GOLF.com: Tony Finau Posts Second-Best Single-Round Putting Distance in PGA Tour History at John Deere Classic

Tony Finau delivered one of the most remarkable putting performances in PGA Tour history during the second round of the 2026 John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run. He sank 236 feet 3 inches of putts across 18 holes — the second-highest total in a single PGA Tour round since the stat was first tracked in 2004.

Highlight-Reel Long Makes

Five putts of 28 feet or longer formed the backbone of Finau's record-threatening round: a 67-foot 8-inch birdie on the par-3 3rd, a 45-footer on the 7th, a 36-footer on the 15th, a 31-footer for eagle on the 2nd, and a 28-footer on the 5th. Distance alone does not tell the full story — Finau also displayed consistent short-range execution throughout, recording nine one-putts and zero three-putts on just 27 total putts for the round.

Putting the Record in Context

The all-time PGA Tour mark belongs to Brett Geiberger, who made 240 feet 4 inches in the first round of the 2006 Kemper Insurance Open. Finau fell short by just 4 feet 2 inches. Cameron Smith's 255-foot round at the 2022 The Open Championship would have eclipsed both, but that event falls outside PGA Tour tracking. Finau carded a 3-under 68 on the day — a solid score despite three bogeys — and carried his momentum into Saturday with an early birdie.

Strokeslab Perspective

While SG: Putting measures relative value per stroke, Finau's total-distance figure illustrates how raw long-range make volume can define a round. The three bogeys he posted suggest that approach and scrambling statistics may paint a more nuanced picture — this was a day where exceptional putting masked deficiencies elsewhere, which is precisely the kind of insight Strokes Gained analysis is built to uncover.