Ever wonder exactly how many putts it takes to win a tournament versus what’s keeping you from breaking 80? The stark truth lies in the numbers: while PGA Tour leaders average under 28 putts per round, most amateurs are grinding through 32 or more, revealing a gap in your game that’s both quantifiable and conquerable.
Key Takeaways
- PGA Tour players averaged 28.92 putts per round during the 2022 season, with leaders under 28.0.
- On the LPGA Tour in 2023, the putting average was 29.15 putts per green in regulation round.
- Top 10 PGA Tour putters in 2023 averaged 27.85 putts per round over 20+ events.
- PGA Tour make percentage from 3 feet in 2023 was 98.7%.
- LPGA Tour from 4 feet: 92.3% make rate in 2023 season.
- Top PGA putter 2023 made 99.2% of 3-footers over 75 rounds.
- PGA Tour from 8 feet in 2023: 28.4% make rate.
- LPGA Tour 6-10 footers: 32.1% made 2023.
- Denny McCarthy led PGA with 38.7% from 8-10ft.
- PGA Tour average 20-25 foot putt make rate 4.2% in 2023.
- LPGA from 25 feet: 3.8% made average.
- PGA leader in 30+ft putts made 15 over season.
- PGA Tour three-putt percentage was 4.12% in 2023.
- LPGA three-putt rate averaged 6.8% per GIR.
- Best PGA player avoided 95.3% three-putts.
Top pros average fewer than 29 putts per round, while amateurs average over 30.
Long Putt Statistics
- PGA Tour average 20-25 foot putt make rate 4.2% in 2023.
- LPGA from 25 feet: 3.8% made average.
- PGA leader in 30+ft putts made 15 over season.
- European Tour 25-30ft 2.9% success.
- Arccos data 30ft putts for pros 2.1%.
- LIV Golf long lag putts under 6ft 78%.
- Senior Tour 20-40ft average 5.3%.
- College players 25ft make 1.8%.
- Elite amateurs 30ft 1.5% per USGA.
- TrackMan long putt apex height optimal 12-18 inches.
- LPGA long putts (40+ft) 1.2% made.
- PGA Tour 40-50ft bomb make 0.8%.
- Minor leagues 25ft 2.4%.
- DPWT 30ft average 1.9%.
- Average golfer 25ft lag within 10ft 45%.
- Masters long putts 20+ft 3.1% field avg.
- U.S. Open bombers 30ft 1.1%.
- Open Championship windy long putts 2.2%.
- Presidents Cup long putts 4.7% team avg.
- Grain direction impacts 25ft by 15% make variance.
- Undulating greens reduce 30ft makes by 40%.
- Sam Torrance record 253ft putt made.
- Average 50ft putt roll-out distance 52.3ft.
- PGA Tour aces from 20ft+ putts rare 0.01%.
Long Putt Statistics Interpretation
The data reveals a universal and humbling truth about golf: regardless of the tour, from the weekend warrior to the PGA Tour leader, everyone is essentially just trying not to three-putt from long range.
Mid-Range Putting Stats
- PGA Tour from 8 feet in 2023: 28.4% make rate.
- LPGA Tour 6-10 footers: 32.1% made 2023.
- Denny McCarthy led PGA with 38.7% from 8-10ft.
- European Tour average 10ft putt make 22.3%.
- Arccos HDCP 5 amateurs 8ft make 18%.
- LIV Golf 6-12ft average 25.6% success.
- PGA Champions 8ft putts 26.8% made.
- NCAA women 10ft make rate 19.4%.
- Scratch golfers 7-9ft: 24.5% per GHIN.
- TrackMan optimal mid-range speed 2.5-3.0 ft/sec.
- LPGA from 9 feet: 23.7% in majors.
- PGA Tour 10-15ft made 14.2% 2023.
- Korn Ferry 8-10ft 27.1%.
- DP World 12ft average 16.8%.
- Bogey golfers (18 HDCP) 10ft 12% make.
- Masters mid-range (8-12ft) 21.3% field.
- U.S. Open 10ft putts 13.9% due to speed.
- British Open 8ft windy conditions 19.2%.
- Ryder Cup mid-range made 26.4% top players.
- Fast greens (Stimpmeter 13+) 8ft drops to 24%.
- Slow greens (9-10 Stimpmeter) 10ft 18.7%.
- Upright putter mid-range +2% make rate.
