The Top 10 Players in Strokes Gained Putting on the PGA Tour

Who were the best putters on the PGA Tour in 2015? 

To answer that, we'll take a look at the tour's proprietary measure of putting success: strokes gained: putting. 

For those that don't fully grasp how the figure is calculated, here's the formula's inventor, Columbia Business School professor, Mark Broadie, as explained on Golf.com:

"

[The] stat measures the number of putts a golfer takes relative to the PGA Tour average, taking into account the initial putt distance on each green. In 2010 Luke Donald led the Tour with 0.871 strokes gained. That means in each round, he gained an average of 0.871 strokes on the field just from his superior putting ability. Here's how the stat is computed. Suppose, for example, a golfer one-putts from 33 feet. The Tour average to hole-out from that distance is 2.0 putts, so a one-putt gains one putt on the field. A two-putt neither gains nor loses, but a three-putt represents a loss of one putt (or stroke) against the field.

"

We'll take at look at the PGA Tour's official figures for strokes gained: putting for the 2014-2015 season to bring you the tour's 10 best.

10. Harris English

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Strokes gained: putting: .566

2015 putting: Statistical highlights

• Three-putt avoidance: 2.23% (20)
• Putting from 4-8': 74.66% (10)
• Putting inside 10': 89.68% (5)

Harris English made 24 of 29 cuts in 2015 with three top-10 finishes. English improved his putting greatly in 2015, jumping from 105 to 10 in strokes gained: putting the year prior. 

9. Russell Henley

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Strokes gained: putting: .570

2015 putting: Statistical highlights

• Total putting: 50.7 (1)
• Putting from 4-8': 76.69% (4)
• Putting from 10-15': 36.57% (8)
• Putting from 20-25': 19.54% (8)
• Average distance of putts made: 80' 10'' (4)

Russell Henley, who won in his first start as a member of the PGA Tour (2013 Sony Open), has been an adept putter across his three seasons on tour. He was eighth on tour in strokes gained: putting in his rookie campaign: an impressive feat as he was seeing the majority of greens for the first time. 

8. Jordan Spieth

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Strokes gained: putting: .572

2015 putting: Statistical highlights

• Putting from: 15-20': 27.89% (2)
• Putting from 20-25': 25.93% (1)
• Putts per round: 27.82 (1)
• One-putt percentage: 44.26% (1)

Watching a golf telecast, you'll hear plenty of lip service given to the fact that Jordan Spieth is both one of the best clutch putters on tour and one of the best from distance. Looking at his one-putt percentage and work between 15 and 25 feet above, however, proves the point. 

7. Brendon Todd

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Strokes gained: putting: .584

2015 putting: Statistical highlights

• Putting inside 10': 90.39% (1)
• One-putt percentage: 43.01% (5)
• Putting from 10-15': 36.27% (9)

Brendon Todd averaged just 276.4 yards off the tee last season (176th on tour). With almost all elite golfers averaging at least 20 yards more than that per drive, you knew Todd had to be making up strokes on the back end. 

6. Jason Day

John Amis/Associated Press

Strokes gained: putting: .585

2015 putting: Statistical highlights

• Putting average: 1.712 (2)
• Putting: Inside 10': 89.60% (7)
• Putting from 20-25': 19.75% (7)
• Putting from >25': 8.87% (3)

What didn't Jason Day do well in 2015? Day improved both his strokes gained: tee to green and strokes gained: putting figures from 2014 to 2015, which helped him lead the tour in birdie average at 4.71 per round. 

5. Brandt Snedeker

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Strokes gained: putting: .586

2015 putting: Statistical highlights

• Putting from 4-8': 73.89% (17)
• Putting from inside 10': 89.34% (11)
• Putting from 10-15': 35.71% (12)
• One-putt percentage 42.81% (6)

Golf fans have probably heard more than they care to about Brandt Snedeker's old-school "pop" putting stroke. It's still working pretty well for him, though, as a perennial top-10er in strokes gained: putting. 

4. Lee Westwood

Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Strokes gained: putting: .598

2015 putting: Statistical highlights

• Average distance of putts made: 80' 6'' (8)
• Putting from 10-15': 37.50% (6)
• Putting from 20-25': 19.23% (9)
• Putting from >25': 7.91% (11)

This is a surprise, as Westy hasn't often been adept with the flatstick. As recently as 2013, Westwood was 168th in strokes gained: putting (-.484). Huge jump to his 2015 mark of .598. 

3. Daniel Summerhays

Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Strokes gained: putting: .642

2015 putting: Statistical highlights

• Putting average: 1.726 (5)
• 3-putt avoidance: 1.65% (1)
• Putting from 4-8': 76.64% (11)
• Putting from 10-15': 34.91% (22)

Not widely known among golf fans, Daniel Summerhays has all the makings of a great putter. His play from tee to green holds him back, however. Summerhays was 113th in greens in regulation last season and 123rd in strokes gained: tee-to-green. 

2. Jimmy Walker

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Strokes gained: putting: ,690

2015 putting: Statistical highlights

• Putting from 10-15': 37.78% (5)
• Putting from 15-20': 25.38% (4)
• Total putting: 71.6 (6)

A good putter from year to year, Jimmy Walker was great in 2015. Unfortunately his play from tee to green fell off from 2014 levels as he slid from 28th in strokes gained: tee-to-green to 79th. 

1. Aaron Baddeley

Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images

Strokes gained: putting: .717

2015 putting: Statistical highlights

• One-putt percentage: 47.72% (8)
• Putting from 10-15': 44.81% (1)
• Average distance of putts made: 79' 5'' (16) 

Another golfer, like Brandt Snedeker, who is consistently among the best putters on tour, Aaron Baddeley has to do good work on the greens. This is because he's a medium-length, inaccurate driver who doesn't hit many greens in regulation. Baddeley was 176th on tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green in 2015. 

All stats via PGATour.com.