?

When it comes to putting on the PGA Tour, the statistics paint a fascinating picture of the level of skill and precision required to excel in professional golf. One of the most telling statistics is the percentage of putts made from 10 feet out, a distance that can be a challenging test for even the most seasoned golfers.

According to the data, tour professionals only make around 40 percent of their putts from 10 feet. This figure highlights the incredible level of accuracy and touch required to sink putts consistently at this distance. It underscores the intense pressure that PGA Tour players face on the greens, where a single stroke can make all the difference in a tournament.

Comparing this statistic to amateur golfers can provide valuable insights into the skill gap between recreational players and professional tour pros. At 20 feet, a golfer shooting in the 90s is significantly less proficient than a scratch golfer in sinking putts. The difference in success rates is clear, showcasing the dedication and practice needed to reach the elite levels of the sport.

Interestingly, the disparity between a scratch player and a PGA Tour professional in terms of 10-foot putts is relatively minimal. The data suggests that the gap is only around 1 percent, indicating that the margin for error at this level of competition is incredibly slim. Every percentage point matters when it comes to making crucial putts under the spotlight of professional golf.

For golf enthusiasts and aspiring players, these statistics serve as a valuable reminder of the high standards set by professionals on the PGA Tour. The precision and consistency required to succeed at this level are truly extraordinary, highlighting the relentless pursuit of perfection that defines the world of competitive golf.

When watching PGA Tour events, viewers can appreciate the skill and focus demonstrated by players as they navigate the challenges of the course, especially when it comes to the critical aspect of putting. The ability to convert putts from varying distances is a key factor in determining success in professional golf, and the statistics shed light on the demanding nature of the game at the highest level.

As golf fans analyze the performances of their favorite players on the greens, the importance of mastering the art of putting becomes abundantly clear. The ability to read greens, judge distances accurately, and maintain composure under pressure are essential skills for any golfer looking to elevate their game and emulate the success of tour professionals.

The data on 10-foot putts on the PGA Tour serves as a benchmark for golfers seeking to improve their putting performance and enhance their overall game. By understanding the challenges faced by professionals and the level of proficiency required to compete at the highest levels, players can set realistic goals and work towards refining their skills on the greens.

Practice, patience, and a deep understanding of the nuances of putting are key components of success in golf, as exemplified by the elite performers on the PGA Tour. Following their lead and studying the statistics can provide valuable insights and inspiration for golfers striving to reach new heights in their own game.

Ultimately, the percentage of 10-foot putts made on the PGA Tour serves as a testament to the dedication, talent, and mental toughness of professional golfers who constantly push the boundaries of what is possible on the course. The pursuit of excellence in putting is a journey that requires unwavering commitment and a relentless desire to improve, qualities that define the true champions of the sport.

As golf enthusiasts continue to marvel at the feats of PGA Tour pros on the greens, the statistics offer a glimpse into the meticulous preparation and skillful execution that underpin every successful putt. The pursuit of perfection in putting is an ongoing endeavor for players at all levels, with the data serving as a reminder of the endless possibilities that await those who are willing to put in the work and strive for greatness on the golf course.

Robert Akin

RBC Canadian Open

Hamilton Golf & Country Club

HOW TIGER TESTS GOLF BALLS

How many putts does the average golfer make? New data shows you need more time on the practice green...AND the range

Putting has become somewhat of a hot-button topic between golf's statisticians and old guard. The latter claims the short game is paramount; there's a reason "Drive for show, putt for dough" is such a popular adage. On the other side of the spectrum, analytics -- specifically, strokes gained -- have made the case that using the flat stick isn't as imperative to scoring as approach shots.

Like most debates, it's a nuanced conversation. But that argument has mostly focused on the professional ranks. Does that dialogue change when it comes to amateurs?

We asked our friends at Game Golf for help. Game Golf Live, a wearable real-time shot-tracking system that received Golf Digest's Editors' Choice for Best Game Analyzer , provided putting data from their user base. We broke it down in two questions. The first: How many putts does the average golfer take per round? The answer: 34 strokes. For context, Phil Mickelson leads the tour with 27.21 putts per round; out of the top 200 in the category, Ryan Blaum, Vaughn Taylor and Blayne Barber come in at No. 100 with a 29.1 mark.

