The putting surfaces can look very small when we’re not playing our best, and it wouldn’t be unusual for even a fairly handy golfer to go 18 holes without finding more than a couple of greens in regulation. In fact, there are probably times when you’ve recorded a big fat zero in this column.
For those who aren’t familiar with the term, ‘green in regulation’ (G.I.R) is a statistical category that identifies when a player reaches the green in the expected number of strokes in relation to par.
Another way of putting it is that a green is considered hit in regulation if any part of the ball is touching the putting surface and the number of strokes taken is two or less than par (first stroke on a par 3, second stroke on a par 4, third stroke on a par 5).
As you’d expect, the best players in the world hit a lot of greens in regulation. The best of the best in 2024, Scottie Scheffler, averaged 73.16% (698 greens hit out of 954 holes). The PGA Tour average was 66.75%, and only two players bettered the World No.1 in this department.
Nelly Korda’s G.I.R stats in 2024 were very impressive
(Image credit: Getty Images)
On the LPGA Tour, Jeeno Thitikul topped the G.I.R table in 2024 with 77.20%. Nelly Korda, meanwhile, averaged 76.02%, which, like Scheffler, put her third. When you consider the pair won an incredible 16 times between them, it shows what hitting lots of greens can mean.
So, how does the average golfer compare? We’ve obtained the G.I.R stats from our official data partner, Shot Scope, which are revealed in the table below.
Greens In Regulation By Handicap
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
G.I.R |
Avg No. Of G.I.R. Per Round |
|
Scratch |
52% |
9.36 |
|
5 Handicap |
37% |
6.66 |
|
10 Handicap |
32% |
5.76 |
|
15 Handicap |
23% |
4.14 |
|
20 Handicap |
19% |
3.42 |
|
25 Handicap |
15% |
2.7 |
Source: Shot Scope
Of course, this is just one statistic. On its own, G.I.R won’t tell you everything about how a player has performed. For example, a player might miss a lot of greens and still score well or have a fairly low handicap because of their scrambling and putting ability.
There are lots of different ways you can look at greens in regulation statistics. So far as Tour professionals are concerned, the extra distance they’re able to achieve off the tee can make it easier to find greens, especially if they’re hitting lots…
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