pga tour average 12 feet

Here is the most productive height on the PGA Tour in the last five years

There is almost a foot-long variance in the height of PGA Tour winners in the last five seasons. Austin Cook, Satoshi Kodaira, Andrew Landry, Brian Harman, David Lingmerth and Tim Clark have won on the Tour at 5-7, while Patton Kizzire has done the same at 6-5.

We wondered what the most productive height on the PGA Tour has been in the last five years and what the average height is for players who have won events. To find out, we analyzed 235 PGA Tour events since the start of the 2014 season and tracked the height of the winner for each event.

Here is what we found:

The most productive height on the PGA Tour in the last five seasons is 6 feet tall. There have been 50 events (21.3% of the PGA Tour events examined) since the start of the 2013-14 season that were won by 22 different players who are 6-feet tall.

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Jason Day did the heavy lifting for the group, winning 12 PGA Tour events, including five in 2015, while Patrick Reed (five) and Brooks Koepka (four) are also among the most successful active 6-foot golfers.

The second-most successsful height on the PGA Tour during the timeframe examined is 5-10 with 39 PGA Tour wins. Justin Thomas is the primary contributor to that win total with nine PGA Tour victories in the last three years, followed by Rory McIlroy's eight wins in the last five seasons.

The sweet spot for golfers is from 5-10 to 6-4. Golfers of each height in that range have combined for at least 15 wins since the start of the 2014 season, while there's a fall-off on either side of the range. Golfers who are 5-9 have collectively won 11 events in the last five seasons, while Patton Kizzire's two wins in that time span are the only ones by a player who is 6-5.

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The average height for the winners of the 235 PGA Tour events studied is roughly 71.8 inches, or nearly 6 feet tall.

While 6-0 is the most productive height on the PGA Tour, the "tail" of success skews taller, meaning the graph of the data (above) shows more success for golfers who are 6-1 through 6-4, than between 5-11 and 5-7. PGATour.com's Cameron Morfit wrote about the influx of taller players, and Brian Harman, here .

The most successful "tall" golfer currently is Dustin Johnson , who has 12 PGA Tour victories since the start of the 2013-14 season. Tony Finau is the only other 6-4 player who has won a Tour event in the last four years.

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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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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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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. 

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Opinion & Analysis

The wedge guy: what we can learn from tour stats.

Today’s post was inspired by a conversation one of the Edison Golf customer service team had with a follower/challenger on Facebook. The skeptical golfer claimed that he could “hit it to 12 feet from 85 yards anytime he wanted.” His claim drove our rep to the PGA Tour website just to compare this golfer’s claim to PGA Tour reality.

His relating of this conversation and my subsequent research into tour stats inspired me to share how actual PGA Tour players’ performance might be used to help you understand your own game and how to get better, no matter whether you are a low single-digit player or still working to break 80, 90, or even 100.

The “entry point” for the research was to see how this golfer’s claims of “hitting it to 12 feet” from 85 yards would stack up to tour-level performance. Turns out this guy would be the best on tour by far if he can really do that.

INSIGHT #1: Through the entire 2021 season, only ONE tour professional averaged less than 12’ from 75-100 yards, and the tour average is almost 18 feet from that range. Now we all know that they hit it to three feet or less reasonably often, so that must mean that it is just as “normal” for tour players to hit a 75- to 100-yard wedge shot to 20-25 feet or further. In fact, just this past weekend, I saw a number of wedge shots of that distance end up 40-50 feet from the hole. It happens, even to these guys.

This revelation inspired me to dive a bit deeper into PGA Tour stats to understand the difference between hitting approach shots from the fairway and from the rough. I’ve done this deep dive periodically through my twenty years of writing this blog as “The Wedge Guy,” and the data revealed is amazing — and very enlightening.

The PGA Tour “strokes gained” analysis over the years has implied that hitting it far is much more important than hitting it straight. I won’t argue that this approach to statistics must show that, or it wouldn’t be published.

But I’ve long been an advocate for recreational golfers to find a way to get their drives in the fairway, even if it means sacrificing a few yards. There are few courses that play as easy from the rough as the fairway, and PGA Tour statistics seem to support that hypothesis, even for these guys, who have extraordinary skills and strength to gouge shots from the rough. The rest of us just do not have either. But what is the difference — for them — between hitting approach shots from the rough and the fairway? Here is a look at the entire 2021 season stats for proximity to the hole from both, from various distances:

These figures illustrate that, on average across all approach shot distances from 5-6 iron (200-225) or less, hitting their approach from the rough will increase the length of the resulting putt or chip by about 60 percent or more. The only takeaway you can make from this is that it is extremely important to these guys to be able to hit approaches from the fairway rather than the rough, regardless of what the “strokes gained” numbers seem to imply.

Even more glaring is that the average approach from 150-175 yards in 2021 ended up closer to the hole than one from the rough from only 75-100 yards from the rough! This means that tour professionals are more accurate from the fairway with a 7- or 8-iron than they are from the rough with a sand wedge. If the rough is that penalizing for them, maybe you should re-think what it does to your scoring.

I’m just sayin’…

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Terry Koehler is a fourth generation Texan and a graduate of Texas A&M University. Over his 40-year career in the golf industry, he has created over 100 putter designs, sets of irons and drivers, and in 2014, he put together the team that reintroduced the Ben Hogan brand to the golf equipment industry. Since the early 2000s, Terry has been a prolific writer, sharing his knowledge as “The Wedge Guy”.   But his most compelling work is in the wedge category. Since he first patented his “Koehler Sole” in the early 1990s, he has been challenging “conventional wisdom” reflected in ‘tour design’ wedges. The performance of his wedge designs have stimulated other companies to move slightly more mass toward the top of the blade in their wedges, but none approach the dramatic design of his Edison Forged wedges, which have been robotically proven to significantly raise the bar for wedge performance. Terry serves as Chairman and Director of Innovation for Edison Golf – check it out at www.EdisonWedges.com.

10 Comments

Jan 15, 2022 at 7:12 pm

——————————– An curious quote from Terry:

“But I’ve long been an advocate for recreational golfers to find a way to get their drives in the fairway, even if it means SACRIFICING a few yards.” ——————————–

I’ve found that if my drive lands in the fairway, it rolls out another 20 yards or so. If it drifts into the first cut, the ball stops and doesn’t advance. So, a shot that lands in the fairway means I’m hitting an approach shot with a 7i rather than a 5i.

Overall, the article seems to be going three directions at once. Not sure what the ultimate takeaway is…

Jan 15, 2022 at 2:31 am

Sounds like Lou Stagners work I’m just sayin

Jan 15, 2022 at 1:35 am

“claimed that he could “hit it to 12 feet from 85 yards anytime he wanted.”

Do you really think someone would do that? Just go on the internet and tell lies?

Jan 14, 2022 at 8:56 pm

This article needs an editor’s review – badly. The too narrow column widths in the embedded table caused the column headers to wrap incorrectly. It’s pretty confusing, as pointed out by other reader comments. Then there is this sentence, “Even more glaring is that the average approach from 150-175 yards in 2021 ended up closer to the hole than one from the rough from only 75-100 yards from the rough!” If you are going to sell ads on these pages, stuff like this should be cleaned up before publishing.

Jan 14, 2022 at 7:25 pm

————— AS Terry noted… “But I’ve long been an advocate for recreational golfers to find a way to get their drives in the fairway, even if it means sacrificing a few yards…” —————

I would suggest that keeping drives in the fairway INCREASES net yardage. Drives in fairway will roll out an extra 20 yards, while those that land in the first cut just stop. Drifting into first cut can make my approach shot 10 to 20 yards longer than keeping a drive in the short grass.

That said, I’m not sure of the main take-away from this. Terry went about three different directions in this article.

Jan 14, 2022 at 4:24 pm

Does the Al Approaches column include approaches from the rough, which that column heading implies, or just the ones from the fairway?

Jan 14, 2022 at 4:22 pm

I confused. Does the All Approaches column include the ones from the rough, which the column heading implies, or only ones from the fairway? If it is all approaches, the ones from the fairway would be even loser, and I would like to see those distances because that would be the comparison you re trying to make.

James Kendzior

Jan 14, 2022 at 3:04 pm

Does the average yardage for “All approaches” include shots from the rough? I assume it does and, if so, that skews the results. What you should be looking at is the difference between all approach shots from the fairway vs. all approaches from the rough. The variance should be even greater.

Jan 13, 2022 at 7:44 pm

The formatting on that yardage table is almost as consistent as my swing.

Jan 13, 2022 at 3:20 pm

“Even more glaring is that the average approach from 150-175 yards in 2021 ended up closer to the hole than one from the rough from only 75-100 yards from the rough! This means that tour professionals are more accurate from the fairway with a 7- or 8-iron than they are from the rough with a sand wedge.”