RELATED: How far do average golfers really hit it?

However, those numbers need more information. Chiefly, what percentage of a player's score comes from putting? According to Game Golf, we use the putter 41.3 percent of the time (including from the fringe). As for the rest of the short game, from 100 yards and in, that number balloons to 60 percent. In theory, we should be trimming our driving range time with the driver and irons in favor of the short-game area, correct?

Well, not necessarily. While it's true you could use practice on those tricky 10-footers, becoming more accurate with your irons will shorten your follow-up putts, increasing the likelihood of conversion. And those approach shots are a heck of a lot easier coming down the fairway rather than farther back in the rough. (For what it's worth, the average golfer hits the fairway 48.5 percent of the time, with the most likely miss coming to the right at 28.5 percent.)

While this data can be used by both sides to prove their point, keep in mind only one figure holds true merit: your score at the end of the round. How you attempt to improve that number is up to you.

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Putting Probabilities: How does YOUR putting stack up against PGA Tour players?

Check out the latest PGA Tour ShotLink data, and see how it compares to your own golf game...

Fed up of missing putts from inside of 10 feet all the time? Well don't beat yourself up too much as PGA Tour players have a tough time from the same distance, too. 

Okay, they do drain 56% of their putts from seven feet, but they only hole out from 10 feet 38% of the time on average. 

They also hole out 96% of the time from three feet, so not even the world's best players convert the shorties. 

So perhaps gimmes should be scrapped after all? 

The next time you miss from close range, by all means tut and slap the leg, but don't get too down about it. 

Even Rory McIlroy misses them. 

We picked up this cool graphic from PGA Tour putting coach Marcus Potter earlier today, with stats from the PGA Tour's ShotLink data. 

The graph below highlights the putting probabilities of a one-putt, two-putt and dreaded three-jab + from one to 60 feet. 

It also gives you the expected putts from each of those distances. 

The biggest difference between PGA Tour players and amateur hacks, at least in our view, is the fact the best players limit their three-jabs compared to the rest of us who typically make a few every round. 

Maybe I'm just an average putter, but I can't remember the last time I went a round without at least a trio of three-putts. 

Perhaps my iron play has something to answer for there, too. 

Check out the data below and see how it compares to your own game on the greens: 

        View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Marcus Potter (@potters_putting)

How does your putting stack up against the PGA Tour average? Share your thoughts and comments over on the GolfMagic social media channels.

Next Page: Everyone is saying the same thing after watching Tiger Woods's latest video clip

How does your putting stack up against players on the PGA Tour? Check out that 3-putt percentage! via @Potters_Putting pic.twitter.com/Pe5Z6WIPJO — GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) November 1, 2022

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Who will win the 2024 Memorial Tournament? Experts can't agree amid stacked field

Scottie Scheffler is the hottest golfer on the planet. Rory McIlroy is playing well, too. Neither has won the Memorial. Is this the year? We think so, but which multiple-major championship winner will it be?

In three starts at Muirfield Village Golf Club, Scheffler has finished third twice: last year and in 2021. He did not play the PGA Tour event in 2022. McIlroy's best finish in 12 starts is a tie for fourth in 2016, but he has five top-10s since he first teed it up in Dublin in 2010.

Something's gotta give. Or maybe Xander Schauffele ends up shaking Jack's hand instead? Or perhaps his friend, two-time Memorial winner Patrick Cantlay, picks up his third Memorial title? One thing we know for sure is that neither 2020 winner Jon Rahm or 2018 winner Bryson DeChambeau will collect the $4 million first prize. As LIV Golf members they are on the outside looking in.

Here are our Memorial predictions:

Rob Oller, Columbus Dispatch

Pick to win : Rory McIlroy

Why he'll win : Go down the list of golf's best players over the past 50 years and only a handful have failed to win the Memorial. (We're looking at you, Phil Mickelson). McIlroy owns 26 PGA Tour wins and four major championship victories. He's due. It's actually surprising the 35-year-old has been skunked at Muirfield Village, considering his length off the tee -- he leads the tour with a 317-5-yard average -- puts him at an advantage, especially with Muirfield's wider fairways allowing him to bomb it with minimal worry of finding trouble. Then again, Muirfield is a second-shot course, and you better be putting well when arriving in Dublin. McIlroy can be streaky with the blade. He ranks 61st in strokes gained: putting. I'm betting his putter catches fire this week, or at least warms enough to finally get that special handshake from the Golden Bear.

