The 10 Worst Putters On Tour (So Far In 2025)

As a PGA professional and coach for more than two decades, I’ve seen countless golfers struggle on the greens.

But when we talk about the “worst” putters on the PGA Tour, let’s be clear about something right from the start: these players are still among the elite golfers in the world. They’ve mastered aspects of the game that most recreational players can only dream about. That said, even the best in the world have weaknesses and, for some, the flat stick can be particularly troublesome.

Before we dive into our list, it’s important to understand what we’re measuring. Strokes Gained isn’t just about counting total putts—it’s a sophisticated metric that revolutionized how we evaluate putting performance.

Understanding Strokes Gained putting

Strokes Gained putting measures how many strokes a player gains or loses on the greens compared to the PGA Tour average. It takes into account the distance of each putt, providing a much more nuanced view than simply tallying up the number of putts per round.

A positive score means a player is performing better than the Tour average from those distances while a negative score indicates they’re losing strokes to the field.

What makes this statistic so valuable is that it contextualizes performance. A player who hits every green but has long putts will naturally take more total putts than someone who misses greens but chips it close. Strokes Gained eliminates this bias by comparing each putt to the Tour average from that specific distance.

Now, let’s look at who’s struggling the most on the greens this season, focusing on players with a minimum of 20 measured rounds in the 2025 season.

The 10 worst putters on Tour

10. Alejandro Tosti (-0.615)

The Argentine has been impressive in many aspects of his game but he’s giving up more than half a stroke per round on the greens. What’s particularly interesting about Tosti is that his putting from 15-20 feet actually ranks quite well but he struggles mightily with the shorter putts that pros typically convert at a high rate.

9. Kevin Velo (-0.636)

Velo’s ball-striking has kept him competitive but his putting has been a consistent weakness. Ironically, he ranks first in putting from 10-15 feet (46.81 percent make rate), showing that his stroke isn’t fundamentally flawed—it’s just inconsistent across different distances.

8. Thomas Rosenmueller (-0.665)

The German has a beautiful swing and hits it a mile but loses nearly two-thirds of a stroke per round on the greens. His approach putting performance is particularly problematic, often leaving him with challenging second putts.

7. Charley Hoffman (-0.770)

A veteran with multiple Tour wins, Hoffman has always been known more for his tee-to-green game than his putting. At this stage in his career, he’s losing three-quarters of a stroke per round with the putter, though his experience helps him manage this weakness better than some others on this list.

6. John Pak (-0.770)

Pak presents an interesting case study. He actually ranks first in putting from nine feet (75 percent) but his performance from other distances is so poor that he still loses significant ground to the field. This suggests a very specific comfort zone that doesn’t translate to overall putting success.

5. Doug Ghim (-0.798)

Ghim’s ball-striking is elite which makes his putting struggles all the more frustrating. He’s losing nearly 0.8 strokes per round on the greens, often negating his advantage from tee to green. If he could even get to Tour average with the putter, he’d likely be contending regularly.

4. Vincent Norrman (-0.821)

Norrman leads the Tour in two-putts per round (11.29) which might sound good until you realize it means he rarely one-putts. His conservative approach to putting minimizes three-putts but also limits birdie conversions.

3. David Lipsky (-0.824)

Lipsky’s putting woes have been a consistent theme throughout his career. Losing more than 0.8 strokes per round on the greens makes it difficult to contend, regardless of how well he hits it.

2. Ryan Palmer (-0.946)

The veteran Palmer has had a successful career despite his putting challenges. Losing nearly a full stroke per round on the greens speaks to just how exceptional the rest of his game must be to have maintained his Tour card for so many years.

1. Rico Hoey (-0.977)

Topping our list is Rico Hoey, who loses almost a full stroke per round to the field with his putting. To put this in perspective: over four rounds, that’s nearly four strokes—often the difference between winning and finishing outside the top 10. Yet Hoey’s ability to compete despite this significant disadvantage showcases the strength of his full swing.

The bigger picture

What’s fascinating about these statistics is that they remind us of the incredible depth of talent on the Tour. Even the “worst” putters are still capable of brilliance on any given day and many have found ways to compensate for their putting weaknesses with exceptional performance in other areas.

For amateur golfers, there’s an important lesson here: identify your strengths and weaknesses, then develop a strategy that maximizes your opportunities to score. And remember, even the best players in the world have aspects of their game that need improvement. That’s what makes golf such a humbling and endlessly fascinating sport.