75 – 100 17’6” **29’8”** 150-175 **27’10”** 45’2” ——————- The reason you still push it up the hole, is because you are trading the “risk” of losing 10′ in prox, thats a trade everyone would take.

As well, thats assuming 100% of the time laying up you’ll find the fairway, which isn’t the case, and the penalty of 150-175 if rough is likely a missed green given prox of 45’2″

In other words, get it down the hole as far as you can avoiding penalties.

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Vincenzi’s 2024 Memorial Tournament betting preview: Collin Morikawa to reign supreme at Jack’s place

The PGA Tour heads to Jack’s place to play the 2024 edition of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. The Memorial is regarded as one of the most prestigious non-majors of the PGA Tour season, and for the second consecutive year the tournament will be a “Signature Event”.

Muirfield Village Golf Club is a 7,571-yard par-72 located in Dublin, Ohio that features Bentgrass greens. A Jack Nicklaus design, the course was built in 1974 and redesigned by Nicklaus in 2020. The course can play extremely difficult due to its long rough and lightning-fast greens.

The Memorial Tournament will play host to 80 golfers this week, which is down from 120 last year. The top 50 and ties will make the cut. Being a designated event, the field is predictably stacked and will feature most of the biggest stars on Tour. All eligible players have committed to the event in addition to sponsor’s exemptions Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker and Billy Horschel. 

Past Winners at the Memorial Tournament

• 2023: Viktor Hovland (-7)
• 2022: Billy Horschel (-13)
• 2021: Patrick Cantlay (-13)
• 2020: Jon Rahm (-9)
• 2019: Patrick Cantlay (-19)
• 2018: Bryson DeChambeau (-15)
• 2017: Jason Dufner (-13)
• 2016: William McGirt (-15)

Key Stats for Muirfield Village

Let’s take a look at five key metrics for Muirfield Village to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds.

1. Strokes Gained: Approach

Jack Nicklaus designs all have one thing in common: They reward the best iron players on Tour. When designing Muirfield Village, Jack created a second-shot golf course that strongly benefited golfers who could really dial in their approach shots. With that in mind, does it surprise anyone that Tiger Woods won this event five times?

Strokes Gained: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds

• Scottie Scheffler  (+1.37)
• Corey Conners  (+1.14)
• Xander Schauffele  (+1.14)
• Sepp Straka  (+0.88)
• Rory McIlroy  (+0.88)

2. Strokes Gained: Ball Striking

Strokes Gained: Ball Striking does include approach, but if there is any week to overemphasize Strokes Gained: Approach, this is the week. The statistic also incorporates Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, which will be important considering the rough at Muirfield Village can be exceedingly penal.

Strokes Gained: Ball Striking Over Past 24 Rounds

• Scottie Scheffler (+2.48)
• Xander Schauffele  (+1.88)
• Rory McIlroy  (+1.60)
• Ludvig Aberg  (+1.56)
• Corey Conners  (+1.42)

3. Good Drive %

Driving the ball well will be an important factor. Bombing it off the tee is not a requirement at Muirfield Village, but distance always helps. The rough can get very long, and golfers who can’t put the ball in the fairway will fall out of contention quickly. Balanced and consistent drivers of the golf ball should be the targets this week.

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

• Collin Morikawa  (+88.1%)
• Tom Hoge  (86.1%)
• Sepp Straka  (+85.9%)
• Scottie Scheffler  (+85.8%)
• Alex Noren  (+85.8%)

4. Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass – Fast)

The Bentgrass greens at Muirfield are lightning quick. Whoever can master these difficult putting surfaces has a major advantage at Jack’s place.

Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass+Fast) Over Past 24 Rounds:

• Justin Rose  (+1.43)
• Thomas Detry  (+0.88)
• Sahith Theegala  (+0.77)
• Harris English  (+0.74)
• Denny McCarthy  (+0.73)

5. Strokes Gained: Nicklaus Designs

We often see similar leaderboards when events are hosted by Jack Nicklaus designed courses. The model this week will look to incorporate those golfers.

Strokes Gained: Nicklaus Designs (per round, min. 4 rounds) Over Past 36 Rounds:

• Scottie Scheffler  (+2.49)
• Patrick Cantlay  (+2.32)
• Collin Morikawa  (+1.99)
• Shane Lowry  (+1.74)
• Austin Eckroat  (+1.67)

6. Course History

Course History (Strokes Gained: Total (per round, min. 4 rounds) Over Past 36 Rounds:

• Scottie Scheffler  (+2.75)
• Patrick Cantlay  (+2.54)
• Justin Rose  (+2.17)
• Collin Morikawa  (+1.77)
• Jordan Spieth  (+1.66)

The Memorial Tournament Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: BS (18%), Good Drive % (16%), SG: Putting Bentgrass – Fast (13%), Course History (13%) and SG: Total Nicklaus Designs (13%).

• Scottie Scheffler
• Xander Schauffele
• Shane Lowry
• Sahith Theegala
• Collin Morikawa
• Rory McIlroy
• Keegan Bradley
• Sepp Straka
• Corey Conners
• Viktor Hovland
• Russell Henley
• Justin Thomas

2024 Memorial Tournament Picks

Collin morikawa +1800 ( fanatics ).

Collin Morikawa has consistently shown up in the biggest events over the past few months. He finished in a tie for 3rd at The Masters, 9th at the RBC Heritage, a tie for 16th at the Wells Fargo Championship and a tie for 4th at the PGA Championship. He also finished 4th in his most recent start at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Iron play is always a strong indication of where Morikawa’s game is trending, and his Strokes Gained: Approach numbers have seen a recent uptick. The two-time major champion has gained an average of 4.0 strokes on approach over his last two starts, which despite not being as good as his peak approach numbers, are a major improvement over the past year or so.

Morikawa has played some great golf at Muirfield Village throughout his career. He won the Workday Charity Open in 2020 and lost in a playoff at The Memorial Tournament in 2021. His two most recent starts at the course have ended in a withdraw and a missed cut, but his current form is much better than it was over the past few seasons coming into the event.

In addition to the strong iron play, the ability to keep the ball in the fairway will be a major advantage for a Memorial Tournament that I anticipate will play relatively difficult. Morikawa has gained strokes off the tee in eight consecutive starts, including 3.8 strokes at the PGA Championship and 4.0 strokes at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

The American has been fantastic at Nicklaus Courses since he burst onto the scene on the PGA Tour, and that was once again on full display at Valhalla last month. In his last 36 rounds, Collin ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Total on Nicklaus designs. He also ranked 1st in the field in Good Drive %, which will be a key this week.

It’s been a while since the 27-year-old has won a big event on Tour, but that could very well change this week at Jack’s place.

Justin Thomas +2500 (BetMGM)

Justin Thomas is winless in last 43 professional starts, dating back to the 2022 PGA Championship. For a player with 17 professional wins and in the prime of his career, that’s a long time.

Other than being “due”, Thomas has shown signs that is just about all the way back from his two-year slump. He has four top-ten finishes this season, with three of those being at a “signature” event or a major. Most recently, he’s finished in a tie for 5th at the RBC Heritage, a tie for 21st at the Wells Fargo Championship and a tie for 8th at the PGA Championship.

JT has loved Nicklaus designs throughout his career. He finished 2nd at the 2020 Workday at Muirfield Village, losing in a playoff to Collin Morikawa. In his last 30 rounds at the course, he ranks 6th in Strokes Gained: Total.

In addition to the obvious course fit, Thomas’ ball striking numbers have come to life of late. He gained 4.1 strokes on approach at the PGA Championship to go along with 4.6 strokes off the tee. Valhalla another Jack Nicklaus design so it’s encouraging to see that’s where he had arguably his best ball striking week of the season. The key for Thomas will be keeping the ball on the fairways this week and he’s improved his SG: OTT performance in four consecutive starts.

Thomas is finally in form and ready to get back in the winner’s circle at Muirfield Village.

Byeong Hun An +5000 (DraftKings)

Byeong Hun An is playing the best golf of his career. This season, the 32-year-old has finished T16 at the Genesis Invitational, T16 at The Masters, T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and 3rd at the Wells Fargo Championship.

The South Korean’s ball striking has been fantastic this year. He’s gained strokes both off the tee and on approach in six consecutive events. An will now head back to a course where he’s had plenty of success. Back in 2018, he lost in a playoff to a surging superstar named Bryson DeChambeau. Ben has five top-25 finishes in eight starts at the course. The few times he missed the cut were in 2020 and 2021 when he was really struggling with his game.

An has had some close calls of late and I believe we need to stick with him for one more week.