Others to watch : Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Sepp Straka

Cantlay has two wins among his four top-5 finishes in seven appearances. Yes, he likes Jack's place. His game has not been up to snuff since finishing third at Hilton Head six weeks ago. But he's still No. 8 in the world. Underestimate him at your own risk. Schauffele has never lit up Muirfield Village, but he's never flamed out, either. He has four top-20s at the Memorial in six visits. And his confidence is sky high after winning the PGA Championship two weeks ago. Straka is my darkhorse pick, He's done nothing in three appearances here to justify taking a flier on (T16 last year was by far his best finish in four starts) but the Austrian-born 31-year-old is ranked 21st in the world. He's no super longshot. Plus, golf is a game of hot-cold, and with three top-10s in his last five events his value is trending up.

Bill Rabinowitz, Columbus Dispatch

Pick to win : Scottie Scheffler

Why he'll win : No need to make it more complicated than it is. He's the best golfer in the world, and he'll be hungry to win one of the tournaments he hasn't. Scheffler has played Muirfield Village only three times and finished third in 2021 and 2023, so he's been on the cusp. When Scheffler is on his game, particularly with the putter, he's hard to beat. After the little skirmish with the law in Louisville at the PGA Championship, my sense is Scheffler will come to the Memorial with even more focus to put that behind him.

Others to watch : Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Sahith Theegala

Morikawa has played superbly at Muirfield Village. He won there at the Workday Charity Open in 2020 during the pandemic and lost in a Memorial playoff in 2021. If he can find the putting touch that deserted him in the final round of the PGA Championship, he should be in the hunt. Defending Memorial champion Hovland found his game at the PGA after an extended slump. We'll see whether that carries over this week. Theegala is a bit of a shot in the dark. He was in contention at the PGA before fading, but has the game to get his second PGA tour win. He did finish tied for fifth in the 2022 Memorial.

Adam Schupak, Golfweek

Pick to win : Ludvig Aberg

Why he’ll win : If you aren’t familiar with this Swedish sensation yet, you may be by the trophy ceremony on Sunday. Aberg is the complete package. He contended at the Masters in his first go-round so why not at Muirfield Village too? He won the RSM Classic in the fall and finished second at Pebble Beach earlier this year too. He was dealing with a knee issue ahead of the PGA Championship and missed the cut but I expect him to bounce back in a big way at Jack’s Place.

Others to watch : Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa

It’s hard to pick against Scheffler who has already won the Masters, Players and two more Signature events. As Tiger Woods put it, Scheffler, the world No. 1, wins if he putts decently. But Jack’s greens baffled him last year so maybe the rest of the field has a chance. Patrick Cantlay is perennially a factor at Muirfield Village and he’s due to have a good week. He’s winless in more than a year and has been invisible since failing to close as the 54-hole leader at the Genesis Invitational in February. Collin Morikawa won a PGA Tour event at Muirfield Village during COVID. After a sluggish start and coaching change, he’s been playing some of the best golf since the Masters. All that’s been missing is a victory.

Tim Schmitt, Golfweek

Pick to win : Collin Morikawa

Why he’ll win : After a few tweaks to both his swing and his team, Morikawa is playing like it's 2020 again, when he won his first major, the PGA Championship at Harding Park. Oh, remember what else he won that year? The Workday Charity Open at Muirfield, which filled in for the John Deere Classic during Covid. And of course, Morikawa also lost a playoff to Patrick Cantlay in 2021 at the Memorial in which Jon Rahm was pulled off the course for testing positive. His game is primed and it's a course he clearly enjoys playing.

Others to watch : Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa and Tony Finau

Scheffler is still the favorite as long as he's in the field, no matter what happens prior to his arrival. Homa missed the cut in his last start at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but he rarely does so and should be rated up and ready. Finau finished tied for sixth at the Farmers then six starts later finished tied for second at the Texas Children's Houston Open. This marks his sixth start since Houston and it could be another high finish.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Memorial golf tournament: Experts predict 2024 winner

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PGA TOUR Stat Leaders 2024

Statistics are updated nightly

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Watch a local fan step in as an unexpected caddie for a golfer at PGA event

Paul Emerson started out the final round of the RBC Canadian Open as a fan, but spent the middle of it as a caddie for a moment he’ll never forget.

