LIV Golf Superlatives: Inside the best short game stats of 2025 season
The 2025 LIV Golf season proved that winning isn’t just about power or precision, it’s also about touch. Around the greens, some of the world's best showed off their creativity and finesse. From high-risk flop shots to important sand saves, there were plenty of big moments and important statistics that helped shape the season.
SUPERLATIVE WEEK 2025: Driver | Approach | Short Game | Putting | Scoring (Oct. 10)
Here’s a look at the short game superlatives that defined the year.
STROKES GAINED: AROUND THE GREEN - INIDIVIDUAL
Even in a down year by his lofty standards, Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith proved he has arguably the best short game in professional golf.
Ranking
Player
SG: ARG
1
Cameron Smith
+0.65
2
Jinichiro Kozuma
+0.53
3
Thomas Pieters
+0.48
4
Jon Rahm
+0.46
5
Tom McKibbin
+0.40
SCRAMBLING PERCENTAGE - INDIVIDUAL
Even the best ball-strikers in the world need to make tricky up-and-downs in crucial LIV Golf moments. Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau makes headlines with his enormous drives but his ability to make clutch par saves is a major factor in his success.
Ranking
Player
Scrambling
1
Bryson DeChambeau
67.1%
2
Thomas Pieters
65.6%
3
Jon Rahm
65.2%
4
Patrick Reed
65.1%
5
Cameron Smith
65.0%
SAND SAVES - INDIVIDUAL
Smith once again leads the short game category. Whether it’s from the rough or the sand, the Australian knows how to play the shot. HyFlyers GC Captain Phil Mickelson, who’s short game is legendary, ranks second.
Ranking
Player
Sand Saves
1
Cameron Smith
69.9%
2
Phil Mickelson
62.7%
3
Charl Schwartzel
62.3%
4
David Puig
61.8%
5
Jason Kokrak
60.9%
STROKES GAINED: AROUND THE GREEN - TEAM
Legion XIII led the category, which emphasizes its importance since it won the 2025 Michigan Team Championship. The team had two players in the top-10 in Strokes Gained: Around the Green.
Ranking
Player
SG: ARG
1
Legion XIII
+0.21
2
Ripper GC
+0.20
3
Stinger GC
+0.15
4
Crushers GC
+0.12
5
4Aces GC
+0.11
SCRAMBLING PERCENTAGE- TEAM
Bryson DeChambeau leads the league in scrambling percentage individually and Crushers GC sets the pace for scrambling as a team. All five teams below finished the season in the top-7 in the standings.
Ranking
Player
Scrambling
1
Crushers GC
63.2%
2
4Aces GC
61.6%
3
Stinger GC
61.6%
4
Ripper GC
61.2%
5
HyFlyers GC
60.9%
SAND SAVES - TEAM
Phil Mickelson was the second-best player out of the sand for the 2025 season. Ripper GC is the only team to finish in the top-5 in all three short game categories.
Ranking
Player
Sand Saves
1
HyFlyers GC
55.1%
2
Ripper GC
54.2%
3
Legion XIII
53.5%
4
Fireballs GC
53.1%
5
Smash GC
52.6%
MOST CHIP-INS
Nothing can spark a round like a chip-in from off the green. Below are the players with the most chip-ins from inside 25 yards during the 2025 season.
Player
# of chip-ins
Lucas Herbert
14
Thomas Pieters
13
Graeme McDowell
11
Cameron Smith
10
Jon Rahm
10
BEST CHIP-INS (STROKES GAINED)
Here are the best chip-ins from inside 25 yards, with the top three all coming from Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia.
Player
Event
Round
Hole
Strokes Gained
Brendan Steele
Virginia
1
8
+1.67
Caleb Surratt
Virginia
1
8
+1.66
Sam Horsfield
Virginia
1
1
+1.61
Kevin Na
Indianapolis
2
14
+1.58
Peter Uihlein
Korea
1
1
+1.56
MOST MEMORABLE CHIP-IN
It would be impossible to discuss chip-ins from the 2025 season without mentioning Phil Mickelson’s incredible chip-in from LIV Golf Virgnia.
Player
Event
Round
Hole
Strokes Gained
Phil Mickelson
Virginia
3
17
+1.21
