Greatest short game player of all time... who is it?

[Chilli Dipper]

I have to say I don't have a basis for offering an opinion. I really don't even think if you take out putting Tiger is the best out there right now. I would love to see what a poll of pros 55-75 years old said. I do think Paul Runyon was an inspired suggestion, guys of his generation would have never said they were the best, so I discount his nod to another golfer on sand play. Seve was brillant, but so was Chi Chi. Remember the type of equipment and grooming now with course conditions more uniform and multiple wedges make valid comparisons almost impossible. I suspect that there were a bunch of British, Scottish, and Australian players I have never heard of who played the bump and run style with a flair we wouldn't dream of today.

Today's players have the advantage of being products of decades of evolution in how the game is played around the greens and in bunkers. Gary Player was thought to be the best bunker player in the world during his prime, but his gouging style out of the sand comes off as rudimentary today. Seve was, for the most part, the first great player to slide the club through the sand as opposed to digging into it, and now nearly all professionals follow his lead.

[Radford Wooly]

Seve was great, but I'll take Tiger.

[laconic517]

Never saw Seve play but id go with Tiger. Putting is part of the short game as well you know.

Phil misses and has missed WAYYY too many short putts to even be mentioned in the same class as Tiger.

[xxsoultonesxx]

I like watching Watson, even if he's 60.

[sean_miller]

I think Luke Donald could easily be mentioned in this conversation if he keeps doing what he is doing. His short game is amazing, especially from the sand. If he keeps it up, he may be able to challenge the guys listed here for top honors.

Luke Donald and Ian Poulter have very underrated short games.

[max power]

Gotta say-I think Watson is getting screwed over in this poll. He's far from my favorite player, but I don't see how he finishes below Mickelson. Ballesteros and Woods I can't argue against.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Seve was brillant, but so was Chi Chi.

I heard someone say a few years ago that Chi Chi was the only player they ever saw who could put backspin on the ball out of the sand from a buried lie.

[RC]

I don't think it is still in print, but Chi Chi Rodriquez wrote a small book (maybe circa 1960's) about 100 ways to hit shot pitches and sand shots. He named them and all I can remember is the names had a certain charm related to how the shot was played. He was, no doubt, creative, but most of all he had fantastic hand-eye coordination and would obviously visualize a shot and then invent a way to make the ball do what he wanted. I have come to think there are great short game players because of their techniques, and great ones who simply invent shots as needed, maybe even shots they have never hit before.

I also agree that there was time when Ben Chrenshaw was as good at getting the ball in the hole, from on or around the green, as anyone who ever played. He had total confidence that he was going to get up and down, and even if he hit it relatively poorly the first time -- he still believed he would make the putt -- and usually did. It was erie to watch.

[natureboy]

For me, it's Paul Runyan based on career results. He competed on PGA tour effectively, despite giving away 40-100 yards on the drive and probably a good bit with each iron too.

He won the match-play format PGA Championship twice (including a trouncing of Sam Snead). Seve was at least as long as the average PGA player if not above average.

His and Seve's performance in match play to me underscores that it is short game including putting (not putting alone) that wins in match play / Ryder Cup formats.