The lawyer from Aurora, Ontario, in Canada went from behind the rope as a fan to carrying the bag of Taiwanese golfer C.T. Pan for two holes on June 2 after Pan’s professional caddie was injured in the middle of the round.

Veteran caddie Mike “Fluff” Cowan could not continue the round after he tripped and fell on the fairway of the third hole at Ontario’s Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

The caddie for Pan’s playing partner, Irish star Shane Lowry, initially picked up Pan’s bag.

While standing nearby, Emerson offered his services to help carry Pan’s bag, and Pan took him up on it. Next thing he knew, Emerson was sliding an official caddie bib over his red Masters T-shirt for a “Happy Gilmore” moment of going from the crowd to shouldering Pan’s golf clubs.

Emerson recalled in a video on the official  PGA Tour website , “I just said to (Pan), ‘Do you need a hand?’ And he said, ‘Yes, please.’ So I helped Fluff get the bib off and threw it on and started walking up the hole.”

The self-proclaimed “golf nut” got the thrill of a lifetime as he slipped inside the ropes and went from spectator to caddie, walking up the fairway to the third hole. He also popped up on the television broadcast.

Emerson asked Pan what he should do as they approached the hole, and Pan told him to just stay off the green.

“As we walked up the fairway, he said, ‘I’m not very chatty,’” Emerson said. “I was like, ‘Hey, I’ll talk as much or as little as you want, we’re good.’ He’s a really, really nice guy, really friendly.”

With Emerson standing off the green holding his bag, Pan rolled in a 20-foot putt for a birdie on their first hole together.

“One-for-one, Paul,” Lowry joked to Emerson on the broadcast.

“Yeah, great caddie!” Pan said.

Caddies often help their golfers read the greens on putts, but Emerson left this one to Pan.

“Hell of a read, right?” Emerson joked.

“It’s all downhill from here,” Lowry cracked.

Lowry was unfortunately right, as Pan bogeyed the next hole with Emerson on his bag.

On the fifth fairway, Emerson was replaced by Michael Campbell, a member of the caddie services team at the course. Campbell was then replaced on the 10th hole by Al Riddell, a professional caddie.

Riddell had been caddying in the tournament for French golfer Paul Barjon, but Barjon missed the cut and wasn’t playing in the final two rounds. Riddell lives only 15 minutes from the course and said he got the call to come help Pan finish the round.

Pan finished the tournament tied for 35th at 3-under par. He ended up working with four different caddies in the final round, but there’s one who will clearly never forget it.

“So on the fifth fairway, someone approached us and said he was sent by caddie services to replace me,” Emerson said. “I didn’t really want to stop, but he took the person who I guess had some local knowledge.”

Emerson said his only previous caddie experience came when he looped for a friend in a pro-am at the CPKC Women’s Open, an LPGA event.

Cowan, 76, who famously caddied for a young Tiger Woods in the late 1990s, suffered “nonserious” injuries, a PGA Tour official told  ESPN .

Emerson’s shining moment wasn’t even the only caddie-involved drama of the tournament.

Scottish golfer Robert MacIntyre, 27, won his first PGA event by taking the Canadian Open title with his father, Dougie MacIntyre, serving as his caddie. The elder MacIntyre is a greenskeeper at a local course in Oban, Scotland.

“I want to win this for my dad,” he tearfully  told CBS Sports  on the broadcast. “This is the guy that’s taught me the game of golf, and I just can’t believe I did this with him on the bag.”

A homesick MacIntyre said he enlisted the help of his father to caddie at the tournament. His dad got the call from his son a week earlier and flew to Canada to work with him.

“I’m a grass cutter, not a caddie,” Dougie MacIntyre said on the broadcast while fighting back tears. “It’s unbelievable.”

Victor Perez betting profile: The Memorial Tournament Presented By Workday

Betting Profile

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - MAY 23: Victor Perez of France watches his shot from the sixth tee during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on May 23, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

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In his most recent competition at the RBC Canadian Open, Victor Perez ended the weekend at 14-under, good for a third-place finish. He competes in the 2024 the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday June 6-9 seeking an improved score.

