Three-putts, priced
A three-putt from 40 feet costs 0.94 strokes against the tour average and one from 20 feet costs 1.12, which makes it one of the few ordinary mistakes worth a full stroke. The cure is the lag: from 40 feet a first putt to 3 feet leaves 1.053 expected putts, and one to 8 feet leaves 1.515.
What a three-putt costs
Three putts is the same number of strokes from every distance, but the tour average is not, so the cost changes with where the first putt started. From close range a three-putt is a disaster; from 60 feet it is a loss of less than a stroke, because the average player needs more than two from there fairly often.
Three-putt cost by first putt distance
| First putt | Expected putts | Three putts | Two putts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 feet | 1.784 | -1.22 | -0.22 |
| 20 feet | 1.878 | -1.12 | -0.12 |
| 25 feet | 1.931 | -1.07 | -0.07 |
| 30 feet | 1.984 | -1.02 | -0.02 |
| 40 feet | 2.058 | -0.94 | +0.06 |
| 50 feet | 2.135 | -0.87 | +0.14 |
| 60 feet | 2.211 | -0.79 | +0.21 |
The lag decides it
A three-putt is usually a poor first putt. The table prices the second putt by the leave, and the last column prices the first putt from 40 feet by what it left: a lag to 3 feet is a gain, a lag to 12 feet is a loss before the second putt is struck.
Second putt by the leave, from 40 feet
| Leave | Expected putts | One putt rate | Lag putt worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 feet | 1.053 | 95% | +0.01 |
| 5 feet | 1.256 | 74% | -0.20 |
| 8 feet | 1.515 | 49% | -0.46 |
| 12 feet | 1.689 | 31% | -0.63 |
How to stop three-putting
Practise distance, not line, from 30 to 60 feet, and judge each lag by the leave in feet rather than by whether it dropped. A lag that finishes inside 3 feet has done its job on the tour table; one that finishes outside 8 has cost strokes even when the second putt drops. Track three-putt frequency by first putt distance so the range that causes them is visible.
In PinFlag
Every putt in PinFlag is placed in feet and priced from its own distance, so a lag and a short miss are separate numbers. Insights shows three-putt frequency by distance, make rate from your recorded makes, and a heat map of your leaves; Score Killers totals the three-putts with the penalties and doubles, because each one costs a full stroke.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a three-putt cost?
What is a good three-putt percentage?
How close should a lag putt finish?
Is three-putting a putting problem or an approach problem?
Which golf app does this on the course?
Related
Sources
- PGA TOUR statistics
- Mark Broadie, Columbia Business School (Wikidata entity)
- How PinFlag calculates strokes gained
Every figure on this page is computed from the published baselines, the same ones PinFlag prices your shots with. The scope of the figures: All figures are the published tour expected putts table; the three percent tour three-putt rate is the widely reported figure.
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