Could a 5 handicap putt better than Adam Scott?

[jslane57]

I just saw that Scott is like -20.144 for 38 measured rounds strokes gained putting. So then I looked at DJ who was famously poor at putting and he is so much better than Scott at 18.779. Jordan who is thought to be one of the best ever putters is at -14.494. So what to think of this? I think a 5 hcp who is there due to poor driving and missing greens, maybe so, maybe they could put better than Scott...this week. Not any week that he like won the Masters!

[larrybud]

No, Adam Scott makes 47% of 10 footers, and is, in fact, 36th in the world:

 

https://www.pgatour....s/stat.348.html

 

No 5 handicapper is doing that.

 

 

Now, Keegan? dude is 7 for 40 from 10', 17%.... Ya wonder how a guy like that even makes birdies.

[ezpz]

No way. Would it be a closer match than a long game shootout? Yes, but no chance.

[deadsolid...shank]

Most 5’s don’t get to putt on the quality of greens AS putts on weekly either.

 

Take a very good amateur putter and put him on much better greens. He’s making more putts.

[nbg352]

I'd tend to think that there are very few 5 handicaps that can putt as well as Scott.

[TerpFangolfer]

you put a 5 in tournament conditions with 50K eyeballs watching you against a tour player of his caliber. Think about it.

 

Everyone is scratch when no one is watching.

 

exactly what I was going to say!...take one of these 5's who "rolls it great every time"...and put him on Tour speed greens, on TV, 1000s of fans, David Feherty greenside with the headset on - and let's see how he rolls it

 

Conversely, put AS out with the 5 in a casual round - no pressure, etc...I'll take AS - even without the broomstick

[nbg352]

you put a 5 in tournament conditions with 50K eyeballs watching you against a tour player of his caliber. Think about it.

 

Everyone is scratch when no one is watching.

 

exactly what I was going to say!...take one of these 5's who "rolls it great every time"...and put him on Tour speed greens, on TV, 1000s of fans, David Feherty greenside with the headset on - and let's see how he rolls it

 

Conversely, put AS out with the 5 in a casual round - no pressure, etc...I'll take AS - even without the broomstick

I'd take Adam even if he left his putter at home....

[gentles]

No, Adam Scott makes 47% of 10 footers, and is, in fact, 36th in the world:

 

https://www.pgatour....s/stat.348.html

 

No 5 handicapper is doing that.

 

 

Now, Keegan? dude is 7 for 40 from 10', 17%.... Ya wonder how a guy like that even makes birdies.

 

This is a strange stat to pick out - exactly 10'. AS is outside the top 140 in both putting from 5-10' and 10-15', as well as other measures of putting performance. Makes more sense to pick a stat where you have a much better sample size.

[Shilgy]

What many are overlooking imho is that AS is being compared to other pros. So he appears to be a poor putter. Your 5 cap is being compared to other handicap players. And he might look good in comparison. Every successful tour player is a very good putter. Way better than a 5 cap.

[Lefthook]

6-7 handicapper but i like my chances here....

[Bye]

No. He’s definitely having a rough year on the greens, but he’s 3rd in the GIR stat. My bet is he holes more putts on slower greens and a 5 handicap holes less on tour speed greens.

[pinhigh27]

I’ve seen guys who can’t hit it worth a lick with a full swing but put a damn near perfect roll on the ball everytime.

 

And that person can't putt half as good as Adam Scott blindfolded

[dlygrisse]

I’ve seen guys who can’t hit it worth a lick with a full swing but put a damn near perfect roll on the ball everytime.

 

And that person can't putt half as good as Adam Scott blindfolded

 

Pin I disagree. 1/2 as Good blindfolded? Yeah right. Except for the fact AS has done it under the pressure on the highest stage he wouldn’t win.

 

I played a round once with a guy who won on the Asian tour. Great ball striker, unbelievable distance control. Great pitcher and chipper. I am a 9 handicap and I am a better putter, at least in a casual round. Granted my short game is probably scratch level and my ball striking 18 but you get my point. Not all of these guys are God’s on the greens.

 

Edit: when I say better I mean day in day out I’m probably going to gain a stroke here or there. He’s probably a streaky putter, butt I certainly putted much better that day.

[Dan Drake]

Defining the contest would go a long way towards answering this question, but here are a few points:

 

Scott currently is averaging -.53 strokes gained per round putting

I'm currently averaging -1.38 strokes gained per round putting and I'm a 3.0 index as of the last revision

 

There are certainly higher handicaps who are better putters than I am, and I would beat Scott at least a few times at whatever contest was proposed, as long as it wasn't a "all year" type of thing. And no, I'm not putting under the same pressure that he is, for a multitude of reasons. For instance, I'm not as young as he is, I'm not as good looking as he is, I'm not as rich as he is, yada, yada, yada. Heck, you could make the argument that I putt under MORE pressure than he does, lol!