The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday tournament and course info

• Date: June 6-9, 2024
• Location: Dublin, OH
• Course: Muirfield Village Golf Club
• Par: 72 / 7,569 yards
• Purse: $20M
• Previous winner: Viktor Hovland

At the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

• Over the last two times Perez has played the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, he has missed the cut each time and posted an average score of -under.
• Perez last participated in the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday in 2021, missing the cut with a score of 6-over.
• When Viktor Hovland won this tournament in 2023, he had 3.322 Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (eighth in the field), 0.516 SG: Approach the Green (40th), and 6.068 SG: Putting (third).
• En route to his victory last year, Hovland posted an average driving distance of 317.1 (16th in field), hit % of greens in regulation (), and took 25.25 putts per round (second).

Perez's recent history at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

Perez's recent performances.

• Perez has finished in the top five once over his last five appearances.
• He's qualified for the weekend in four of his last five events.
• Perez has finished within three shots of the leader in one of his last five appearances. Over that same span, he's finished with a better-than-average score once.
• He has an average score relative to par of 6-under in his last five appearances.
• Off the tee, Victor Perez has averaged 297.9 yards in his past five tournaments.
• In his past five starts, Perez is averaging 1.668 Strokes Gained: Putting.
• Perez is averaging 1.887 Strokes Gained: Total in his past five tournaments.

Perez's advanced stats and rankings

• Perez has delivered a Strokes Gained: Off the Tee average of 0.034, which ranks 90th on TOUR this season. Meanwhile, his average driving distance (299.6 yards) ranks 85th, and his 59.4% driving accuracy average ranks 114th.
• In terms of Strokes Gained: Approach, Perez ranks 23rd on TOUR, posting an average of 0.443, while he ranks 13th with a Greens in Regulation mark of 69.70%.
• On the greens, Perez has delivered a 0.014 Strokes Gained: Putting mark this season, which ranks him 91st on TOUR. In addition, he ranks 149th with a putts-per-round average of 29.41, and he ranks 164th by breaking par 20.96% of the time.

Perez's best finishes

• Perez has played 14 tournaments this season, collecting two top-five finishes.
• In those 14 tournaments, he had a 64.3% success rate in terms of making the cut (nine cuts made).
• As of now, Perez has accumulated 406 points, which ranks him 80th in the FedExCup standings.

Perez's best Strokes Gained performances

• This season Perez's best Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee performance came at the Myrtle Beach Classic in May 2024, as he put up a 2.518 mark, which ranked him 11th in the field. He finished 46th in that tournament.
• Perez's best Strokes Gained: Approach mark this season came at the RBC Canadian Open in May 2024, as he ranked ninth in the field with a mark of 4.186.
• In terms of Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green, Perez's best effort this season was at the Texas Children's Houston Open, where he ranked 12th in the field with a mark of 2.744 (he finished 17th in that event).
• At the RBC Canadian Open in May 2024, Perez recorded a Strokes Gained: Putting mark of 9.309 (his best mark this season), which ranked second in the field. He finished third in that tournament.
• Perez recorded his best Strokes Gained: Total mark this season (13.875) at the RBC Canadian Open in May 2024. That ranked third in the field.

Perez's Strokes Gained rankings

Perez's past results.

All stats in this article are accurate for Perez as of the start of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.

Note: The PGA TOUR has created this story via a machine-learning model using data from ShotLink , powered by CDW, in addition to player performance data. While we strive for accuracy and quality, please note that the information provided may not be entirely error-free.

Scouting the Routing: 2024 Memorial Tournament

F rom thick, ankle-deep rough, to deep greenside bunkering and lightning-quick bentgrass greens, you'd be excused for confusing Muirfield Village with more of a Major Championship venue than many others in recent history. In fact, since a 2020 redesign that finally put Jack's grand vision into full focus, only Augusta National has played as a more difficult venue to par in the subsequent four seasons. One thing is for sure: the player that earns that famous handshake from the Golden Bear on Sunday afternoon will have had to survive 72 holes of peril within the confines of his sublimely manicured den.

