If Paul Casey could putt as well as he hits his irons, he’d be entering the winners circle more often rather than just knocking on the door.
I read yesterday that Casey has had top-5s in each of the last five FedexCup playoff events. This stat didn’t surprise me at all given what a quality player Casey is. What did surprise me, however, was the number of PGA Tour victories to his credit. One. Yes, a player once ranked as high as third in the world has but a single trophy to show for 218 appearances on the PGA Tour.
I was intrigued so I did some research into why the Englishman hasn’t quite fulfilled his potential by winning more often.
Casey has always been a solid iron player and this season has been no different. To date, after 86 measured rounds this season, he ranks third in Greens in Regulation percentage with 70.39. This number has him placed above the likes of Jordan Spieth (4th), Dustin Johnson (8th) and Justin Thomas (52nd), all of whom have at least three wins this season.
But it is Casey’s flatstick which has been his undoing. He ranks a lowly 97th in Strokes Gained Putting in 2017, gaining just 0.033 strokes on the field per round. By contrast, Thomas gains .382 and Spieth .377 strokes on the field every round.
Golf is a game of fractions. Fractions which Casey has fallen foul of on the greens this season. Thomas, for example, leads the Tour in the putts per round category, averaging 28.13 putts per round this season. Casey meanwhile ranks a distant T-112th, averaging 29.20.
To put into perspective how much these tiny margins have cost Casey, he recorded consecutive runner-up finishes at both the Deutsche Bank and BMW Championships last year. In the former, he finished two strokes adrift of winner Rory McIlroy and in the latter three strokes shy of Dustin Johnson’s winning tally of 23-under par.
Such margins are the difference between a consistent year and a career year. Casey has only missed one cut in 22 events to go with a respectable eight top-10s and 16 top-25s. Thomas on the other hand has 11 top-10s to go with his impressive five victories this season.
If he does ever figure out his putting conundrum and hole a few more putts, Casey could finally kick the door down and win a few more titles before all is said and done.
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