Scottie Scheffler dominated the greens in Memphis. Jeeno Thitikul chased down a title in Portland. Their wins showed what happens when opportunity becomes conversion.
Compiled weekly by multiple-award-winning PGA Professional Brendon R. Elliott, PrimePutt's Director of Instruction and Lead Writer.
Some victories are protected by the putter. These two were created by it.
Scottie Scheffler arrived at TPC Southwind as the best player in the world and left with an eight-shot victory. Jeeno Thitikul began Sunday in Portland two strokes behind and answered with the lowest round of the day. The competitive situations were opposite, but the putting lesson was the same: When the scoring opportunity appeared, neither player treated every putt as though it had the same job.
That distinction matters for everyday golfers. A 4-footer, a 10-footer and a 30-footer all count as one stroke, but they should not carry the same expectation, pace or practice goal.
Scheffler Turned a Lead Into a Rout
Scheffler finished the FedEx St. Jude Championship at 17-under 263 after rounds of 68, 61, 68 and 66. His eight-shot margin was emphatic, but the number that belongs in a putting column is 8.9. That is how many strokes he gained on the field with the putter for the week, according to the PGA Tour.
He ranked first in Strokes Gained: Putting at TPC Southwind. The PGA Tour noted that it was only the second time in his career that he led a field in the category. His second-round 61 supplied the jolt. Scheffler recorded 13 one-putts and gained 3.874 strokes on the greens that day alone.
We have seen Scheffler win when the putter was merely cooperative because the rest of his game created so many chances. Memphis was different. The putter did not ride along with the ball-striking. It became the separator.
The temptation is to look at a putting week like that and chase a magical feel. I see something more useful. Scheffler took care of the short putts that kept the card clean, converted enough realistic birdie chances to build distance and avoided giving shots back with careless long-putt speed.
Thitikul Had to Build the Winning Number
Thitikul did not have room to protect anything Sunday at Columbia Edgewater Country Club. She began the final round two strokes behind and ran off five straight birdies early on the way to an 8-under 64.
She finished at 22-under 266, one stroke ahead of Arpichaya Yubol and Chanettee Wannasaen. Yubol closed with a 67. Wannasaen shot 63. Thitikul needed nearly all of that 64, and she produced it to collect her third LPGA Tour victory of the season.
A five-birdie run makes for a great highlight package, but it can distort the lesson. Golfers see the makes and start firing every practice putt at the back of the cup. Thitikul's job was not to become reckless. It was to keep creating useful chances, match line to speed and convert often enough that a two-shot deficit disappeared.
That is aggressive putting with discipline. The pace gives the ball a chance without turning every miss into another stressful putt.
What the Week Teaches
Before stepping into a putt, define its job. The distances below are starting points, not universal laws. Adjust them to your skill level and the speed of the green.
• Conversion range, roughly inside 5 feet: Pick a precise start line and commit. The priority is face control and a complete stroke.
• Opportunity range, roughly 6 to 15 feet: Give the putt a realistic chance, but keep the miss manageable. A good roll does not become a bad decision because it stayed out.
• Two-putt range, roughly outside 25 feet: Read the final third of the putt, choose a finish window and protect the next stroke.
The danger comes when those jobs blur. Golfers baby the 4-footer, ram the 10-footer and stare at the hole from 35 feet without deciding where the ball should stop.
The PrimePutt Drill of the Week: Three Jobs, Nine Putts
What you need: One ball, your putter, a 4-foot putt, a 10-foot putt and a 30-foot putt with enough room to create a 3-foot finish circle.
Play the three putts in order using your full routine. Hole the second putt from the long station before moving on. Complete three circuits for nine first putts. Change the angle of at least one station between circuits so the game does not become a memorized motion.
Scoring:
• 4-footer: 2 points for a make, 0 for a miss.
• 10-footer: 3 points for a make, 1 point for a miss that finishes hole-high or no more than 18 inches past.
• 30-footer: 4 points for a make, 2 points inside 3 feet, 1 point inside 5 feet.
The maximum score is 27. Start with a target of 18 and require zero three-putts. On a PrimePutt mat, use the longest available roll for the third station and shrink the finish window to fit the space. The purpose is to change the intention without changing the quality of your routine.
Your Conversion Checklist
• Name the job before you step in.
• Choose the arrival speed before the start line.
• Aim the putter face, then build your stance.
• Use one rehearsal that matches the intended pace.
• Finish every long putt, even in practice.
• Grade the decision separately from the result.
YTD Putting Watch
Data checked: Aug. 18, 2026
PGA Tour SG: Putting leaders
1. Jacob Bridgeman, +0.720
2. Sam Burns, +0.697
3. Scottie Scheffler, +0.680
4. Vince Whaley, +0.639
5. Alex Noren, +0.589
LPGA Tour Average Putts Per Round leaders
1. Minami Katsu, 28.14
2. Mi Hyang Lee, 28.27
3. Hyo Joo Kim, 28.40
4. Alexa Pano, 28.64
5. Angel Yin, 28.66
These are different categories. PGA Tour Strokes Gained: Putting compares performance on the greens against the field. LPGA Tour Average Putts Per Round is influenced by greens hit and the distance of a player's first putt. It is useful context, but it is not a direct measure of the same skill.
The Everyday Golfer Takeaway
You do not need to make five birdies in a row or gain nearly nine strokes on a PGA Tour field to borrow the lesson. You need to stop asking every putt to do everything.
Convert the short ones with clarity. Give the makeable ones a disciplined chance. Leave the long ones where the next stroke feels ordinary. When the job is clear, the stroke has a far better chance to be free.
Final Roll
Scheffler used the putter to turn control into separation. Thitikul used it to turn a chase into a trophy. Both players showed the power of conversion, but conversion begins before the putter moves. It starts by knowing exactly what the putt in front of you is being asked to do.
Pressure Putts drops every Monday with the week's best putting stories, stats and drills from the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and DP World Tour. Got a putting question or drill request? Drop us a line.