Corey Conners +6000 (DraftKings)

Corey Conners is absolutely striping the ball right now. In his past 24 rounds, the Canadian ranks 2nd in Strokes Gained: Approach, 5th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 22nd in Good Drive %.

At last week’s Canadian Open, Conners ranked 4th for the week in approach and finished in 6th place. In his previous two starts, Conners ranked 2nd in Strokes Gained: Approach at the Wells Fargo Championship and 4th at the PGA Championship. There are very few players on the planet that are currently hotter with their irons than Corey Conners.

Conners has a solid history at Muirfield Village with mixed results. His best finish came in 2022, when he finished T13 and also finished T22 back in 2020. While putting is typically Conners’ greatest weakness, he’s gained strokes on the greens in three of his six starts at the course and ranks 30th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting on fast Bentgrass, so there’s hope that the 32-year-old can putt to field average this week.

Conners’ ability to hit fairways and dial in his mid-irons can propel him to the top of the leaderboard this week at a course that favors ball strikers.

Will Zalatoris +8000 (DraftKings)

I’m not entirely sure if Will Zalatoris is fully healthy based on his recent struggles, but there are enough positive signs for a player of his talent at this number.

Zalatoris made a Friday charge in his most recent start at the PGA Championship, which enabled him to sneak through the cut line. For the week, he gained 3.56 strokes on approach and has gained on approach in nine of his past ten starts.

Although he’s struggled at times, Zalatoris still has some strong finishes in big events this year. He finished in a tie for 9th at the Masters, a tie for 4th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a tie foe 2nd at the Genesis Invitational.

If Zalatoris is feeling fit, Muirfield Village is a perfect course to showcase his strengths. He’s one of the best iron players in the world and already has a 5th place finish in his most recent start at the course (2022).

This is a buy low opportunity on a world class player that has win equity.

Saso says so! Yuka Saso survives for second U.S. Open title

One of my favorite golf writers was the late Ron Balicki, and not just for the shared first name. Balicki was called, and enjoyed, the nickname “Wrong Ron,” because whoever he chose to win, was guaranteed to do not that. I might have inherited the moniker, sadly, and if you read yesterday’s update, this week goes miles to secure that designation. Four amateurs made the cut, and three of them tied for low amateur at 12-over par. I picked the one that did not make that number. Hilarious, no? As for the tournament proper, the new “Wrong Ron” guessed the correct country, but the wrong golfer. I went with Hinako Shibuno, and it was the  other pride of Japan, Yuka Saso, who stole the show. Alas!

For a healthy portion of the day, odds were in the favor of a player earning a second Open title. Important note:  her name was not Yuka Saso. As golfers around her crumbled, Minjee Lee held steady at +1 on the day, and -4 on the week. Arpichya Yubol from Thailand had made the big move of the day. She reached -3 on the day an -1 for the week, before two late bogies dropped her to solo fifth position, a remarkable achievement. The round of the day came from Ally Ewing, who posted four birdies against zero bogeys for 66 and a tie for third spot.

DIALED IN ?? 2021 champion Yuka Saso with another birdie, now 2 clear of the field. #USWomensOpen | @Ally pic.twitter.com/B2TslN56re — U.S. Women’s Open (@uswomensopen) June 2, 2024

As for Minjee, the round’s thread began to unravel at the 9th. A missed fairway led to bogey, and she followed with a three-putt for another at the tenth hole. Double bogeys at 12 and 14 took her out of the running for the title, and opened the chase to a new segment of the field. Hinako Shibuno would ultimately finish in solo second, one of two golfers to finish under par on the week. Shibuno was never a threat for the title, but when others lost their momentum, she found herself positioned for a runner-up finish.

A GOLF SHOT clinic! Yuka Saso has this left for eagle on the short par-4 16th. #USWomensOpen | @Ally pic.twitter.com/OGn5Auv2Nj — U.S. Women’s Open (@uswomensopen) June 2, 2024

It was Yuka Saso who turned in the day’s memorable performance. Saso turned in even par on the day, preserving her position at one-under par. Andrea Lee (+5) and Wichanee Meechai (+7) fell away from their place atop the third-round chart, as did Minjee Lee. Suddenly, Saso had posted four birdies in five holes on the inward half. She finished at two under on the day, four under on the week, and earned a three-shot win over Shibuno.

In her post-0round comments, Saso revealed that she had doubts that she would win again, especially a major title. She discussed the addition of a new putter to her bag, and her extraordinary confidence in her driver. Finally, Saso revealed how important the first cut of rough was to the resolution of the tournament. That wee bit of playable grass made all the difference in her mind.

TWICE AS NICE! ?? Yuka Saso has won the U.S. Women’s Open for the second time! #USWomensOpen | @Ally pic.twitter.com/TIIMUIvhfd — U.S. Women’s Open (@uswomensopen) June 2, 2024

With the refreshing transparency that all writers desire, Yuka Saso won for a second time on Sunday. We’ll forgive her if she values the US Open silver a bit more.

5 examples of how Lexi Thompson has been treated harsher than any of her peers

* Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on GolfWRX in September 2023*

• Related:  Lexi Thompson announces retirement from golf

Following Lexi Thompson’s Solheim Cup post-round presser on Friday evening, the 28-year-old has been the topic of much discussion.

Golf pundits and fans alike have been weighing in with their takes after this exchange with a reporter surrounding an untimely shank on Friday afternoon went viral:

Confounding answer from Lexi and subsequent reaction from the US side. It was one of the pivotal moments of the entire day and somehow that's off limits? pic.twitter.com/9std3LFlmN — Tron Carter (@TronCarterNLU) September 23, 2023

After the incident, LPGA Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez said that Lexi has “been picked on and drug through negative comments. She is tired of it”

So has the criticism of Lexi Thompson been justified, or is this yet another example of her being unfairly treated?

Well, here are five times, in my opinion, that Lexi has been scrutinized far differently over the years than her peers.

2022 KPMG PGA Championship

At the 2022 KPMG PGA Championship, Lexi Thompson held a two-stroke lead with three holes to play. She couldn’t close the deal and lost the tournament.

Afterwards, she was fined $2k (as were the rest of the group) for slow play.

Lexi declined to speak to the media and got hammered on social media for doing so…

Lexi Thompson has declined to speak with the media here at Congressional. Not a great look? — Zephyr Melton (@zephyrmelton) June 26, 2022

Almost every golfer at some point has skipped a media session following disappointment on the course, and nobody has really batted an eyelid.

Tiger skipped back-to-back post-round media briefings at the 2019 WGC Mexico after being frustrated with his putting. Remember the backlash over that? Nah, me neither.

Donald Trump

@TheWhiteHouse

Every (or nearly every) big-name golfer under the sun has played golf with Donald Trump. Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy etc. Nobody really cared.

For whatever reason, when Lexi Thompson did, it was a story , and she took herself off social media soon after the photo was posted.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Lexi Thompson (@lexi)

2021 U.S. Women’s Open

In the final round of the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, Lexi Thompson had a 6-foot eagle on her opening hole. She missed and made birdie to lead by five.

She then lost the tournament.

Following the round, Brandel Chamblee said on ‘Live From’ :

“She’s got 6 feet away. Now professional golfers don’t miss the center of the face by a pinhead. Look where she hits this putt on the very 1st hole. Look where this putt comes off the face. She would have missed the center of the putter there by a half an inch. I have never — I have never — seen a professional golfer miss the center of the putter by a wider margin than that. That was at the 1st hole. “

Honest? Absolutely. Correct? Brandel usually is. Has any other LPGA golfer been handed the full-on Chamblee treatment? Not to my knowledge.

2023 Solheim Cup

Lexi Thompson spoke the words, “I don’t need to comment on that” when a reporter asked her about a failed shot, and the golf community collectively lost their minds.

Lost on many people is the fact that she literally answered the question instantly after.

Jessica Korda described the reporting of the awkward exchange with the media member as yet another example of the golf media shredding Lexi, but in reality, it was really just golf media covering the furore created by golf fans reacting to the viral clip.

So sad seeing golf media , yet again, shred Lexi. It’s easy writing about other people’s mistakes. It’s Golf, bad shots happen- give the girl a break. She grows the game more than anyone on tour… And she’s a great player!! — Jessica Korda (@Thejessicakorda) September 23, 2023

Lexi then won her next two matches, collecting 3 points from 4 for the U.S. team. But nobody seems to care about that.

‘yOu ShoUlD PrAcTIce puTTinG’

There’s very few golfers that have been plagued with such inane posts on their Instagram page as Lexi Thompson has.

I’ve tracked golfer’s social media accounts over the past few years (job requirement, sort of?). I can categorically say that Lexi gets some of the angriest and most aggressive responses to her posts of any golfer. Male or female. (She also gets some very nice ones too) .

