I saw this headline this morning of Cameron Smith's 18 putts in 18 holes at the WGC FedEx St Jude Invitational yesterday. It sounds impressive, right? But was this really the greatest putting ever for 18 holes by a PGA Tour player?
Why the headline number flatters
Eighteen putts in a round is a wonderful headline. It is also one of the least reliable putting statistics in golf, because total putts says nothing about where those putts started from.
A round with several chip-ins and a handful of greens missed close to the flag can produce a very low putt count while the putter itself does something entirely ordinary. Conversely, a player who hits sixteen greens from long range can putt beautifully and still sign for 30 putts.
What strokes gained actually measures
Strokes gained putting compares each putt against the Tour average from that exact distance and adds up the difference. Hole a twenty footer and you bank a large fraction of a shot. Two-putt from four feet and you lose most of one.
Judged that way, a round of 18 putts made up mostly of tap-ins is a great short game round rather than a great putting round. The strokes were gained around the green, not on it.
The lesson for your own game
Stop counting putts. It is the single most misleading number on a scorecard and it quietly punishes good approach play, because hitting greens from distance guarantees longer first putts.
Record the starting distance of every putt instead. Once you do, you can see whether your putter is genuinely winning shots, or whether your wedges are doing the work and the putter is simply along for the ride.