There are few events that are more frustrating for amateur golfers than missing what appears to be a simple putt after a superb approach shot.
The theory of ‘drive for show, putt for dough’ seems outdated now. However, it definitely remains the case that a poor player on the greens will struggle to enjoy significant success.
Do you think you could win The Masters if you started every hole on the green?
If not, how many shots would you also need?
Rico Hoey was second on the PGA Tour in 2025 for strokes gained tee to green. But because he was 180th for strokes gained putting, he required a brilliant run of form in the fall just to keep his full card for 2026.
Hoey was actually in last place in the latter category. The man at the top of the list was Sam Burns, with the US Open contender gaining 0.983 shots per round on the greens in 2025.
The routine Sam Burns uses on the practice putting green
Burns did not have the best year overall. However, his form did improve towards the end of the regular season. And it is surely fair to say that his putting played a key role in the 29-year-old earning a place on Keegan Bradley’s Ryder Cup team.
And speaking on Bryan Bros Golf, Burns explained the routine he goes through on the practice green to prepare for rounds.
“What you saw me doing earlier, just hitting putts on a chalkline. I usually start pretty much every time hitting putts on the chalkline, probably 100 a day when I practice, because I’ve always felt like if I can start it on line consistently every time, then I’m going to hit putts a lot more confidently, just because I know what it has to do,” he said.
“After that, I let the athletic side take over in putting. I do AimPoint, but I don’t use it as a perfect [way to read greens]. If I feel okay, this is a two, I’m not necessarily going to play it a two if I look at it and my eyes and my feet tell me that’s too much or that’s not enough, I’ll adjust a little bit. And then I’ll just focus on hitting – I’m more of a deadweight putter – I think it’s probably because I play here, you just can’t hit putts firm.
“I always pick a spot three or four inches in front of my ball and then just try and roll it over that. I just try to pick start lines because I’ve always thought that there’s just so many different lines and speeds you can make a putt. If I get so locked in on one track, that’s not necessarily how I see it every time.
“50 to 100 on the chalkline probably takes 15 to 20 minutes. And then I’ll take a level and just do some one, two, three per cent breaking putts and just feel those out with my feet and match them up with the level and just hit them to train my eyes.”
The best putters on the PGA Tour in 2025 show how important success with the flat stick remains
It is interesting that the five best putters on the PGA Tour in 2025 failed to register a single win between them this past season.
| Position | Player | Strokes gained putting per round |
| 1 | Sam Burns | 0.983 |
| 2 | Taylor Montgomery | 0.917 |
| 3 | Harry Hall | 0.881 |
| 4 | Denny McCarthy | 0.679 |
| 5 | Nico Echavarria | 0.666 |
Taylor Montgomery and Denny McCarthy are stalwarts in that top five. Patrick Cantlay has previously labelled McCarthy the best putter in the world.
Harry Hall looked to be an outside contender to make Europe’s Ryder Cup team. Meanwhile, Nico Echavarria is one of those players who always seems to put himself in the mix at some stage during a tournament.
Of course, their failure to win in 2025 does not mean that putting is irrelevant. Garrick Higgo, Cameron Young, Rory McIlroy, and Sami Valimaki all feature in the top 10.
Scottie Scheffler moved up to 22nd in 2025 having been an average putter the previous season.
So while the long game may be particularly influential in this current era, it is clear that being an exceptional putter remains extremely important.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