Despite countless posts of Thompson relentlessly practising her putting, the number of comments from dummies accusing her of neglecting that area of her game is both bizarre and alarming. Notice how the comments have been disabled on the post below? Probably not a coincidence.

Go on any other golfer’s social account, and it will be hard to find the same dynamic.

Throw in the scandalous rules decision at the 2017 ANA Inspiration that cost her a second major title and spawned the “Lexi rule,” and it’s hard not to think Lexi has had a bit of a raw deal at times.

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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.]

Other top articles related to this post:

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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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The hole truth: You don’t putt like a tour pro

• Author: Gary Van Sickle

The yips is an affliction that affects some golfers.

Putting is an affliction that affects all golfers. Almost all golfers, anyway.

You say you putt great? Bully for you. Check back in 30 years and let me know.

Allow me to exaggerate to make a point: Average golfers know that we can’t hit it like the PGA Tour pros. They’re Happy Gilmores come to life, what with Matthew Wolfe’s official 388-yard drive during the U.S. Open ’s final round and Bryson DeChambeau’s launch monitor that showed a drive with a 400-yard carry . Some of us need multiple swings to cover 400 yards.

The gap between how well tour pros putt and how average hacks putt might be bigger than the afore-mentioned distance gap. Did I say gap ? I meant gorge .

The putting-gorge gap might not seem as obvious. You and I can come close to making 20-foot putts, and we often do – come close, that is. Tour players make 20-footers on a ridiculously regular basis. In the 2019-20 PGA Tour season, three players holed more than 31 percent of their putts from 15-20 feet: Anirban Lahiri, Vincent Whaley and Ian Poulter. That’s almost one out of three.

Your make percentage from that distance probably is closer to one out of 20, and that’s even if you keep putting from the same spot and learn the line. You and I don’t burn the cup’s edge from 20 feet as often as tour pros make it.

That old PGA Tour slogan had it right: These Guys Are Good . If the rest of us had a slogan, it might be, These Hacks Are The Opposite of Good . Or maybe a less-polite version.

Of course, I can’t prove my hypothesis, although watching almost any Thursday afternoon Golf Channel tournament telecast ought to do it. For proof, I need statistics. I need data. The PGA Tour compiles gigabytes of data. You and I have a broken-down old caddie named Jack Squat. (Zero data, in other words.)

So how can we compare our skill levels? As an experiment, I asked a dozen or so colleagues, golf pals and assorted strangers to keep track of a simple putting statistic: add the total length of the putts that they made for 18 holes. For example, if I hit a putt from 30 feet that stops a foot short and tap it in, I get credit for 1 foot of holed putts.

It’s a flawed stat (as most putting stats are) because it’s based too much on where a golfer’s putting originates. But it’s a simple number to keep and requires minimal effort, which I figured was the most I could expect from my volunteers, and PGA Tour computers keep this number for the pros.

I was curious: How many feet of putts does an average amateur make? In a lot of rounds, it feels as if I didn’t hole a putt longer than 3 feet, and if I did, it probably was my second putt.

The results of my unscientific survey were limited, because my gung-ho volunteers kept forgetting to keep track until the third post-round beverage. But the results proved my theory, which is that we suck at putting relative to tour players.

I contributed six rounds of data. My total lengths of putts made were, in chronological order, 34, 100, 80, 45, 42 and 48. The same guy who put up 34 feet one day put up 100 feet the next day? Yes, probably because I went to a private club with smoother, quicker greens instead of playing the super-slow greens at the mangy public course I normally frequent. Plus, holing putts of 30, 20 and 16 feet accounted for nearly two-thirds of my total. I accidentally made a couple of bombs in the 80-foot round, too. Remove the 100- and 80-foot totals and I averaged about 43 feet per round, or 2.4 feet per hole. Yeah, that sounds more like it: unimpressive.

My volunteers submerged in similar boats. One fellow – let’s call him Marcus (I promised anonymity to all involved) – had totals of 38 and 50 feet at his home courses. His average: 44 feet. He does, in fact, battle the yips, but golfing purist that he is, refuses to give in. “If Steve Stricker putted for me, I’d shoot 80 or better most of the time because I’m on or near 16 of 18 greens,” he said. “I hit good bunker shots, fair chips, poor lag putts and worse 5-footers.”

I feel his pain. A mid-double-digit handicapper we’ll call Randy provided two fivesomes’ worth of scores. He personally posted 44 and 59 feet (an average of 51.5 feet). Bill led the group with 72 and 53 (average: 62.5). Leo and Kevin each had one round over 70 feet but also one in the upper 40s. The group’s 10-round average was 55.6 feet.

Then there’s the long-time friend who’s my age (approaching ancient) whom I’ll call Rocco. He contributed four rounds: two in the mid-50s, one at a mere 27.5 and one with 66 feet in which he didn’t play the last three holes on account of darkness. The 27.5-foot total wasn’t helped by a chip-in, he said. “When you suck, I don’t know why it’s always a surprise,” he said.

Rocco averaged 51.4 feet and epitomized the volunteers as a group. In our tiny sampling of 26 rounds, we averaged 51.8 feet of putts holed per round.

I did not include data from John in Wisconsin, whose two regular foursomes (featuring players ranging from 11 to 23 handicaps with nicknames such as Rum Head, The Beav, Pork Face, Mr. Merengue and one I can’t print) play four-man scrambles against one another. Playing in a scramble skews putting stats because the fourth person putting already has seen three putts on the same line and has a big advantage. It’s a different kind of sample, and I didn’t want to mix apples with pork faces, but I like the way John’s group has figured out how to maximize its fun.

“I seriously can’t remember the last time we had individual scorecards,” John said. “I’ve been playing with these boys for 25 years, and we haven’t played a single hole that didn’t involve a wager. You could lose $25 or $30 on a bad day, but, of course, the winners usually take a loss after picking up the bar tab.”

One scramble team holed putts of 182 feet, 138 of it on four ocean-liners. The other team totaled 79 feet. You can guess which team picked up the bar tab. John’s group plays 95 percent of its golf on public courses. “While half the guys could comfortably belong to a private club,” he said, “you could never live that down.”

So how did our amateurs stack up versus the PGA Tour players? Not very well.

The average total of putts holed per round on the PGA Tour for 2019-20 was 72.8 feet. The leaders were Kristoffer Ventura, 87 feet 9 inches; Denny McCarthy, 85-4; and Michael Gellerman, 83-8. Andy Ogletree ranked first at the end of the year in this season’s stats at 99 feet 7 inches.

Only four of our 26 hacker-round totals exceeded the tour average of 72.8 feet. The reality was, we averaged 20 fewer feet of putts holed per round than the pros.

Twenty feet is a lot. If he weren’t careful, a fellow could three-putt from that distance.

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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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Golf Stats: Take a lesson from PGA Tour putting averages

Golf stats: how understanding pga tour putting averages can improve your own game .

By  Sabrina Naccarato

Which, time and time again, one of these world-class players accomplishes successfully like they could do the job blindfolded.

For us fans out there watching, it’s an amazing sight to take in. Though it often leads to a frustrating question when thinking about our own games:

“How do these golfers make those snuggled-up-to-the-hole lag putts look so easy when my own are lucky to end up within 6 or 8 feet from the hole? “

For one, these guys are good.

So good that their average lag putts (the PGA Tour’s Approach Putt stat) come to rest just 2 feet, 4 inches from the hole. And since these players virtually NEVER miss from that distance (99.42 percent are made from 3 feet), you rarely see them suffer the dreaded three-putts the rest of us are all too familiar with.

All about those lags

Below we’ve noted some key PGA Tour putting averages, because  we love the facts here at GOLFTEC  and it can be beneficial to your game to understand what makes these players such great putters.

• PGA Tour Putting Average — makes from 3 feet: 99.42%
• PGA Tour Putting Average — makes from 6 feet: 70.98%
• PGA Tour Putting Average — 3-Putt Avoidance >25′: 91.71% (This means they three-putt 8.29 percent of the time outside of 25 feet.)

*All stats cited in this article are from the complete 2016 PGA Tour season 

Like I said, these guys are good. But, there’s a point so track with me for a minute …

PGA Tour players – THE BEST GOLFERS IN THE WORLD – make nearly 30 percent more putts from 3 feet compared to 6 feet.

That means if these players hit all 18 greens and lag each putt to 6 feet instead of 3 feet, they’ll basically three-putt five or six times instead of zero. (In other words, they’ll miss nearly one-third of their putts from 6 feet compared to virtually none from 3 feet.)

Of course they DON’T tend to lag it to 6 feet from the hole, which is illustrated with the 2-foot, 4-inch “approach putt” stat and the final stat listed above, 3-Putt Avoidance <25′, that shows just how deft their skill is at lagging it close from long distances.

