Golf fans love a long bomb off the tee—but the real artists of the game? They shine within 100 yards of the pin. The short game is where finesse, feel, and downright sorcery combine to make jaws drop and trophies get won.
From mesmerizing flop shots to nerveless putts under pressure, these golfers made the short game look like a ballet on grass. Whether they were brushing the ball off tight lies or draining putts like they were rolling marbles into a cup, these short-game maestros delivered some of the most technically perfect work ever seen.
20. Steve Stricker
Quiet and clinical, Stricker’s wedge game was like watching a surgeon operate. His putting stroke was as smooth as silk and just as deadly.
19. Nelly Korda
Korda’s short game is a masterclass in elegance and precision. Her putting stroke and wedge control are as technically flawless as they are calm under pressure.
18. Corey Pavin
Pavin didn’t hit it far, but he made up for it with wizard-level wedge play. His feel around the greens kept him in contention more often than not.
17. Luke Donald
Donald’s touch with a wedge was practically poetry in motion. He turned scrambling into an art form and led the Tour in strokes gained around the green for a reason.
16. José María Olazábal
Olazábal was all hands—and those hands were magic around the green. His bunker play in particular was a masterclass in touch and precision.
15. Justin Leonard
When it came to clutch putting and gritty short game finesse, Leonard had ice in his veins. His short game bailed him out more times than his driver ever could.
14. Raymond Floyd
Floyd had an aggressive style, but his soft touch around the greens was pure class. He could spin a wedge like a top and read greens like a psychic.
13. Patrick Reed
Say what you will about him, the man’s short game is borderline unfair. He’s made a career out of saving pars that had no business being saved.
12. Lee Trevino
Trevino could manufacture shots with a wedge like a magician pulling rabbits from a hat. His ability to manipulate ball flight and spin was second to none.
11. Cameron Smith
Smith’s touch is about as buttery as it gets, especially on slick greens. He plays the kind of shots that make even tour pros do a double take.
10. Billy Casper
Casper was a short game savant before the term even existed. He’d routinely beat the field without hitting many greens—and still finish on top.
9. Seve Ballesteros
Seve invented shots no one had ever even thought of. If there was a path to the hole, no matter how improbable, he’d find it with flair.
8. Brad Faxon
Faxon’s putting stroke looked like it came straight from a golf instructional video. He could roll the rock with the kind of confidence you just can’t teach.
7. Loren Roberts
They didn’t call him “The Boss of the Moss” for nothing. Roberts was a putting machine who made everything inside 10 feet feel like a gimme.
6. Jordan Spieth
Spieth’s creativity and nerve around the greens have made for countless highlight reels. He’s the guy who holes out when others are just hoping to get up-and-down.
5. Tom Kite
Kite took short game preparation to a scientific level. His bunker technique and wedge precision helped redefine what it meant to score from 100 yards and in.
4. Zach Johnson
Zach Johnson laid out a blueprint for winning majors without bombing it off the tee. His short game is clinical, reliable, and absolutely ruthless.
Read more: 20 Golfers Who Always Found a Way to Win
3. Tiger Woods
![Dec 22, 2024; Orlando, Florida, [USA]; Tiger Woods tees off not the 15th hole during the PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.](https://gamerkoala.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Tiger-Woods-8-1024x683.jpg)
Woods wasn’t just long—his short game was criminally underrated in his prime. The chip-in on 16 at Augusta? That’s short-game immortality.
Read more: 20 Golfers Who Took Every Missed Putt Personally
2. Phil Mickelson
Flop shots, bunker shots, wild recovery shots—Phil does them all with a flair that’s part daredevil, part genius. His short game is a human highlight reel.
Read more: 16 Golfers Who Couldn’t Walk Away from the Game
1. Tom Watson
Watson had a knack for the miraculous, especially around the greens. His chip-in at the 1982 U.S. Open still gives fans goosebumps.
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