The Long Putt Lesson Tour Pros Already Know (But Amateurs Keep Missing)

After 35 years covering professional golf—and a stint caddying for Tom Lehman back when we were all figuring this out together—I’ve noticed something curious about the amateur game. Amateurs putt like they’re auditioning for a highlight reel, while the guys making millions putt like they’re trying to keep their job. There’s a profound difference, and it’s costing club golfers more strokes than they realize.

The numbers tell a stark story. Amateur golfers are more likely to three-putt from 30 feet than they are to one-putt. Think about that for a second. From 30 feet away, the odds favor a three-putt over a one-putt. Yet what do most recreational players do? They stand over that long putt like they’re playing the 72nd hole at Augusta, convinced that *this* putt is the one that’s going in.

It’s not necessarily arrogance. It’s more like optimism mixed with a fundamental misunderstanding of what professional golf has proven works.

The Mindset Gap That Costs Strokes

Here’s what strikes me after watching thousands of rounds at every level: the best players on the PGA Tour aren’t trying to hole long putts. They’re trying not to three-putt. There’s a crucial distinction there that separates a 5-handicap from a 15-handicap.

“Rather than forcing a risky attempt from distance, players should focus on speed control. Turning a potential three-putt into a routine two-putt can make a significant difference over the course of a round.”

That’s the kind of simple wisdom that seems obvious once you hear it—and completely revolutionary if you’ve been playing wrong for the last 20 years. I’ve watched amateurs (and frankly, some younger pros early in their careers) treat every putt like it’s worth trying to make. They’re aggressive, sure, but aggression without strategy is just expensive.

Professional long driver Averee Dovsek, speaking on the instruction side of the game, understands something that the best putters grasp instinctively:

“a simple mindset shift on long putts can lead to lower scores.”

Not more exciting scores. Not more pars. Lower scores. That’s the whole game right there.

What I’ve Seen on the Range at Tour Events

During my years covering the Masters—and I’ve been fortunate enough to work 15 of them—I’d watch players practice their long putting. You know what I almost never saw? A tour pro standing over a 35-footer and thinking, “I’m going to drain this.” Instead, they’re focused on pace, reading the break, understanding how their stroke feels at that distance. They’re engineers, not gamblers.

The difference between how tour pros and amateurs approach the long putt isn’t about talent. It’s about understanding probability.

“Amateur golfers are more likely to three-putt from 30 feet than they are to one-putt.”

When you internalize that statistic—really let it sink in—your entire approach changes. You’re not trying to beat the odds. You’re trying to avoid the disaster.

I caddied for Tom Lehman in the ’90s, and one thing I learned watching him work is that speed control on long putts is an underrated skill. Tom understood that getting that first putt close enough to guarantee a two-putt was the real win. The one-putt would come sometimes, but it wasn’t the goal. Avoiding the three-putt was the goal.

The Shift That Actually Works

What’s encouraging is that this isn’t complicated. Unlike swing mechanics or short-game feel—things that take years to develop—the mindset shift around long putting can happen immediately. You don’t need new equipment or a swing coach. You need to accept that from 30 feet, your job is damage control.

That’s not defeatist thinking. It’s realistic thinking. And realistic thinking leads to lower scores faster than any amount of wishful thinking ever will.

For players serious about improving, this is low-hanging fruit. We’re talking about meaningful stroke reduction over the course of a season. Imagine if you took 10 long putts a round (being generous, since that includes those 20-footers). If you could turn even half of your potential three-putts into routine two-putts, you’re looking at 5-10 strokes per round. That’s not marginal. That’s transformational.

The tour has known this for decades. Now it’s just a matter of amateurs catching up to what the data—and the professionals—have already proven. And the nice thing is, this lesson doesn’t require a lesson. It just requires a perspective shift the next time you’re 30 feet away.