The point is that even the world’s best would three-putt often if they didn’t lag it close, so we can see how vitally important solid lag putting is to keeping those extra putts at bay.

Dial in your speed on lag putts to eliminate three-putts

We’ve previously noted how important speed control is to your putting success. Especially on those long lag putts outside of 25 feet. So, take a lesson from these PGA Tour player putting averages and start focusing on how you can improve your speed on the greens.

Because once you’ve dialed in your lag putting, there won’t be any more questions come Sunday when comparing Jordan Spieth’s insane lag-putting skills to your own.

Driving accuracy, though? That’s another article.

VIDEO:   The No 3-Putt Game   for putting speed control

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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

Resource: Golf Practice System with Step by Step Practice Plans + Video Lessons

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.

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

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Breaking Down Putt Percentages for PGA Tour Pros

Answered by Robert Akin

Putt Percentage by Distance: How the Pros Compare to Amateurs

When it comes to the game of golf, putting is often considered the most crucial aspect. A great putting game can make up for a lackluster drive or a wayward approach shot. But what is the reality when it comes to the percentages of putts that the pros make? How do the average golfers compare? Let’s dive into the numbers and see.

On average, PGA Tour pros are known for their exceptional putting skills. According to strokes gained pioneer, Mark Broadie, they make an incredible 99% of 2-foot putts, 96% of 3-foot putts, 88% of 4-foot putts, and 77% of 5-foot putts. These statistics highlight just how accurate and consistent professional golfers are on the greens.

In comparison, the average male golfer, as reported by the USGA statistics, shoots a score of 98-99 and has at least 40 putts per round or 2.2 putts per hole. Most recreational and amateur golfers tend to be well above these numbers. It’s clear that professional golfers have honed their putting skills to a high degree.

To put things into perspective, let’s take a closer look at the numbers. PGA Tour players, on average, make a 10-foot putt from off the green 40.9% of the time. This means that even the best golfers in the world don’t make these putts more often than not. It’s a challenging task that requires skill, precision, and a deep understanding of the greens.

For amateur golfers, the goal should be to improve upon these numbers. If you have a handicap of 10 or higher, aiming for fewer than 33 putts per round can be a good target. This means reducing the number of strokes on the green and improving your overall putting performance.

On the other hand, if you have a handicap of 1-10, aiming for fewer than 30 putts per round should be your goal. This level of proficiency requires consistent practice, a refined technique, and a deep understanding of green reading and speed control.

Studying the statistics of PGA Tour players can be a great way to learn from the best. Analyzing their techniques, their approach to reading greens, and their ability to handle pressure can provide valuable insights for amateurs looking to improve their putting game.

The percentages of putts made by professional golfers are truly impressive. Their ability to sink putts from various distances showcases their exceptional skill and precision on the greens. However, it’s important to remember that even the best golfers don’t make every putt. Amateurs can strive to improve their putting game by setting goals based on their handicap level, practicing consistently, and studying the techniques of the pros. So, the next time you step onto the green, keep these statistics in mind and aim to improve your putt percentage.

What Percent Of 5 Foot Putts Do Pros Make?

On average, professional golfers on the PGA Tour make approximately 77% of their 5-foot putts. This statistic was determined by Mark Broadie, a well-known pioneer in the field of strokes gained analysis. It is important to note that this figure represents the overall success rate of PGA Tour pros, and individual players may vary in their putting proficiency.

To provide a broader perspective, let’s also consider the percentages of putts made for shorter distances. According to Broadie’s research, PGA Tour pros make 99% of 2-foot putts, 96% of 3-foot putts, and 88% of 4-foot putts. As the distance increases, the success rate gradually decreases, with the 5-foot range being the lowest among these shorter distances.

It is worth mentioning that these statistics reflect the average performance of professional golfers and should not be interpreted as definitive for any specific player. Putting proficiency can vary among individuals based on various factors such as skill, technique, and external conditions.

These numbers provide insight into the impressive putting abilities of PGA Tour pros, showcasing their remarkable accuracy and consistency on the greens.

What Percentage Of 10 Foot Putts Make PGA?

According to statistics, the average PGA Tour player successfully makes a 10-foot putt from off the green 40.9% of the time. This figure reflects the exceptional putting skills possessed by PGA Tour players. It is worth noting that studying these statistics can be highly beneficial for those looking to improve their own putting game. By analyzing the data and techniques used by the best players in the world, one can gain valuable insights and potentially enhance their own performance on the green.

How Many Putts Do The Pros Average?

According to the USGA statistics, professional golfers average about 1.8 putts per hole and 32 putts per round. This means that, on average, professional golfers make fewer putts compared to recreational and amateur golfers. To put it in perspective, the average male golfer shoots a score of 98-99 and has around 40 putts per round, while professional golfers have significantly lower putt counts.

To break it down further:

– Professional golfers average 1.8 putts per hole. This means that, on average, they make less than 2 putts to complete each hole. – Over the course of a round, professional golfers have an average of 32 putts. This means that, on average, they take 32 strokes with the putter to complete 18 holes.

It is worth noting that these statistics are an average, and individual professional golfers may have variations in their putting performance. However, as a group, professional golfers consistently demonstrate a higher level of putting skill compared to recreational and amateur golfers.

Professional golfers average about 1.8 putts per hole and 32 putts per round, showcasing their superior putting abilities compared to the average golfer.

How Many Putts Should A 10 Handicap Take?

A golfer with a 10 handicap should aim to take fewer than 30 putts per round. This means that their goal should be to complete their round with no more than 30 strokes on the putting green. Keeping the number of putts low is crucial for improving overall score and performance on the golf course. By reducing the number of putts, a 10 handicap golfer can increase their chances of making par or better on each hole and ultimately lower their handicap. It is important for golfers at this skill level to focus on improving their putting skills through practice and technique to achieve this goal.

Putt percentage by distance is a crucial aspect of the game of golf. The statistics provided by PGA Tour pros clearly demonstrate their exceptional skills when it comes to putting. It is evident that as the distance increases, the percentage of putts made decreases. This highlights the importance of accuracy and precision in putting, especially for amateur and recreational golfers who tend to have higher putt averages.

Studying the statistics of PGA Tour players can be immensely beneficial for those looking to improve their putting game. By learning from the best, golfers can gain valuable insights and techniques to enhance their performance on the green. It is essential to set realistic goals based on handicap levels, with 10+ handicap golfers aiming for fewer than 33 putts and 1-10 handicap golfers striving for fewer than 30 putts per round.

By understanding the percentages and averages of professional golfers, golf enthusiasts can set realistic targets and work towards improving their putting skills. Practicing accuracy, developing a consistent stroke, and analyzing the techniques employed by PGA Tour players can significantly enhance one’s performance on the green. So, whether you are a professional or an amateur golfer, paying attention to putt percentage by distance can undoubtedly lead to significant improvements in your overall game.

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U.S. Open 2024: 'Effective green size' is a big buzzword at Pinehurst—here's what it means

O n paper, the USGA reports that the average green size here at Pinehurst this week is about 6,500 sq. feet, which is actually pretty big. It's about the same size as an average, low-scoring PGA Tour green.

But as always, the devil is in the details.

The reality is that the "effective size" of the greens—a phrase you'll hear a lot this week—is smaller. A lot smaller.

How much smaller? Scott Fawcett, a mathematician and founder of DECADE Golf, ran the numbers on a few of the greens.

Here's the second green, for instance, as measured by StrackaLine.

Everywhere that appears red, orange or pink denotes a slope of more than four percent.

“Your ball won’t stay on those slopes,” says Ralph Bauer, a PGA Tour putting coach. “The Masters or USGA may put a pin on a four percent slope, but that’s as much as you can go when the greens get this fast.”

When Fawcett imposed the remaining green-or-blue area on the green, he found players are left with a target just 14 yards wide. The total area is about 2,700 sq. feet—a space that’s almost 1,000 sq. feet smaller than the average green size at the smallest greens on tour at Pebble Beach.

I walked the eighth hole with 2020 U.S. Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau earlier this week, and he couldn’t believe how much smaller the effective size of that green was.

"You might as well pretend there’s no green there,” he said, pointing to different slopes on the surface. “It's not green.”

That spot, it turns out, is just 2,800 sq. feet, which encompasses a portion just eight yards wide.

The pinnable area of Pinehurst’s famed 18th looks more like a gerrymandered district.

That effective green size is on the larger side—about 3,500 sq. feet—but again, its shape is so strange it won’t help much.

These deceptively small greens mean pros will end up missing a lot of them.

"The winner this week is going to have an 80 percent or more up-and-down percentage," DeChambeau says. "Putting [from off the green], chipping, bump-and-runs; they're going to have to be good at all of it."