This piece will serve to break down every key trend and statistic I'm weighing to project a player's viability in the outright market and set our readers up to make the crucial decisions necessary on pre-week betting boards. Without further ado, here is my comprehensive scouting report on Muirfield Village Golf Club and the 2024 Memorial Tournament!

The Golf Course

Muirfield Village Golf Club - Par 72; 7,569 yards

Past Champions

• 2023 - Viktor Hovland (-7) over Denny McCarthy (playoff)
• 2022 - Billy Horschel (-13) over Aaron Wise
• 2021 - Patrick Cantlay (-13) over Collin Morikawa (playoff)
• 2020 - Jon Rahm (-9) over Ryan Palmer
• 2019 - Patrick Cantlay (-19) over Adam Scott

Muirfield Village by the Numbers (Off-The-Tee):

• Average Fairway Width -- 33.9 yards; 15th widest on the PGA Tour
• Average Driving Distance -- 286.4 yards; 13th lowest on Tour
• Driving Accuracy -- 63.6%; 11th highest on Tour
• Missed Fairway Penalty -- 0.47; Highest on the PGA Tour
• Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee Difficulty: (-0.010); 12th toughest on Tour

With a scoring average of 73.88 over the last four years, Jack Nicklaus's Muirfield Village has clearly established itself as the toughest recurring test on the PGA Tour. Since 2020, it has never ranked lower than seventh in difficulty to par, and unlike many recent Major Championship venues, Muirfield Village doesn't even need the trick of a Par 70/71 layout to accomplish these lofty averages.

There are, of course, many reasons as to why Muirfield Village stands out from the pack as one of the most difficult courses on the schedule: but perhaps none are as pertinent as the peril players face from the tee box. Jack's four-inch mix of Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and fescue has played as the most punitive rough on the schedule in five of the last seven years (average penalty of 0.46 shots), and the 13 holes in which water comes into play boost this week's Penalty Fraction to 5.8% (a mark higher than even some of Florida's most waterlogged layouts).

As a result, success at Muirfield Village has been much more correlated to accuracy as opposed to distance (despite ranking as the fifth-longest course on Tour this season). Last year, only two of the top eight finishers on the leaderboard rated out above field-average in driving distance, while eight of nine gained to the field in fairway percentage -- and over the last three years, only three of 33 top ten finishers have ranked below the field average in Good Drive Percentage.

One allowance that is afforded to players this week is in the forgiveness of Muirfield Village's fairways. Measuring just under 34 yards wide on average, there is enough room to be had for the week's most accurate players to log driving accuracy percentages of 70-80%. These percentages might also be bolstered by recent rains in the area that project to soften the landing areas and lessen the amount of guesswork players will have to deal with when the ball hits the ground. If players aren't able to take advantage of this generosity, however, they're likely in for a fight against par for the duration of the hole.

Muirfield Village by the Numbers (Approach):

• Green in Regulation Rate -- 58.8%; Fifth lowest on the PGA Tour
• Strokes Gained: Approach Difficulty: (-0.044); Fifth toughest on Tour
• 200+ yards (accounted for 32.0% of last season's approach shots)
• 175-200 yards (17.6%)
• 150-175 yards (17.2%)

As brutal of a driving test as Muirfield Village has become in recent years, the Golden Bear has set many more traps throughout this thorough tee-to-green examination. Measuring just 5,000 square feet on average, the greens at Muirfield Village rank as the third smallest we'll see all season -- a defense normally reserved for some of the Tour's shortest layouts.

Unlike the microscopic targets we see at Pebble Beach or Harbour Town every year, however, Jack's greens here at Muirfield Village will require players to routinely take aim with a long-iron in hand. Nearly one-third of approach shots last season came from over 200 yards, and one-half of approaches came from beyond 175.

This combination of long-iron intensiveness, small greens, and firm turf resulted in the lowest Green in Regulation rate on the PGA Tour last season (50.5). Over the last four seasons, that rate has never climbed above 57.3% and never ranked worse than the fifth-toughest approach course on the PGA Tour.

Again, softer conditions will mitigate the difficulties players have faced in recent years (although no significant rain is projected at any point during tournament week), but regardless of what factor moisture plays in scoring, the emphasis we should place on iron play can not go understated. In fact, over the last six tournaments held here in Dublin, only one Champion has managed to earn this prestigious title while gaining less than five strokes to the field on approach.

