Best putters throughout the ages.

[HighlandLaird]

IMO the finest putter ever was Bobby Locke, who had to be seen to be believed. He used a hickory-shafted, rusty headed, heel shafted ancient thing. The next two best putters would be Bobby Jones and Ben Crenshaw, and it is notable that all three used heel shafted blade putters. The new-fangled, branding-iron type of putters now popular seem to me to be fads which attempt to prevent the putter head twisting off line, but as Bobby Jones said, "it is only possible for humans to achieve approximate 'squareness' of club face".

 

Who do YOU think has been the best putter, and please do not forget players such as Vardon, Sarazen, Hagen et al simply because they are deceased? Indeed, there is a case for declaring Hagen the best if so many of the stories about him are to be believed !!

[Itsjustagame]

Tiger.

[Marand]

Jack Nicklaus, nobody made more important putts.

[HighlandLaird]

[quote name='Marand' timestamp='1420030153' post='10664419']
Jack Nicklaus, nobody made more important putts.
[/quote]

Indeed----he was unbelievable at times. The last green at Turnberry in 1977, right across the green to force Tom Watson to hole to win----what a putt!!!!!

[Marand]

[quote name='HighlandLaird' timestamp='1420030491' post='10664431']
[quote name='Marand' timestamp='1420030153' post='10664419']
Jack Nicklaus, nobody made more important putts.
[/quote]

Indeed----he was unbelievable at times. The last green at Turnberry in 1977, right across the green to force Tom Watson to hole to win----what a putt!!!!!
[/quote]

That 40' putt on #16 on Sunday in the 1975 Masters sticks in my mind.

[Holy Moses]

Faxon was great

[jrich61820]

Tiger back in the early 2000's, he seemingly made EVERY putt he had to make.
Jack back in the day as well. Gotta be a great putter if your the greatest of all time.
1a and 1b IMO
Honorable mention: Lauren Roberts aka "the boss of the moss"

[smeech8000]

Unfortunately[quote name='HighlandLaird' timestamp='1420029145' post='10664387']
IMO the finest putter ever was Bobby Locke, who had to be seen to be believed. He used a hickory-shafted, rusty headed, heel shafted ancient thing.

<snip>

Who do YOU think has been the best putter, and please do not forget players such as Vardon, Sarazen, Hagen et al simply because they are deceased? Indeed, there is a case for declaring Hagen the best if so many of the stories about him are to be believed !!
[/quote]

I agree OP, unfortunately many players of yesteryear will be overlooked because much of the audience here wasn't alive in that era (Locke's career was effectively finished by 1960!). Further muddying the waters is the fact that individuals that were alive during that period are going to be relying on anecdotal evidence as guys like Dave Pelz and Mark Broadie weren't around back then either!

So I would say that Nicklaus and Woods are #1 and #2, respectively. Nicklaus obviously had greater success in majors, meaning he made more putts "that mattered", plus he was playing with inferior equipment and on inconsistent putting surfaces.

[Holy Moses]

[quote name='jrich61820' timestamp='1420032427' post='10664549']Tiger back in the early 2000's, he seemingly made EVERY putt he had to make[/quote]

Not a Nike hater, but no majors since he began using the Method

[nitram]

IMHO, you need to add Billy Casper and Dave Stockton to the mix as I think I remember them being listed with the others mentioned as some of the best of all time. To me though, its Woods, Nicklaus, and Crenshaw in that respective order.

[dbleag]

If a great putter makes a great player, you'd have to say Jack, Tiger, Sam Snead, Bob Jones, Kathy Whitworth, Gary Player, Vardon, Old Tom, Young Tom, Sarazen, Hogan, Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Seve, Annika, Hale Irwin, Bernhard and any other names that lead their categories in victories.

Just great putters, includes: Crenshaw, Roberts, Luke, Faxon, Stricker, Brian Gay, Bob Charles, Greg Chalmers, Paul Runyan, Bob Rosberg, etc.

I agree - add Billy Casper to great putter/great player list.

Add Dave Stockton to great putter list.

[PreppySlapCut]

Luke Donald and Chalmers are really the only ones I can think of who use high MOI putters.

[hoosiervolunteer]

There have been so many great putters! My top 5 would be:

Tiger, Jack, Roberts, Crenshaw, Faxon in no particular order.

[Mitchell]

Jackie Burke