Best putters on the European Tour

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Ever wondered who is the best putter on the European Tour?
Probably not, but I'm going to tell you anyway.
Here is the current list of the top 20 with their average number of putts per round being the deciding factor.
Under the European Tour's statistic "rules," the "use of the putter from off the green does not constitute a putt."
Ironically, Alastair Forsyth, pictured, has been the best putter among the Scots on the European Tour in 2010, averaging 29.6 per round, which gave him joint 62nd ranking overall. Ironically, because Alastair has lost his Tour card and is heading for the Final Tour School in Spain next month.
Andrew Coltart and Paul Lawrie, who both played in the 1999 Ryder Cup match at Brookline, Massachusetts, come next in joint 77th position with a shared average of 29.7 putts per round.

THE TOP 20 PUTTERS
1 Fredrik ANDERSSON HED 28 putts average per round.
1 Luke DONALD 28 putts average per round.
3 Marcus FRASER 28.2
4 George COETZEE 28.3 
5 Pelle EDBERG 28.4  6 Christian CÉVAËR 28.5 
6 Miguel Angel JIMÉNEZ 28.5
8 David HOWELL 28.7 
8 James MORRISON 28.7
8 Lee WESTWOOD 28.7 
11 Brett RUMFORD 28.8
11 Damien MCGRANE 28.8 
11 David HORSEY 28.8 
11 Michael LORENZO-VERA 28.8 
11 Paul BROADHURST 28.8
11 Rhys DAVIES 28.8

11 Søren KJELDSEN 28.8

18 Jamie ELSON 28.9

18 Nick DOUGHERTY 28.9

18 Prayad MARKSAENG 28.9

SCOTS' RANKINGS (as putters)

T62 Alastair FORSYTH 29.6

T77 Paul LAWRIE 29.7.

T77 Andrew COLTART 29.7.

T85 Peter WHITEFORD 29.8.

T96 Colin MONTGOMERIE 29.9.

T96 David DRYSDALE 29.9.

T107 Marc WARREN 30.

T125 Callum MACAULAY 30.2.

T152 Scott DRUMMOND 30.3.

T178 Richie RAMSAY 32.2.

186 Steven O'HARA 32.

+Just to put the professionals' putting stats into perspective, it is debatable if the average club golfer, handicap 12 to 24, ever counts his putts per round. Probably just as well, 36 putts would represent a good average for him.
If you don't agree, E-mail your view to Colin@scottishgolfview.com

First response from Newmachar Golf Club member

RICHARD DENNING

(who played at the inaugural Morocco Festival at Marrakech in October)

 My putts per round average is 31.86 ( and I do keep my stats) - and my handicap is currently 14.

Surprisingly, as my handicap comes down, I expect my putts per round to go up! 

Why, I hear you ask? 

Well, the better I get the more greens in regulation (currently 20%) I hope to hit. At the moment I miss quite a lot and then have a pitch or chip onto the green from close range - so I give myself more chances of a single putt.

When I start hitting more greens I don't expect my shots to get as close to the flag as my pitches/chips do, so I'll end up not having so many single putts and more three putts.

Regards

Richard Denning

Pictured right: Richard Denning and his wife Caroline, winners of  the man and lady section of the better-ball pairs at the 2010 Morocco Festival at Marrakech.
Editor's Note:
The 2nd Morocco Festival will be held over FIVE courses in the Marrakech region from October 8 to 15, 2011. Don't miss it. We're making several changes to the week's programme to give lower handicap players a better chance. For instance, the categories will be made up on handicaps rather than age. The lower handicap players will play stroke-play, the higher handicap players Stableford.

A better-ball pairs competition (Sunday), a three-round aggregate event (Monday-Tuesday-Thursday) and finally a one-round sweepstake (Friday) with a Rest/Leisure day on the Wednesday. Plus visits to local places of interest, capped by a Gala Dinner on the Friday night, complete with a belly dancer! 

E-mail Colin@Scottishgolfview.com if you are interested in joining the fun. We had 47 entries in October this year. It might well be we have to put a limit on the numbers in 2011. Don't miss out by not making up your mind until it's too late.

E-mail from Graham Leslie (Golf Data Lab)

Richard Denning's email is spot on. He understands that there is an inversely proportional relationship between Putts per Rd and Greens In Regulation. I would sincerely hope for his sake that his PpR do not get worse than his 31.86 but his understanding of the relationship between the two is important.

The number of putts that we take on average per round tells us very little, on its own, for the precise reason that he identified. There has been much research that has been conducted in recent months to find an alternative method of measuring putting expertise (or otherwise) and this is very close to fruition.

Putts per Round tables are a complete white elephant, as anyone who plays golf and who is even semi-interested in performance measurement will understand.

Graeme Leslie

Golf Data Lab