 

Anyway, this is kinda like the long drive deal mentioned earlier. There are "5 caps" out there who can out drive DJ and there are certainly "5 caps" out there who can out putt Scott.

 

But, you have to realize that it is still very, very rare.

[kyledeen]

worst putter on tour is lightyears better than best putter you know.

[deadsolid...shank]

I’ve seen guys who can’t hit it worth a lick with a full swing but put a damn near perfect roll on the ball everytime.

 

And that person can't putt half as good as Adam Scott blindfolded

 

Except that they very well might be able to. Big, big difference in the skill sets of the golf swing as compared to the putting stroke.

 

And since we’re resorting to hyperbole. Get him out here, put the blindfold on him, and put your money on that.

 

I’m a poor putting three, blindfold him and I’ll put everything I own on myself.

[double_d]

worst putter on tour is lightyears better than best putter you know.

 

...and the best putter on tour isn't the best putter in the world. Just like the longest Driver on tour isn't the longest driver in the world.

 

https://msop.com/

[Ty_Webb]

worst putter on tour is lightyears better than best putter you know.

 

Not even remotely close to true

[deadsolid...shank]

worst putter on tour is lightyears better than best putter you know.

 

...and the best putter on tour isn't the best putter in the world. Just like the longest Driver on tour isn't the longest driver in the world.

 

https://msop.com/

 

People keep equating the talent and ability that make up the full swing with that of the putting stroke. There’s a lot of people out there who can putt very well, but can’t play at all.

[me05501]

No 5-capper has ever had to make putts to earn his living. It's a ridiculous proposition.

[dlygrisse]

worst putter on tour is lightyears better than best putter you know.

 

Exaggerate much?

 

Ball striking is what separates the pro from the handicap player. There are tour players who aren’t great putters. Sure they are still great putters on a relative level. But come on, I know some guys who can roll it pretty good. AS at his best was bad for a pro, he is horrible now. Light years? Naw. Maybe slightly.

[gentles]

worst putter on tour is lightyears better than best putter you know.

 

Not even remotely close to true

 

Agree with this - any attempt at arguing will likely be rebuffed with references to things like tournament pressure, different green slopes that can't be controlled for anyway.

[dlygrisse]

No 5-capper has ever had to make putts to earn his living. It's a ridiculous proposition.

 

No but I have seen and been part of some money that hurts if lost.

 

Trevino said pressure isn’t playing for 100’s of 1000’s of dollars. Pressure is playing for $50 when you have $20 in your pocket.

[deadsolid...shank]

No 5-capper has ever had to make putts to earn his living. It's a ridiculous proposition.

 

Aren’t most of these type threads ridiculous propositions? That’s part of what makes them fun to participate in. Becasue there is no absolute answer.

 

AS hits it great, and is a terrific brand ambassador to earn his living. His putting keeps his living a little lower.

[RobertBaron]

Potentially putting is the most egalitarian part of golf. I could see a low handicapper being an elite level putter even though the rest of their game is nowhere close to the pga tour.

 

I think the real issue would be how much experience a strong am has on tour level speed greens.

[GSDriver]

I suck at putting, which is why I can't get to scratch....but don't really care, as being a sub 5 out of the trunk is good enough for me to have fun playing.

 

I don't practice and have no desire to, I beat 95%+ of people I play with or get paired with, and have no intention of going Pro.....those guys, even web.com or mini-tour are too freaking good to bother trying.

 

There's was a mini-tour event years ago @ Waterchase in Ft. Worth few years back, played at like 7400 yards, think the winning score was like 15 under for 3 rounds (IIRC) some guy from outside TX won, so clearly wasn't too familiar with course....at that point you realize "those guys are really, really good"

[GolfTurkey]

I would love to see a 5 handicapper facing a downhill putt at Augusta.

[dap]

How would the 5 cope with TV cameras, galleries and potentially millions of people watching? Might turn a good putter into a yipper.

[Insidious2]

This was covered in the book Every Shot Counts and the answer is yes

[8thehardway]

worst putter on tour is lightyears better than best putter you know.

 

...and the best putter on tour isn't the best putter in the world. Just like the longest Driver on tour isn't the longest driver in the world.

 

https://msop.com/

 

I agree, and it's not even close