Putting is key to improved FedExCup standing

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Zach Johnson has been a master of the greens this season on TOUR -- certainly a factor in his two 2009 victories.

A look at the statistics of some of the top performers in the current FedExCup standings indicates that improved putting has been the key statistic for a number of players.

Statistics

Putts per round
Putts per GIR
All around ranking

For example, FedExCup leader Zach Johnson finished a distant 131st last year in the points race. Why? Perhaps it was because he was 100th in putting on TOUR. This year, he's 36th.

Retief Goosen was 108th last year in the FedExCup standings after finishing 145th in putting. This year, he's made a dramatic leap to 15th in the standings with his improvement to 56th in putting.

Paul Casey was 193rd in putting last year, leading to a 74th-place finish in the FedExCup race. This year, he's made a huge leap to 19th in putting and has climbed to 10th in the FedExCup standings.

Rory Sabbatini is 11th in the current standings after finishing 69th last year. Again, improved putting has led the way to his resurgence, as he's gone from 107th in putting last year all the way to fourth this season.

Nick Watney is yet another with improved putting stats going from 127th last year to 50th this season and climbing in the FedExCup race from 109th in 2008 to 10th in the 2009 standings.

The improved putting has even helped overcome a decline in other stats for some players. John Rollins, for example, is hitting less fairways and greens, but his putting has improved from 153rd to 53rd, and his FedExCup standing has also improved from 96th in 2008 to 29th currently.

He's not alone in watching improved putting offset a decline in other areas. Sabbatini is hitting it a little shorter, a little less accurately and hitting fewer greens, but he has made a dramatic move up the FedExCup standings thanks to his improvement with the flatstick.

It takes a complete game to win the FedExCup, but improved putting certainly has helped several 2009 contenders to move up the standings.