Who Is the Best Putter on Tour So Far This Season?
All Square 5min read •
13 Aug
When we talk about golf greatness, the conversation often drifts toward booming drives, pinpoint approach shots, or clutch bunker play. But for all the glory of 300-yard bombs, golf tournaments are usually decided on the smallest real estate in the game: the greens. In the 2025 PGA Tour season, the race for “best putter” is tighter than a Sunday leaderboard at Augusta.
Right now, two players are leading the conversation — Harry Hall, the model of week-in, week-out putting efficiency, and Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked player who has turned a past weakness into a weapon.
Harry Hall: Quiet Consistency on the Greens
Harry Hall may not be the most famous name in golf, but among putting statisticians, he’s royalty. Hall currently shares the No. 1 spot in average putts per hole with Justin Thomas, both averaging an astonishing 1.680 putts. That means Hall is shaving fractions of a stroke off competitors every round — fractions that add up quickly over four days.
Hall’s ability to read greens and deliver smooth, confident strokes has pushed his one-putt percentage above the 45% mark, a figure only a small fraction of PGA Tour players can claim. Considering the Tour average hovers around 39.7%, this puts Hall in a class of his own. In fact, fewer than half of all measured players even break 40%, underscoring just how exceptional his numbers are.
The Englishman’s putting style is built on repeatable mechanics and a patient approach to reading greens. While he isn’t known for streaky, highlight-reel putting runs, he’s the type of player who almost never gives away strokes with sloppy three-putts. That consistency is gold over the course of a season.
Scottie Scheffler: A Transformation Worth Studying
If Hall’s story is about steady precision, Scottie Scheffler’s is about transformation. Just two seasons ago, Scheffler’s putting was widely considered his Achilles’ heel. In 2023, he ranked 162nd in strokes gained: putting — a shockingly low number for someone otherwise dominating the tee-to-green game.
Fast forward to 2025, and Scheffler’s putter has gone from liability to lethal weapon. He now sits 22nd in the Tour rankings for strokes gained: putting, averaging +0.362 strokes per round on the greens. That may not sound flashy, but for a player who was previously losing strokes with the putter, it’s a seismic shift.
The turning point appears to be a combination of adopting a claw grip and sticking with his TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter. The claw grip has stabilised his right hand, minimised wrist breakdown, and improved pace control, while the Spider Tour X’s mallet design offers the forgiveness he needs for pressure putts.
The results speak volumes. At the 2025 Open Championship, Scheffler led the field in strokes gained: putting with a jaw-dropping +7.868 through 54 holes and converted 59 of 63 putts inside 10 feet for the week. That’s the kind of stat line that turns tournaments — and careers — around.
The Numbers Behind the Greatness
While “best putter” is subjective — depending on whether you value raw stats, pressure performance, or big moments — several metrics help paint the picture:
Average putts per hole: Hall and Thomas lead at 1.680, Montgomery close behind at 1.690, and Scheffler at 1.700.
One-putt percentage: Top performers like Hall and Montgomery hover above 45%, well beyond the Tour norm.
Three-putt avoidance: The best putters keep this number below 2 per 72 holes, a quiet but crucial skill.
Mallet vs. Blade: The Ongoing Debate
Interestingly, putting performance is also linked to equipment trends. Among the Tour’s top ten putters this year, six prefer mallet-style putters and four stick with blades. Mallets offer higher conversion rates inside six feet (82% vs. 75% for blades) and fewer three-putts (2.3 vs. 2.6 per round).
This season’s winning putters tell their own story:
TaylorMade has been in the bag for 11 tournament victories.
From Cameron Young’s Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 prototype to Kurt Kitayama’s Studio Style Newport 2, players are proving that confidence on the greens often begins with what’s in your hands.
Why It Matters in 2025
Putting has always been the great equaliser. You can hit the ball 40 yards shorter than your opponent and still win if you can roll it better. That’s why the Hall–Scheffler contrast is so fascinating this season: one has always been elite with the flat stick, the other has climbed from mediocrity to mastery.
Hall’s advantage lies in not giving shots away. Scheffler’s strength is rising to the moment when the leaderboard is tight and the pressure is suffocating. If you value consistency above all else, Hall is your man. If you value clutch, championship-calibre performance, Scheffler might get your vote.
The Putting Crown — Split Decision for Now
So, who is really the best putter so far in 2025? Stat sheets might give Harry Hall the nod. But if you factor in competitive impact, narrative, and performance in golf’s biggest moments, Scottie Scheffler’s case is undeniable.
For now, the safest answer is that the putting crown is shared. Hall wears it for consistency. Scheffler wears it for transformation and timing. And in a game as mental and precise as putting, that’s as close as you’ll get to perfection.
