On every count that matters-technique, nerves, courage and determination-Tiger is the best putter ever. Tiger is the one guy who putts better as a tournament progresses and the pressure increases.I've never seen Tiger flinch on a putt. He never seems to have moments when he accelerates too quickly or manipulates the clubhead with his hands. Tiger moves the putter at the same pace back and through, keeping the face remarkably square to the putter's path. The efficiency and consistency of his stroke are amazing. But Tiger isn't just a mechanical marvel--he lets a little emotion come into play, in a good way. His hatred of bogeys is so great that his focus intensifies on putts for par. Simply put, he's the best at closing the deal.HONORABLE MENTION / TIM CLARK
Rory Sabbatini
Sabbatini finished 170th on tour in greens in regulation, yet wound up sixth on the money list. That, and the fact that he got up and down 64 percent of the time (he ranked third in scrambling), tells you something about his talent and versatility around the greens.Sabbatini is sensational at bumping the ball into banks and onto the green. He has an intuitive knack for knowing how the ball will react. And he's just as good on standard chips and pitches. His shots always take two checking bounces, then a smaller bounce, then trickle to the hole. His technique is terrific; he uses his big forearms to deloft the club and pinch the ball with great precision. There is no scoop at all in his motion.HONORABLE MENTION / TIGER WOODS
Hunter Mahan
I realize that driving distance seems to matter more than accuracy these days, but I've always been partial to the guy who can do both. Mahan, 25 and starting his fifth season on tour, is long and straight. He ranked third in total driving in 2007. The fact that Mahan shot 62 three times last year is proof of what long, straight driving can do for a player. You don't shoot 62s bunting it into the rough.What I like about Mahan's driver game is that he isn't afraid to hit the big stick even on tight holes. You can tell by watching his long, free swing that he isn't overly analytical or careful. He respects the rough but doesn't fear it, which is how he managed to average 295 yards per drive while hitting 68 percent of his fairways.HONORABLE MENTION / CHARLES WARREN
Mike Weir
Weir ranked third in sand saves in 2007, in part because he has a built-in advantage over the competition. At 5-feet-9, he's a bit shorter than the average tour player, so his swing plane is naturally a little flatter--much like the two best sand players I ever saw, Chi Chi Rodriguez and Gary Player. He doesn't dig deeply through impact; his clubhead skims through the sand. His shots float out of the bunker and land like a tissue dropped from the MetLife blimp.Weir excels at varying the length and speed of his swing to match the distance of the shot he's hitting. He opens the face of his sand wedge a good amount on the backswing, then merely swings softer or more firmly depending on how far he wants the ball to carry.HONORABLE MENTION / TIM CLARK
Lorena Ochoa
Ochoa led the LPGA Tour in greens in regulation at 73 percent, a full two points higher than the PGA Tour's GIR leader, Tiger Woods. Her percentage actually was down from an incredible 75 percent in 2006, but it still was an amazing performance. For her machine-like precision, she gets the nod over Tiger.Ochoa has such a beautiful release with her irons. Her clubface is dead square at impact, her divots pointing just a shade left of the target, as they should, with just the right amount of depth. Women aren't as strong as men and therefore tend to get a little tight and bound up on their iron swings, but Ochoa is never guilty of that. She stays in balance and blends everything together nicely on her downswing.HONORABLE MENTION / TIGER WOODS
Jim Furyk
There are an awful lot of fantastic short-iron players on tour these days, and it's a difficult category to quantify with hard numbers. But Furyk is as good as a player gets. He ranked sixth in greens in regulation, but it's his technique with the short clubs that impresses me.You're familiar with Furyk's looping swing, where he takes the club back to the outside and then drops it into the slot. Well, that loop is custom-made for short-iron play. He doesn't let the clubface turn over through impact in a handsy, trapping, backspin-producing action. Instead the clubhead glides through the hitting area squarely with no more speed than is necessary. He drags the club through the ball with no "kick" at the bottom. That's the way to do it.HONORABLE MENTION / PHIL MICKELSON