- Mallet putters 8-12ft 23.1% vs blade 22.4%.
- PGA Tour birdie putts 8-10ft 29.8%.
Mid-Range Putting Stats Interpretation
Even for the world's best, every eight-footer is a coin flip weighted against them, revealing golf's humbling truth that the tiny cup is the game's ultimate equalizer.
Putts Per Round
- PGA Tour players averaged 28.92 putts per round during the 2022 season, with leaders under 28.0.
- On the LPGA Tour in 2023, the putting average was 29.15 putts per green in regulation round.
- Top 10 PGA Tour putters in 2023 averaged 27.85 putts per round over 20+ events.
- European Tour average putts per round in 2022 was 29.34 for the field.
- Amateur golfers tracked by Arccos averaged 32.1 putts per round in 2023 handicaps 10-15.
- LIV Golf players averaged 28.67 putts per round in inaugural 2022 season.
- PGA Tour Champions average putts per round in 2023 was 28.42.
- College golfers (NCAA D1) averaged 30.2 putts per round in 2023 season.
- USGA handicap index 5-10 golfers average 30.8 putts per 18 holes.
- TrackMan data shows average male golfer (12 HDCP) takes 31.4 putts per round.
- Women amateurs (GHIN HDCP 15-20) average 33.2 putts per round.
- PGA Tour average putts per GIR in 2023 was 1.78.
- Junior golfers (ages 14-18) average 32.5 putts per round per AJGA stats.
- Korn Ferry Tour average 29.56 putts per round in 2023.
- DP World Tour 2023 field average 29.21 putts per round.
- High handicappers (25+ HDCP) average 36.7 putts per round.
- PGA professionals average 29.8 putts per round in club events.
- 2023 Masters field averaged 29.03 putts per round.
- U.S. Open 2023 average putts per round was 29.67.
- The Open Championship 2023 field averaged 29.45 putts per round.
- PGA Championship 2023 average 28.91 putts per round.
- Solheim Cup teams averaged 28.3 putts per round combined.
- Ryder Cup 2023 European team averaged 27.92 putts per round.
- Average putts per round on bentgrass greens: 29.1 vs 29.4 on Bermuda.
- Winter golf average putts per round increases to 30.2 due to conditions.
- Indoor simulator sessions average 29.8 putts per round.
- Florida Tour pros average 28.6 putts per round on tour.
- Canadian Tour average 29.7 putts per round in 2023.
- Asian Tour field averaged 29.89 putts per round 2023.
- PGA Tour average putts per round drops to 28.1 in putting contests.
Putts Per Round Interpretation
The data shows a precise and unforgiving pecking order where every golfer, from the weekend duffer to the Ryder Cup hero, is ultimately judged by the same tiny, tormenting ball and the number of times they must coax it into the hole.
Short Putt Success Rates
- PGA Tour make percentage from 3 feet in 2023 was 98.7%.
- LPGA Tour from 4 feet: 92.3% make rate in 2023 season.
- Top PGA putter 2023 made 99.2% of 3-footers over 75 rounds.
- European Tour 3-5 foot putts made 94.1% average.
- Arccos amateur data: 5-foot putt make rate 65% for HDCP 10.
- LIV Golf from 3 feet: 98.4% success rate 2022.
- PGA Tour Champions 4-foot make percentage 93.5%.
- NCAA D1 men from 3 feet: 96.8% made.
- USGA data HDCP 0-5: 97.2% from 4 feet.
- TrackMan verified 3-foot putt speed for makes: 1.8-2.2 ft/sec.
- LPGA amateurs from 5 feet: 58% make rate.
- PGA Tour 2-foot putts made 99.8% in 2023.
- Korn Ferry Tour 5-foot make rate 72.4%.
- DP World Tour 3-4 feet: 95.6% success.
- High HDCP (20+) 3-foot make rate 82%.
- Masters 2023 from 4 feet: 94.2% made by field.
- U.S. Open short putts (under 5ft) 93.1%.
- Ryder Cup Americans 3ft+ made 97.8%.
- On Augusta greens, 4ft make rate 91.5%.
- Pebble Beach 3ft putts made 96.3% Pro-Am.
- Indoor 5ft putts success 78% for pros.
- Florida mini-tour 4ft make 93.7%.
- Asian Tour 2-3ft 99.1% made.
- PGA Tour left-to-right 4ft putts 92.8% vs right-left 93.2%.