Historically, the field average at U.S. Opens at Pinehurst has been a hair above 50 percent. Scrambling in the 80 percent range, doesn't just require mastering short shots around the green. It’s also about aiming in a way so you miss in the right spots. It's doing that which will allow you to make the difficult shot you face slightly easier.

“Aiming away from pins becomes so obvious at Pinehurst because the slopes are so severe. No matter where the pin is there’s really only one spot to hit it, and one spot to miss it,” says Fawcett.

One useful way to think about this is by adopting a “north pole-south pole” aiming mindset. It's something I noticed Scottie Scheffler doing so effectively when I dived into his stats. And we talk about it in our most recent episode of the Golf IQ podcast.

It's pretty simple:

• Think of the effective green size like a globe.
• Wherever the pin is your north pole.
• That means the south pole is the opposite side of the globe.

That means if the pin is on the front of the green, club up. If it’s on the left portion of the flat part of the green, like in the example from Pinehurst’s 15th green below, aim to the right part of the flat portion.

It's not always true that your south pole is your best miss, but generally speaking, think of the south pole as the best place to miss, and therefore a pretty good place to aim. It helps prevent the dreaded short-side miss when you don't hit the putting surface and it allows you to putt across the flattest portion when you do hit the green.

“Forget the pin is there, make a committed swing to a smart target away from the pin,” Fawcett says. “Avoid big numbers, and let the birdies happen whenever they come.”

This article originally appeared as part of the Golf IQ newsletter, which is delivered weekly to Golf Digest+ members. You can sign up for Golf Digest+ right here.

Updated 5m ago

U.S. Open 2024 live updates: Round four tee times, groups, course info and how to follow

34 New Updates

U.S. Open 2024 — Round 4 leaderboard, tee times, scores, news

• It's the final day at Pinehurst, North Carolina.
• Fourth rounds underway since 7.30am ( all times ET ).
• Tees on the way: Theegala (9.58am), Scheffler (10.20am), Koepka (10.31am), Clark (11.04am).

Leaderboard:

• -7: DeChambeau (2.21pm)
• -4: Pavon (2.21pm), McIlroy (2.10pm), Cantlay (2.10pm)
• -2: Matsuyama (1.59pm), Åberg (1.59pm)

Watch: USA Network & Peacock, Sky Sports (UK), Fox Sports & Kayo (Australia)

✉️ Get in touch: [email protected]

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DeChambeau working through right hip injury during third round

(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Bryson DeChambeau is apparently working through a right hip injury during the third round of the U.S. Open.

DeChambeau called for a physiotherapist as he was making the turn to the back nine at Pinehurst No. 2 and has been receiving treatments in between holes.

It has not to this point affected his play — DeChambeau hit his drive on No. 8 375 yards, parred the par-3 ninth and then made birdies on No. 10 and No. 11 to rise to the solo lead at 7-under-par.

NBC drone cameras caught DeChambeau with the physio in the moods near the No. 11 hole, then DeChambeau drove the golf ball 359 yards.

DeChambeau is seeking to win his second U.S. Open — he won the 2020 Open at Winged Foot in the thick of his burly phase. He’s since lost a dramatic amount of weight but retained elite length and ball speed.

The scene harkened back to Scottie Scheffler at March’s Players Championship when he dealt with a neck issue during a round and had to receive treatments for it during play.

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McIlroy moves to within 1 of the lead

Rory McIlroy had some missed opportunities on the par 5s during his third round.

He's still in the mix and is one off the lead after a birdie on the par-4 12th.

McIlroy is at 5-under-par alongside Matthieu Pavon and Ludvig Åberg.

DeChambeau solo leader

Bryson DeChambeau is the solo leader at the U.S. Open.

He birdied the par-5 10th to improve to 6-under-par.

DeChambeau, after bogeying the fourth hole, has three birdies on his card.

What a shot, Ludvig

Ludvig Åberg just hit one of the shots of the tournament.

He hit his 7 wood on the par-5 10th hole to nine feet for eagle.

Åberg missed the eagle putt but got the birdie to improve to 5-under-par.

Three-way tie for the lead making the turn

As the final group makes the turn, there's a three-way tie atop the leaderboard.

Matthieu Pavon recorded his first bogey of the round on the par-4 11th.

Bryson DeChambeau pared the par-3 9th and Ludvig Åberg recorded a bogey.

It's Pavon, DeChambeau and Tony Finau tied on top at 5-under-par.

Åberg and Rory McIlroy sit one back at 4 under.

McIlroy missed opportunities on par 5s

(Photo: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy goes even on the two par 5s Saturday with two pars.

He had a makeable birdie putt on the par-5 5th that he missed.

And then in the fairway on the par-5 10th, McIlroy hit his second shot in the left greenside bunker. He hit his bunker shot well short of the hole, resulting in a par.

McIlroy still sits two off the lead at 4-under-par. But those are missed opportunities to make up ground.

McIlroy, Finau exchange birdies at No. 9

At a more difficult par-3 9th hole Saturday, Rory McIlroy and Tony Finau both drained birdies.

McIlroy is 4-under-par for the tournament making the turn. Finau is 5-under-par, one off the lead.

Pavon shoots bogey-free front-9 32

Matthieu Pavon goes out with a bogey-free 32 on the front nine.

He has three birdies on his scorecard so far.

An impressive start for Pavon, who has a one-shot lead at 6-under-par.

Par-3 9th playing tougher Saturday

(Photo: Shotlink)

We saw a pair of aces at No. 9 on Friday but only five birdies so far today — with 17 bogeys and two doubles. Why? The pin position has been moved up into the front, making a very small ideal landing zone. We've seen a lot of players not be able to stay up on the green when attacking short, and if you're Matthieu Pavon and you hit it long you're in just as much trouble with the speed of the putt.

It's playing to a scoring average of 3.24 today — the ninth-toughest hole on the course.

Pavon solo leader

Matthieu Pavon is 3 under through his first seven holes.

His lengthy birdie make at the 7th puts the Frenchman in the solo lead at the U.S. Open.

Bhatia chips in for birdie at No. 8

Some absolute short-game magic from Akshay Bhatia at the 8th to get to 2-under for the championship. He hit a low, skidding bump and run from just off the green on a down slope — a much harder shot to execute than one might assume — for his second consecutive birdie.

Earlier this spring Bhatia hired short game guru and two-time PGA Tour winner Gabriel Hjertstedt to help revamp his chipping. Looks like the work is paying off. He's ranked first in strokes gained short game, gaining 2.5 shots on the U.S. Open field.

McIlroy misses birdie putt at par-5 5th

Rory McIlroy just missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 5th to get within one of Ludvig Åberg's lead, and he looked extremely frustrated with the misread, pointing at where he thought his putt would have gone.

All week the top players have been talking about taking advantage of birdie opportunities at Pinehurst No. 2.

There is no room for error when you have short-range putts on these turtleback greens, because they are extremely hard to come by.

McIlroy's par on the first of Pinehurst's two par-5s might come back to bite him.

Ludvig Åberg's stats

Ludvig Åberg is currently second in the field in fairways hit, first in greens in regulation and second in strokes gained: putting.

Åberg birdies No. 3

Ludvig Åberg got a fortunate break after his tee shot at the short par-4 3rd hole.

He took advantage of the drop, landing his second shot on the green.

Then Åberg drained the 28-foot putt for birdie.

Åberg leads by two.

Hatton. Eagle.

Tyrrell Hatton is right in the mix at the U.S. Open.

He just eagled the par-5 5th hole, launching him to 4-under-par and one off the lead.

Neal Shipley shoots 1-over 71, USGA issues statement on penalty shot

(Photo: Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images)

The USGA has a statement on Neal Shipley's penalty shot on the 13th hole today at Pinehurst No. 2. Shipley was 2-under for the tournament at one point during his third round, but had a rough finishing stretch, posting a back-nine 38 for a 1-over 71. That stretch included the penalty shot.

"On the 13th hole of round 3, Neal Shipley’s second shot came to rest on the upslope short of the green. In preparing to make the stroke, Neal set the club down behind the ball and then adjusted the club when the ball then moved. Because the ball had been at rest for some time and then moved immediately after he adjusted his club, it is virtually certain that he caused the ball to move.

Shipley got one penalty stroke under Rule 9.4 and replaced the ball on the original spot."

Things change quickly at Pinehurst

Belgium's Thomas Detry just showed exactly how things can change in an instant at Pinehurst No. 2.

He three-putted on the first hole and doubled the second to go three over for the day through two holes.

On the 514-yard par-4, Detry drove it in the native area, put his second shot in the bunker, failed to find the green from there, and then chipped on and two-putted for a six.

It can happen to anyone, and it can happen fast.

