The 16 Greatest Short Games in Golf History

There’s ball-striking, there’s driving, and then there’s the magic that happens within 100 yards of the hole. The short game might not fill the highlight reel with towering bombs, but it’s what separates legends from leaderboard fillers.

Great wedge play and lights-out putting have turned good players into major champions and given fans some of the most jaw-dropping moments the sport has ever seen. From soft hands to clutch nerves, these are the golfers who turned the short game into pure artistry.

16. Justin Rose

Rose has always had a clean, repeatable short game, and it’s helped him stay relevant across decades. His putting stroke is like a metronome, especially when the pressure’s on.

15. Jordan Spieth

At his peak, Spieth’s putter might as well have been enchanted. Combine that with gutsy wedge play and you’ve got a short game that was downright unfair.

14. Patrick Reed

Say what you want about Reed, but when it comes to the short game, the guy’s a wizard. His touch and imagination around the green are second to none in today’s game.

13. José María Olazábal

A Seve disciple through and through, Olazábal had that beautiful, Spanish short game flair. Bunker shots, flop shots, you name it—he made the hard stuff look easy.

12. Raymond Floyd

Floyd had that old-school touch with a dose of killer instinct. His short game was sneaky good, especially in big moments like Augusta.

11. Luke Donald

Luke Donald never overpowered a golf course, but he didn’t need to. His touch around the greens and deadly putting stroke carried him to world number one.

10. Mickelson Zhang

Zhang may still be writing her legacy, but the poise and finesse she’s already shown around the greens is next level. Her short game is silky smooth and already looks historic.

9. Loren Roberts

Nicknamed “The Boss of the Moss,” Roberts made putting look like a cheat code. He rolled it like nobody else on Tour during his prime.

8. Steve Stricker

Stricker’s short game is the definition of clean and controlled. His putting stroke is pure, and his wedge game has aged like a fine wine.

7. Billy Casper

Casper didn’t need to hit every fairway or green because he’d just get up-and-down anyway. He turned the short game into a weapon long before it was cool.

6. Tom Watson

Watson’s chip-in at Pebble Beach in the 1982 U.S. Open is still one of the most iconic short game moments ever. He made a career out of touch, feel, and fearless creativity around the green.

5. Brad Faxon

Faxon could putt with a rake and still make birdie. His stroke was poetry, and he always looked like he was barely trying—just smooth and deadly.

4. Paul Runyan

Runyan wasn’t a bomber, but he was a giant around the green. He built his whole game around short shots and turned it into a Hall of Fame career.

3. Seve Ballesteros

Seve didn’t just have touch—he had magic. His short game was fearless, dramatic, and sometimes downright outrageous.

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2. Phil Mickelson

Phil turned the short game into a show. Flops, spin, recovery shots from impossible places—he did things no one else would even try.

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1. Tiger Woods

No one else made more clutch chips, saved more impossible pars, or drained more pressure-packed putts. When you needed magic around the green, Tiger was your guy—every time.

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