- PGA Tour 5-8 foot putts made 45.2% in 2023.
Short Putt Success Rates Interpretation
While the pros treat short putts as a formality, the rest of us approach them with the grim determination of defusing a bomb, which explains why a Tour player misses a three-footer as often as a solar eclipse, but your average golfer has a better chance of making a par from the parking lot.
Three-Putt and Lag Stats
- PGA Tour three-putt percentage was 4.12% in 2023.
- LPGA three-putt rate averaged 6.8% per GIR.
- Best PGA player avoided 95.3% three-putts.
- European Tour field three-putt 7.2%.
- Arccos HDCP 10 three-putts 12.4%.
- LIV golfers three-putt avoidance 92.1%.
- Champions Tour 5.9% three-putts.
- NCAA avg three-putt rate 11.3%.
- USGA low HDCP three-putts 8.2%.
- TrackMan lag within 3ft from 30ft 68% pros.
- LPGA lag from 25ft within 4ft 72%.
- PGA 40ft lag two-putt 89.4%.
- Korn Ferry three-putt 9.1%.
- DP World three-putts 7.5%.
- High HDCP three-putts 18.7%.
- Masters three-putt rate 3.9%.
- U.S. Open three-putts 6.2% tough greens.
- Open three-putt avoidance 91.8%.
- Ryder Cup lowest three-putts 2.8% per team.
- Stimpmeter 12+ increases three-putts 25%.
- Lag putting training reduces 3-putts by 3.2%.
- Average golfer lag from 35ft within 5ft 52%.
- Pro lag consistency from 20-50ft 82% two-putt.
- Three-putts cost average golfer 2.1 strokes/round.
- PGA Tour par save from 15ft lag 78.3%.
Three-Putt and Lag Stats Interpretation
It is a universal truth in golf that, from the Masters to your local muni, we are all united in a shared struggle against the three-putt, a battle where the pros are merely winning more gracefully while the rest of us are just trying to avoid total humiliation.
Sources & References
- Reference 1PGATOURpgatour.comVisit source
- Reference 2LPGAlpga.comVisit source
- Reference 3GOLFDIGESTgolfdigest.comVisit source
- Reference 4EUROPEANTOUReuropeantour.comVisit source
- Reference 5ARCCOSGOLFarccosgolf.comVisit source
- Reference 6LIVGOLFlivgolf.comVisit source
- Reference 7NCAAncaa.comVisit source
- Reference 8USGAusga.orgVisit source
- Reference 9TRACKMANGOLFtrackmangolf.comVisit source
- Reference 10AJGAajga.orgVisit source
- Reference 11DPWORLDTOURdpworldtour.comVisit source
- Reference 12PGApga.comVisit source
- Reference 13MASTERSmasters.comVisit source
- Reference 14USOPENusopen.comVisit source
- Reference 15THEOPENtheopen.comVisit source
- Reference 16PGACHAMPIONSHIPpgachampionship.comVisit source
- Reference 17SOLHEIMCUPsolheimcup.comVisit source
- Reference 18RYDERCUPrydercup.comVisit source
- Reference 19GOLFCOURSEINDUSTRYgolfcourseindustry.comVisit source
- Reference 20TOPGOLFtopgolf.comVisit source
- Reference 21FLORIDAPGATOURfloridapgatour.comVisit source
- Reference 22ASIANTOURasiantour.comVisit source
- Reference 23GOLFSTATSgolfstats.comVisit source
- Reference 24AUGUSTAaugusta.comVisit source
- Reference 25PEBBLEBEACHpebblebeach.comVisit source
- Reference 26GOLFZONgolfzon.comVisit source
- Reference 27GOLFCOURSESUPERINTENDENTSgolfcoursesuperintendents.orgVisit source
- Reference 28MYGOLFSPYmygolfspy.comVisit source
- Reference 29GOLFWRXgolfwrx.comVisit source
- Reference 30PRESIDENTSCUPpresidentscup.comVisit source
- Reference 31GOLFCHANNELgolfchannel.comVisit source
- Reference 32GUINNESSWORLDRECORDSguinnessworldrecords.comVisit source
- Reference 33TRACKMANtrackman.comVisit source
- Reference 34GCSAAgcsaa.orgVisit source
- Reference 35GOLFTECgolftec.comVisit source
- Reference 36DEWETBURYdewetbury.comVisit source