McIlroy birdies No. 3

Rory McIlroy took advantage of the short par-4 3rd hole.

He recorded his first birdie of the day, moving into a tie for second.

McIlroy, along with Tony Finau, Bryson DeChambeau and Matthieu Pavon, are one back of leader Ludvig Åberg.

What's at stake for Ludvig Åberg?

(Photo: Tracy Wilcox / PGA Tour via Getty)

Another mind-boggling Ludvig Åberg note: The 24-year-old has the chance to become the first golfer to win in their U.S. Open debut since Francis Ouimet won as an amateur at The Country Club in 1913.

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2024 U.S. Open picks, odds: Surprising weekend predictions by PGA golf model that's nailed 12 majors

Sportsline's proven model simulated the u.s. open 2024 weekend 10,000 times and revealed its surprising pga tour golf picks.

Round 3 of the 2024 U.S. Open tees off Saturday at 8:44 a.m. ET and the final pairing of Ludvig Aberg and Bryson DeChambeau will get underway at 3:35 p.m. ET. Aberg has been one of the PGA's breakout stars the past couple years and he's positioned to contend for his first major win as he sits alone atop the leaderboard at 5 under. DeChambeau joins Thomas Detry and Patrick Cantlay at 4 under. Matthieu Pavon had a share of the lead late on Friday, but back-to-back bogeys put him at 3 under, joining Rory McIlroy and Tony Finau.

The 2024 U.S. Open odds list Aberg as the +333 favorite, followed closely by DeChambeau (4-1). McIlroy is next on the PGA odds board at 9-2, with Cantlay (9-1) the only other golfer getting single-digit odds. Before locking in any 2024 U.S. Open picks for the weekend, be sure to see the 2024 U.S. Open golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine .

Our proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, the model is up almost $9,000 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure's model correctly predicted Scheffler would finish on top of the leaderboard at the 2024 Masters, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and The Players Championship this season. McClure also included Hideki Matsuyama in his best bets to win the 2024 Genesis Invitational. That bet hit at +9000, and for the entire tournament, McClure's best bets returned nearly $1,000.

The model also predicted Rahm would be victorious at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions and The American Express. At the 2023 Masters, the model was all over Rahm's second career major victory heading into the weekend. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the third round, but the model still projected him as the winner. It was the second straight Masters win for the model, which also nailed Scheffler winning in 2022.

This same model has also nailed a whopping 12 majors entering the weekend, including the last three Masters and 2024 PGA Championship. Anyone who has followed it is way up.

Now with the U.S. Open 2024 approaching, SportsLine simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard .

Top 2024 U.S. Open predictions 

One major surprise the model is calling for at the 2024 U.S. Open over the weekend: Cantlay, one of the top favorites, stumbles and finishes outside of the top five. With Xander Schauffele winning the PGA Championship, Cantlay is now one of the best current golfers without a major win. He's currently ranked ninth in the world and has been as high as No. 3.

He's just a shot off the lead, but that's largely because of a sizzling 65 in the first round. He wasn't able to replicate that form in the second, shooting a 71, and the model is projecting that he won't keep pace with some of the other big names up top as it has found better values to utilize in 2024 U.S. Open bets.  See who else to fade here .

Another surprise: Hideki Matsuyama, a 16-1 longshot, makes a strong run at the title. He has a much better chance to win than his odds imply, so he's a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. The 32-year-old Japanese star has nine PGA Tour wins, including the Masters in 2021 and the Genesis Invitational this year.

He's a regular near the top of major leaderboards and he has three career top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open, including a fourth-place finish in 2022. He's three shots off the lead and has seven players to jump, but his bogey-free 66 in Round 2 was the best score of the day, proving he can make a run at the 2024 U.S. Open title.  See who else to back here .

How to make 2024 U.S. Open picks

The model is also targeting three other golfers with odds of 16-1 or longer to make a strong run at the title. Anyone who backs these longshots could hit it big. You can only see the model's picks here .

Who will win the 2024 U.S. Open, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Check out the U.S. Open 2024 odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected U.S. Open leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed 12 golf majors, including the last three Masters and the 2024 PGA Championship .

2024 U.S. Open odds, weekend favorites 

Get full 2024 U.S. Open picks, best bets and predictions here

Ludvig Aberg +333 Bryson DeChambeau 4-1 Rory McIlroy 9-2 Patrick Cantlay 9-1 Xander Schauffele 12-1 Tony Finau 14-1 Thomas Detry 16-1 Hideki Matsuyama 16-1 Tyrrell Hatton 45-1 Matthieu Pavon 45-1 Corey Conners 50-1 Tom Kim 55-1 Scottie Scheffler 66-1 Akshay Bhatia 80-1 Sam Burns 80-1 Russell Henley 100-1 Billy Horschel 110-1

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2024 U.S. Open picks, odds, field: Surprising predictions by PGA golf model that's won 12 majors

Sportsline's proven model simulated the u.s. open 2024 10,000 times and revealed its surprising pga tour golf picks.

Scottie Scheffler has never won a major outside of Augusta National, but he heads to the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 as one of the shortest betting favorites in over a decade. Scheffler won the Memorial Tournament last week, marking his fifth win of the season. He is the 11-4 favorite in the 2024 U.S. Open odds and has not finished outside the top 20 since last August. Should you back Scheffler at short odds with your 2024 U.S. Open prediction? Scheffler will have to fend off other 2024 U.S. Open contenders like Rory McIlroy (10-1), Xander Schauffele (10-1) and Bryson DeChambeau (10-1).

Pinehurst No. 2 has not hosted the top PGA pros since 2014, so which course factors matter the most when you comb through the 2024 U.S. Open field ahead of Thursday's 2024 U.S. Open tee times starting at 6:45 a.m. ET? Before locking in any 2024 U.S. Open picks of your own, entering PGA DFS lineups on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, or finalizing U.S. Open props and U.S. Open Pick 6 or PrizePicks entries, be sure to see the 2024 U.S. Open golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine .

Our proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June of 2020. In fact, the model is up almost $9,000 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.

McClure's model correctly predicted Scheffler would finish on top of the leaderboard at the 2024 Masters, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and The Players Championship this season. McClure also included Hideki Matsuyama in his best bets to win the 2024 Genesis Invitational. That bet hit at +9000, and for the entire tournament, McClure's best bets returned nearly $1,000.

The model also predicted Rahm would be victorious at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions and The American Express. At the 2023 Masters, the model was all over Rahm's second career major victory heading into the weekend. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the third round, but the model still projected him as the winner. It was the second straight Masters win for the model, which also nailed Scheffler winning in 2022.

This same model has also nailed a whopping 12 majors entering the weekend, including the last three Masters and 2024 PGA Championship. Anyone who has followed it is way up.

Now with the U.S. Open 2024 approaching, SportsLine simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard .

Top 2024 U.S. Open predictions 

One major surprise the model is calling for at the 2024 U.S. Open: Xander Schauffele, one of the top favorites and the most recent major winner at the PGA Championship, stumbles and barely cracks the top five. Schauffele finally picked up his first major win in 28 tries when he held off Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland at Valhalla in May.

That has vaulted him up in the PGA odds as he's now the co-second favorite in the U.S. Open 2024 odds. However, his overall track record doesn't justify that kind of status as he has just three top-five finishes in majors since 2019. He also was shaky at The Memorial over the weekend, shooting two rounds of 73 or higher to fall out of contention. The model has found better values to utilize in 2024 U.S. Open bets.  See who else to fade here .

Another surprise: Brooks Koepka, a 20-1 longshot, makes a strong run at the title. He has a much better chance to win than his long odds imply, so he's a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Koepka went on one of the most memorable winning streaks in the history of major championships several years ago, winning four majors in just two years.

He opened that stretch with a win in the 2017 U.S. Open, and he added another U.S. Open victory to his resume when he defended his title in 2018. Koepka added a runner-up finish in 2019 and a T4 in 2021 before finishing T17 last year. He has not cracked the top 15 at a major in his last four tries, but he is primed to make a run at another major title this weekend, especially since he finished T4 when Pinehurst No. 2 hosted the 2014 U.S. Open.  See who else to back here .

How to make 2024 U.S. Open picks

The model is also targeting two other golfers with odds of 20-1 or longer to make a strong run at the title. It's also targeting two triple-digit longshots in its best bets. Anyone who backs these longshots could hit it big. You can only see the model's picks here .

Who will win the 2024 U.S. Open, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Check out the U.S. Open 2024 odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected U.S. Open leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed 12 golf majors, including the last three Masters and the 2024 PGA Championship .

