First of all, I would like to take the time to congratulate Eveliina Salonen on becoming the first Finnish Disc Golf World Champion! What an amazing performance, accomplishment and timing as the next year’s 2025 Disc Golf World Championships will be held in FINLAND!
Secondly, before we get into the stats and theories, what does C1X and C2 putting mean?
C1X putting = Circle 1 eXcluding tap ins aka Circle 1X aka C1X is the area within 3 to 10 meters (~10 to 32.8ft) of the basket. X stands for excluding bullseye, because pros rarely miss those.
C2 putting = Circle two (C2) is the area within 10-20 meters (32.8 to 65.6ft) from the basket.
Here’s a good visual presentation of the C1 and C2 circles in putting by DG Puttheads:
Onto the topic at hand, I often find myself reviewing post-event stats and speculating “What if?!”.
What if Eveliina Salonen could putt like a normal DGPT FPO player or as well as the best FPO putters on tour, i.e Scoggins, Saarinen, Finley or Fajkus?
Let’s start by listing Eveliina Salonen’s 2024 DGPT season long putting stats:
According to DGPT stats Eveliina currently sits at 62.23% from C1X (43rd place out of 47) & C2 8.91% (39th out of 47).
All-in-all, she is not good at throwing the disc in the basket from circle one nor circle two, well below tour average.
Now let’s look at the 2024 PDGA Pro Worlds stats from all 5 rounds.
Eveliina’s putting stats at 2024 Worlds:
C1X 63% (40/63);
C2 0% (0/23).
A total of -11.74 gained from putting. And yet she still won by 2 strokes… Goes to show how incredibly good she is at throwing the disc. A total of 41.44 strokes gained from Tee to Green…
Fun fact! Eveliina was averaging just around her season long C1X putting percentage, but did not make a single C2 putt on her way to becoming a 1X FPO Disc Golf World Champion.
What if?! Eveliina could putt like an average DGPT FPO player?
I went through the 2024 DGPT FPO season putting stats and the average FPO player (a sample of 47 players) is currently making 71.5% putts from C1X and 14% from C2.
So in theory, if Salonen could putt like an average 2024 DGPT FPO player, she would’ve made 45 C1X putts & 3 C2 putts, instead of 40 & 0, that’s a total of 8 strokes better. Theoretically, she would’ve won by a total of 10 strokes.
What if?! Eveliina could putt like the best DGPT FPO players?
According to DGPT 2024 stats the 5 best FPO putters average around 82% from C1X and 21% from C2. If Eveliina could putt as well as the best FPO putters, she would’ve made 51 C1X putts & ~5 C2 putts, that translates to 16 strokes gained from putting and she would’ve won the event by a staggering 18-stroke lead…
This next bit might be 100% wrong, but it’s fun to theorize.
Eveliina would’ve gained 20 strokes if she would’ve made as many putts as Finley (60/63 95% C1X) and 14 strokes if she could’ve made as many C2 putts as Mandujano (14 OCP, 48% C2).
She would’ve beaten the field by (34+2) 36 strokes… Just imagine that.
Long story short aka conclusion
While it’s fun to theorize, the stats speak for themselves. The scary part is that none of these scenarios are that far-fetched, especially the first two ‘What Ifs?!’… It really goes to show that you don’t need to be the best, heck not even an average putter, to win.
If Salonen could ‘fix’ her putting and be as good as an average touring FPO disc golfer, it would be a whole different story. Let’s hope she puts in the work this off-season, and we’ll see those putting averages rise in the 2025 season!
After all, Eveliina Salonen might currently be one of the worst FPO putters on the DGPT, but I doubt she cares… She just won her first Disc Golf World Championship title and is having a stellar season!
Who is the best putter in the modern era of pro disc golf?
This MPO player is hands down the best of the best. Averaging around 90-93% C1X makes all season long for multiple seasons in a row. Continue reading here – https://discgolffanatic.com/best-putter-in-the-modern-era-of-pro-disc-golf/
Pictures by DGPT.
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