Top five finishers here have gained over 40% of their total strokes with their irons (a share greater than off-the-tee and around the greens combined), and over the last three seasons, just 13% (9/67) of top 20 finishers have attained that position despite losing strokes on approach. Iron play will be far-and-away my most heavily weighted metric -- specifically from 175 yards and beyond.

Muirfield Village by the Numbers (Around the Greens):

• Scrambling Percentage -- 52.5%; 5.2% below Tour Average
• Sand Save Difficulty -- (-0.046); Fourth toughest on Tour
• Up-and-Down Difficulty (Fairway) -- (-0.028); Seventh toughest on Tour
• Up-and-Down Difficulty (Rough) -- (-0.082); Toughest on Tour
• SG: Around the Green Difficulty: (-0.052); Third toughest on Tour

There may be more correlative stats to success this week at Muirfield Village, but I'm confident in saying that no part of this golf course will wreck as much havoc on player's scorecards than its greenside surrounds. Since 2015, this course has never ranked lower than the sixth most difficult venue to scramble around on the PGA Tour and the same rough that we talked about being so penal off of the fairway staunchly maintains that reputation off of the greens.

In fact, since 2015, only four courses have produced a higher average rough difficulty from around the green: Winged Foot at the 2020 U.S. Open, Quail Hollow at the 2017 PGA Championship, Oak Hill at the 2023 PGA, and Shadow Creed at the 2021 CJ Cup.

The greenside bunkers around Muirfield Village also deserve special mention, as they've ranked as the fourth, seventh, 12th, and second most difficult bunkers to scramble from over the last four seasons. With a green in regulation rate that sits at 58.8% over the last nine seasons (and just 50.5% 12 months ago), players will be expected to navigate these greenside surrounds much more than on an average week. It's no surprise, then, that the last six winners have gained an average of 3.53 strokes with their short games, and only 17% of top ten finishers since 2020 have been able to attain that position with a negative week around the greens.

Around the green play will as heavily weighted in my modeling as it has been all year, and I'll be looking particularly closely at a player's historic acumen around other golf courses with dense rough and deep greenside bunkering guarding its putting surfaces.

Muirfield Village by the Numbers (Putting):

• Average Green Size: 5,000 sq. feet
• Agronomy -- Bentgrass
• Stimpmeter: 12.5-13
• 3-Putt Percentage: 2.8% (0.2% below Tour Average)
• Strokes Gained: Putting Difficulty: (+0.000); 16th easiest on Tour

The putting surfaces themselves this week will be yet another in a long line of bentgrass greens in recent memory. Routinely coming in at over 12.5-13 on the stimpmeter, the greens at Muirfield Village do often rank as some of the fastest on Tour. However, apart from their sheer speed, they don't have a ton of added nuance associated with them.

In contrast to the three tee-to-green metrics we've discussed in previous sections, Muirfield Village doesn't actually rate as a particularly difficult course to putt on. The three-putt percentage here sits below the PGA Tour average, and over the last three years: Muirfield Village has ranked as the 17th, 27th, and 33rd most difficult course to gain strokes from beyond 15 feet.

Inside of fifteen feet has been a relative cake walk as well: as Muirfield Village has ranked in the bottom half of Tour difficulty in each of the last three seasons. This lack of bite, along with the severe penalty associated for deficiencies in each of the ball-striking metrics I outlined earlier, means that putting will naturally take a bit of a back seat compared to most weeks.

However, this isn't to say that putting is completely irrelevant at Muirfield Village, as the last six winners at this course have gained an average of 4.06 strokes on the greens (and who could forget last season: where the best putter on the planet, Denny McCarthy, nearly single-handedly put himself in the winner's circle on the back of a blackout flat stick). In percentage terms, though, I will be weighing putting significantly less than in normal weeks, as the penalty for poor putting has proven much less severe than a clear deficiency in other aspects of your profile.

Key Stats Roundup (in order of importance):

• Mid/long iron play -- specifically looking at Proximity, Strokes Gained, and GIR splits from beyond 150 yards
• Driving Accuracy/Good Drive Percentage
• History here at Muirfield Village
• Scrambling from thick rough/deep greenside bunkering
• Historic putting splits on fast bentgrass greens
• Par 5 Scoring
• Strokes Gained in Difficult Scoring Conditions

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The Sunday Shortlist

Before the odds come out on Monday morning, here are two to three names I've identified as significant targets upon my initial research.

