LIV Golf Superlatives: Inside the best approach stats of 2025 season
The 2025 LIV Golf season wasn’t just about distance off the tee; it was also about precision into the greens. The year was full of flag-hunting iron shots and clutch approaches under pressure. From pure ball-strikers to short-iron specialists, the season’s numbers highlight who truly dialed it in with their irons.
SUPERLATIVE WEEK 2025: Driver | Approach | Short Game | Putting | Scoring (Oct. 10)
Here’s a look at the approach play superlatives that defined the year.
GREENS IN REGULATION - INDIVIDUAL
The top two players in this category, Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann, finished first and second in the season-long standings. The fact that Henrik Stenson was relegated after finishing top five in Greens in Regulation emphasizes just how much he struggled on the greens.
Ranking
Player
GIR
1
Jon Rahm
13.48
2
Joaquin Niemann
13.25
3
Tyrrell Hatton
12.80
4
Paul Casey
12.73
5
Henrik Stenson
12.58
HOW THE WINNERS RANKED IN GIR IN 2025
Each of the 13 regular season winners finished in the top 5 in GIR for the week.
Player
Event
GIR Ranking
Adrian Meronk
Riyadh
T5
Joaquin Niemann
Adelaide
T2
Sergio Garcia
Hong Kong
T4
Joaquin Niemann
Singapore
T5
Marc Leishman
Miami
T4
Joaquin Niemann
Mexico City
2
Bryson DeChambeau
Korea
T5
Joaquin Niemann
Virginia
1
Patrick Reed
Dallas
T2
Talor Gooch
Andalucia
T5
Joaquin Niemann
UK
1
Dean Burmester
Chicago
T2
Sebastián Muñoz
Indianapolis
T1
STROKES GAINED: APPROACH - INDIVIDUAL
Strokes Gained: Approach measures how well a player hits their irons and wedges into the greens compared to the field. The statistic is one of the most accurate measures of form and the performance of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton in the Ryder Cup emphasized their strong 2025 approach play. Sebastian Munoz had arguably the best season of his career, producing one of the most impressive rounds in LIV Golf history in Indianapolis. The Colombian became the first player in professional golf history to shoot 59 in a round where a double-bogey was recorded on the scorecard. His 59 was just the third sub-60 round in LIV Golf history. Muñoz erupted for 13 birdies in his final 14 holes, including a LIV Golf record of eight consecutive birdies. His 14 birdies in a single round was another historic first in professional golf.
Ranking
Player
SG: APP
1
Paul Casey
+0.87
2
Sebastián Muñoz
+0.74
3
Tyrrell Hatton
+0.73
4
Jon Rahm
+0.72
5
Marc Leishman
+0.63
STROKES GAINED: LONG APPROACH - INDIVIDUAL
Strokes Gained: Long Approach measures how a player stacks up against the field on shots from 225+ yards.
Ranking
Player
SG: Long APP
1
Jinichiro Kozuma
+0.31
2
Joaquin Niemann
+0.17
3
Dean Burmester
+0.16
4
David Puig
+0.14
5
Henrik Stenson
+0.13
STROKES GAINED: MEDIUM APPROACH - INDIVIDUAL
Strokes Gained: Medium Approach measures how a player stacks up against the field on shots from 150-225 yards. Paul Casey has been one of the best iron players in the world over the course of his career. In his late 40s, the Crushers GC star’s 2025 performance confirms that that’s still the case.
Ranking
Player
SG: Medium APP
1
Paul Casey
+0.63
2
Talor Gooch
+0.27
3
Brendan Steele
+0.22
4
Henrik Stenson
+0.20
5
Harold Varner III
+0.19
STROKES GAINED: SHORT APPROACH - INDIVIDUAL
Strokes Gained: Short Approach measures how a player stacks up against the field on shots from 150 yards and in. Wedges are typically what we call “scoring clubs,” so players that top this category get plenty of birdie look each week. The top three players in this category: Patrick Reed (Dallas), Sebastian Munoz (Indianapolis) and Dean Burmester (Chicago) all won a tournament in 2025.
Ranking
Player
SG: Short APP
1
Patrick Reed
+0.54
2
Sebastián Muñoz
+0.51
3
Dean Burmester
+0.39
4
Tyrrell Hatton
+0.36
5
Cameron Tringale
+0.25
STROKES GAINED: APPROACH - TEAM
Three of the top five ranked teams in Strokes Gained: Approach made the Michigan Team Championship finals. Additionally, four of the top five teams in the regular season standings rank in the top five in Strokes Gained: Approach.
Ranking
Player
SG: APP
1
4Aces GC
+0.39
2
Crushers GC
+0.31
3
Legion XIII
+0.22
4
Stinger GC
+0.17
5
Torque GC
+0.17
GREENS IN REGULATION PERCENTAGE - TEAM
The top five teams in Greens in Regulation also finished inside the top five of the season-long standings. With three of its four players ranking inside the top seven individually, it’s no surprise Legion XIII emerged as team champions.
Ranking
Player
GIR %
1
Legion XIII
69.62%
2
4Aces GC
68.33%
3
Crushers GC
68.23%
4
Torque GC
68.02%
5
Fireballs GC
66.60%
LONGEST HOLE-OUTS
Below are the 10 longest hole-outs of the 2025 season. Richard Bland, holed out from the fairway of the par-5 16th in Mexico City for the second albatross in LIV Golf history. The albatross was the highest strokes-gained shot of the 2025 season.
Player
Event
Round
Hole
Stroke Number
Length
Strokes Gained
Richard Bland
Mexico City
2
16
2
253.28 yards
2.21
Dean Burmester
Korea
1
13
1
205.0 yards
2.04
Marc Leishman
Korea
1
5
1
180.21 yards
1.91
Caleb Surratt
Adelaide
1
5
2
178.68 yards
1.92
Richard Bland
Korea
1
10
2
162.14 yards
2
Matthew Wolff
Indianapolis
1
12
2
157.32 yards
2.09
Patrick Reed
Adelaide
1
12
1
154.39 yards
2.13
Jinichiro Kozuma
Virginia
3
12
2
149.37 yards
2.14
Mito Pereira
Hong Kong
2
2
1
125.22 yards
1.8
Matt Jones
Miami
3
16
2
122.06 yards
1.84
PERFECT GREEN IN REGULATION ROUNDS
There were five rounds in 2025 where a player hit all 18 greens in regulation – the first three coming under the lights in the season opener in Riyadh.
Player
Event
Round
Adrian Meronk
Riyadh
1
Yubin Jang
Riyadh
1
Luis Masaveu
Riyadh
3
Joaquin Niemann
UK
2
Dean Burmester
Michigan
3