2024 U.S. Open odds, field

Get full 2024 U.S. Open picks, best bets, and predictions here

Scottie Scheffler 11-4 Rory McIlroy 10-1 Xander Schauffele 10-1 Bryson DeChambeau 10-1 Viktor Hovland 12-1 Ludvig Aberg 14-1 Collin Morikawa 14-1 Brooks Koepka 20-1 Patrick Cantlay 28-1 Cameron Smith 28-1 Max Homa 28-1 Wyndham Clark 33-1 Justin Thomas 35-1 Hideki Matsuyama 35-1 Cameron Young 40-1 Dustin Johnson 40-1 Jordan Spieth 40-1 Matt Fitzpatrick 40-1 Sahith Theegala 45-1 Tom Kim 45-1 Tony Finau 45-1 Tommy Fleetwood 45-1 Jason Day 45-1 Sungjae Im 50-1 Min Woo Lee 50-1 Tyrrell Hatton 50-1 Si Woo Kim 55-1 Will Zalatoris 55-1 Shane Lowry 60-1 Corey Conners 60-1 Sam Burns 60-1 Dean Burmester 60-1 Keegan Bradley 60-1 Byeong-Hun An 70-1 Brian Harman 75-1 Patrick Reed 80-1 Sepp Straka 90-1 Stephan Jaeger 90-1 David Puig 90-1 Russell Henley 90-1 Adrian Meronk 90-1 Jake Knapp 100-1 Justin Rose 100-1 Billy Horschel 100-1 Chris Kirk 100-1 Aaron Rai 100-1 Nicolai Hojgaard 100-1 Thomas Detry 125-1 Eric Cole 125-1 Phil Mickelson 125-1 Rickie Fowler 125-1 Tom McKibbin 125-1 Akshay Bhatia 125-1 Tiger Woods 125-1 Christiaan Bezuidenhout 125-1 Austin Eckroat 150-1 Victor Perez 150-1 Taylor Pendrith 150-1 Daniel Berger 150-1 Denny McCarthy 150-1 Cameron Davis 150-1 Emiliano Grillo 175-1 Taylor Moore 175-1 Ryan Fox 175-1 Tom Hoge 175-1 Harris English 175-1 Eugenio Chacarra 175-1 Adam Schenk 175-1 Adam Hadwin 175-1 Erik Van Rooyen 200-1 Nick Taylor 200-1 Kurt Kitayama 200-1 Rikuya Hoshino 200-1 J.T. Poston 200-1 Mackenzie Hughes 200-1 Beau Hossler 200-1 Lucas Glover 200-1 Seamus Power 225-1 Grant Forrest 225-1 Adam Svensson 225-1 Davis Thompson 225-1 Harry Higgs 250-1 Gary Woodland 250-1 Mark Hubbard 250-1 Matthieu Pavon 250-1 Richard Mansell 250-1 Webb Simpson 250-1 Greyson Sigg 250-1 Ben Kohles 300-1 Brendon Todd 300-1 Tim Widing 300-1 Sam Bairstow 300-1 Peter Malnati 300-1 Sam Bennett 300-1 Matteo Manassero 300-1 Gordon Sargent 300-1 Jason Scrivener 300-1 Justin Lower 350-1 Casey Jarvis 350-1 Chesson Hadley 350-1 Nicolas Echavarria 350-1 Nick Dunlap 350-1 Zac Blair 350-1 Frankie Capan III 400-1 Max Greyserman 400-1 Matt Kuchar 400-1 S.H. Kim 400-1 Robert Rock 400-1 Chris Petefish 400-1 Rico Hoey 400-1 Wells Williams 500-1 Sung Kang 500-1 Charles Reiter 500-1 Federik Kjettrup 500-1 Ashton McCulloch 500-1 Ryo Ishikawa 500-1 Isaiah Salinda 500-1 Mcclure Meissner 500-1 Brandon Wu 500-1 Jackson Buchanan 500-1 Michael McGowan 500-1 Jim Herman 500-1 Brian Campbell 500-1 Logan McAllister 500-1 Carson Schaake 500-1 John Chin 500-1 Benjamin James 500-1 Omar Morales 500-1 Luke Clanton 500-1 Neal Shipley 500-1 Gunnar Broin 500-1 Stewart Hagestad 500-1 Carter Jenkins 500-1 Francisco Molinari 500-1 Brandon Robinson Thompson 500-1 Taisei Shimizu 500-1 Chris Naegel 500-1 Willie Mack III 500-1 Hiroshi Tai 500-1 Parker Bell 500-1 Takumi Kanaya 500-1 Colin Prater 500-1 Andrew Svoboda 500-1 Bryan Kim 500-1 Santiago De La Fuente 500-1 Riki Kawamoto 500-1 Joey Vrzich 500-1 Edoardo Molinari 500-1 Martin Kaymer 750-1

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World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is just like us at golf, except a whole lot better | Oller

The No. 1 golfer in the world looked like the rest of us Saturday at the Memorial Tournament . For one hole. 

When Scottie Scheffler duck-hooked his tee shot at No. 9 into a tree, over a chain link fence and into the woods, many of the shocked spectators at Muirfield Village Golf Club shared the same thought: “He looks like me.”

When Scheffler re-tee'd and hit his penalty shot into the right rough, you could almost hear the crowd cackle: “Feels familiar.”

And when Scheffler chopped out of the deep rough, his golf ball running through the fairway into more rough, amateur hackers everywhere nodded in agreement: “Been there, done that.” 

Finally, Scheffler found the green, 14 feet from the pin. He two-putted for a triple-bogey 7. Many of us would have 3-putted for an 8, but you get the idea. 

What differentiates golf from most other sports is that the separation between the pros and us feels both tantalizingly close and incredibly far. Those who play the game for a living occasionally hit clunkers and sometimes fail to get out of the sand. We can relate.

So when Scheffler yanked his tee shot at No. 9, well, welcome to the club, bub. He also fired a bunker shot over the green and into the water at No. 5, but the ninth was the real eye-opener.

We don’t think that way with other sports. No one watches LeBron James shoot an airball and boasts, “I can guard him.” And only a fool sees Shohei Ohtani strike out and brags “I would have hit that pitch.” 

Ah, but PGA Tour players always get the last laugh. Sure, they hit stray shots and miss 4-footers, but mostly their level of expertise is hard to fathom.

The average amateur high-handicapper is amazed at the skill of a scratch golfer when the two are paired together at a public course; that scratch player cannot believe how well the club pro hits it around; few club pros ever get a sniff of making it on the lower-level pro tours.

These guys are really, really good

Those mini-tour guys can only dream of competing on the Korn Ferry Tour, which ranks right below the PGA Tour. The majority of Korn Ferry players never qualify for the PGA Tour. A PGA Tour “journeyman” would clean an amateur’s clock, every time, but then struggles to compete against the top 10 players in the world.

Those top 10 are the cream of the crop, but even among them, there is clear separation. And his name is Scheffler.

That’s right, the same guy who pulled his drive at No. 9 into New Albany is so much better than anyone else at the moment, and it’s not even close.

Adam Hadwin, who entering Sunday’s final round is in a three-way tie for second, four shots behind Scheffler, marveled at Scheffler’s game. 

“He’s as solid as they come,” Hadwin said. “He’s the No. 1 player in the world for a reason. He’s far and above the No. 1 player, I believe, especially after watching today.”

Hadwin trailed Scheffler by three shots through eight holes but had to feel he had a chance when the triple bogey at No. 9 dropped the 27-year-old Texan back into a tie at 8-under par.

“Obviously, a couple holes there where some things didn’t go his way,” Hadwin said. “But the way he started and the way he – the sound that he hits it with and the ball flight and the shape of the shots – I don’t expect him to lose this golf tournament. One of us is going to have to make a run tomorrow.”

Scheffler, who declined to be interviewed, except by Golf Channel and the Associated Press, proved his mental makeup at No. 10. A blowup hole like No. 9 sometimes derails an entire round, but he bounced back with a birdie at No. 10, then birdied 12 and 15 before finishing with a bogey at 18.

“It was a slight pull, nothing drastic,” Scheffler said to Golf Channel of his drive at the ninth, adding he was proud of the way he rebounded on the back nine.

His career is rallying, too. Scheffler turned pro in 2018 but did not join the PGA Tour until 2020. It took him a year to get up to speed, but since 2021, his game has gone into overdrive. In 123 starts he has 10 wins and 54 top-10s. Four of the wins have come during the past three months.

Such is Scheffler’s dominance that he is favored to win every time he tees it up. Golf has not seen this kind of mastery of the sport since Tiger Woods. 

But, please, tap the brakes on comparing the current world’s best to the best ever. Through his first 123 starts, Woods won 33 times and had 79 top-10s. Truly incredible stuff. So amazing that when compared to Tiger, Scottie really does look like the rest of us.

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