Marc Leishman's Outlier Performance

[iacas]

When 70% (8.031/11.466) of your strokes gained (albeit for just three of the four rounds, as Torrey Pines North has only basic data) come from putting, you're an outlier.

I read that Mark himself said that he'd never putted better in his life, and odds are strongly in favor that he'll never again gain eight strokes putting over 54 holes again this year. That's one hot putter!

We know a few things:

• Over the long haul (more than a one-tournament sample size), players get ~39% of their scoring separation from approach shots, ~28% off the tee, ~19% around the greens (<100 yards), and ~14% putting.
• Over the short term, it's relatively easy to pick up or lose strokes putting, because of the binary nature of putting: a holed 33-footer gains 1.0 strokes, and a missed 8-footer loses 0.5.
• Despite contributing the least over the long term, putting is the most fluctuating of the four categories.
• You can't practice getting "hot" with a putter.
• Putting generally contributes about 35% of the strokes gained in winning an event, so 70% is a REAL extreme outlier.

 

[boogielicious]

Just the look on his face when he made a few long putts was enough to convince me even he was surprised.

[klineka]

Crazy that he gained 4.77 strokes in the final round even with missing a 4'9" putt on the 3rd hole.

If missing an 8 footer loses 0.5 strokes, that would mean had he made that putt his strokes gained putting would have been well over 5, right?

[rehmwa]

and yet..... the "putt for dough" crowd might have a few that will want to point at this to try and make hay....

 

Hey - If I'm having an outstanding day on any aspect of my game, I do expect better scores vs days I don't....and hot putting day is a treat.  (Probably set up by me having a good day on approach shots......)

[iacas]

34 minutes ago, rehmwa said:

and yet..... the "putt for dough" crowd might have a few that will want to point at this to try and make hay....

They already are. 🙂

[Buckeyebowman]

10 hours ago, iacas said:

 

We know a few things:

• Over the long haul (more than a one-tournament sample size), players get ~39% of their scoring separation from approach shots, ~28% off the tee, ~19% around the greens (<100 yards), and ~14% putting.
• Over the short term, it's relatively easy to pick up or lose strokes putting, because of the binary nature of putting: a holed 33-footer gains 1.0 strokes, and a missed 8-footer loses 0.5.
• Despite contributing the least over the long term, putting is the most fluctuating of the four categories.
• You can't practice getting "hot" with a putter.
• Putting generally contributes about 35% of the strokes gained in winning an event, so 70% is a REAL extreme outlier.

 

I agree with this wholeheartedly! And over the past 2 seasons I have acquired a new, "better" putter (at least for me), and practiced the "Do not accelerate" idea you posted on another page. I'm a much better putter now than I was in my 20's! But, even at that, there are some days where I am just "on"! But it's not all mechanics, a lot of it is mental. I look at the line, and it's like there's a paint stripe on the green! All I have to do is roll the ball on that line at the right speed, and it happens.

But, the statement I highlighted in bold print might seem to suggest that you CAN practice getting "hot" with other clubs. I don't know if that was the intent of the statement. I'm guessing probably not, since sometimes my ball striking can be "on" just like my putting. The only problem is it never seems to happen at the same time! 

[Shindig]

13 hours ago, boogielicious said:

Just the look on his face when he made a few long putts was enough to convince me even he was surprised.

As a resident of Southern California, I am required to have an acting resume.  Paramount on it is when I sink a putt outside of 10', I act like I'm not surprised.  Not very convincingly though, but I've had very few chances to practice it.

But... 8 strokes gained putting.  Granted, it's over 54 holes.  For contrast, my most recent round, I had 8.5 strokes lost putting (in my defense, I suck at putting and didn't warm up, and my practice leading into the round was primarily long game -- I still shot close to my handicap, in part thanks to only 0.51 strokes lost approach).  Even more amazing, my round before that was 0.23 strokes gained putting, so you never know with me (and those are small sample sizes).

Still, super amazing of Marc Leishman.