Do these putting stats reveal who can win the Masters this weekend?
A solid performance around the formidable greens of Augusta National is absolutely essential in a player’s quest to earn a green jacket. As the final two rounds of the 2022 tournament are about to take place, some interesting putting stats from the first two days have given us some fascinating insight into who the hottest putter on the court is right now. Can we spot an outside run from an in-form putter this week?
Justin Thomas currently stands alone as the best putter in the field so far. He shot the lowest round of the day on Friday and pitched just 52 times over his 36 holes. He had three putts just once, averaging just 1.44 putts per hole, but he’s still seven strokes behind the lead. Harold Varner III is just behind, having bet only once more than Thomas.
The current leader by five shots, Scottie Scheffler, is, unsurprisingly, up there in the putting stats as well. He is averaging 1.53 putts per hole and also only has a three putt all week. Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama, who is currently tied for second, has also had a strong start on the greens, averaging 1.56 putts per hole with zero three putts this week.
Other names at the top of the putting stats can also be found at the top of the leaderboard, proving that players with a hot putter should be able to get away with four days in Augusta. Interestingly, Abraham Ancer, who missed the cut, was tied for second in putt stats for the week while Charl Schwartzel, who is tied for second, found himself 35th in putt stats.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
On the other end of the spectrum, those who had cold flatsticks Thursday and Friday are on an early flight out of Georgia this morning. Tyrrell Hatton, who regretted his terrible putting all week, averaged 1.83 putts per hole and three putts four times on the 36 greens he played. Rory McIlroy is T72nd in the same putting stats, which may be undermining any chances of him making a run on the court this weekend.
So what can we learn? Well, Justin Thomas’ hot putter could carry him through a weekend load. He currently sits seven shots off the lead but is clearly connected on the Augusta greens at the moment.