Viktor Hovland

After spending most of PGA Championship weekend lamenting the fact that I didn't stay bullish on Viktor Hovland off of the best ball-striking week of his season at Quail Hollow, the four days at Valhalla were all I needed to see to be completely back on board the Hovland train this summer.

According to Viktor himself, it took just 30 minutes with former coach Joe Mayo to reintroduce the feelings he had over the ball during his world-beating run through 2023. And from the eye test alone, Hovland seemed in full control of his bag at the year's second Major. The driver was once again at its metronomic best, as Vik hit his patented pull-cut off of every tee down the stretch Sunday afternoon -- missing just two fairways in the process of gaining a whopping 1.77 strokes OTT.

The iron play was equally as impressive, as Hovland gained 6.74 strokes on approach over the final three days in Louisville -- hitting 81% of his greens in regulation on a golf course that featured just 5/18 approach shots inside of 170 yards.

The putter made clutch putt after clutch putt as Vik made his Sunday charge, before cruelly cooling off on makable birdie looks at 17 and 18. However, I don't think you could find a single golf fan who watched this weekend's action and didn't get at least a few flashbacks of the killer we watched take over the golfing world a few short months ago.

Hovland recorded the best tee-to-green performance we've seen from him since last year's runner-up finish in the PGA Championship -- a result that coincidentally spring-boarded him into a win at Muirfield Village two weeks later. I don't think it's far-fetched to consider him among the leading candidates to replicate that feat in 2024, and even as I expect books to slash his price back below 20-1, Viktor Hovland is an entity I cannot wait to add back into my betting portfolio.

Collin Morikawa

As Collin Morikawa has recorded one of his more consistent stretches in recent seasons (three top-fours; no finish worse than 16th in five starts), I have found myself strangely hesitant to buy into the most profitable golfer in my long-term portfolio.

Much of my concern revolved around the splits we were seeing in his most reliable long-term skill: his iron play. In an eight-start stretch from Pebble Beach to Quail Hollow, Collin was not only coming in far below his career-long splits of 3.1 strokes gained/start -- he was shockingly rating out below baselines of the average PGA Tour player. Collin gained strokes in just two of those eight starts from February to May; a shocking run of form for a player who, in the two seasons prior, had lost strokes on approach in just three of 36 tournaments.

However, one potential positive that came from this uncharacteristic stretch of iron play has been the recent developments to Collin's short game: as in that same eight-start stretch from Monterrey to Charlotte, Collin gained strokes to the field with his short game in 75% of his events. Collin ranks ninth in this field in SG: Around the Greens over his last 36 rounds and has gained strokes putting in four of his last five starts.

These recent improvements are all the more exciting for his supporters when you look under the hood at Collin's last two starts. In fourth-place finishes at Colonial and Valhalla, Morikawa's trademark ball-striking has finally found its footing: gaining a combined 7.3 strokes on approach. His driver has remained as metronomic of an entity as you'll find in the sport: ranking second in Driving Accuracy and sixth in Good Drive Percentage. And of course, Collin has already built up a prodigious track record around Jack's Place at Muirfield Village.

Collin won the inaugural Workday Charity Open here at Muirfield Village back in 2020 -- the first of two consecutive events in Dublin after the COVID break. He lost in a playoff to Patrick Cantlay the very next year, and twelve months ago, Morikawa looked to be a central part of the Memorial storyline once again: sitting just two shots back of the lead Sunday morning before a back injury forced him to withdraw.

In five career starts in Dublin, Collin has yet to lose strokes in either of the two ball-striking categories. His trademark left-to-right cut will suit many of the tee boxes designed by one of the game's most iconic faders, and if recent form is to be believed, Morikawa also comes into the week with as much confidence as we've ever seen from the two-time Major Champion. Things are as well aligned as I've seen for Collin in years, and I believe it's only a matter of time before he finds his way back into the conversation as one of the best players on the planet. Count me in at any price >16-1; I'd be more than happy to go into battle this week with these two members of Club 61.

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