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Ashleigh Buhai Highlights the Keys to Putting in Windy Conditions

By Brendon Elliott, PGA

Published on Sunday, August 7, 2022

Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa plays her putt shot from the 13th hole during Day Three of the AIG Women's Open at Muirfield on August 06, 2022 in Gullane, Scotland. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

During a blustery third round at the AIG Women’s Open, Ashleigh Buhai shot a 5-under 31 on her opening nine, which included a stretch of 4 birdies in a row, and finished with a remarkable 7-under 64. The wind really played a factor on Saturday at Muirfield. Winds blew west - southwest at about 15-25 mph with gusts as high as 35 mph. Even with the breezy conditions taking center stage, the key to Buhai’s success was her strong performance on the greens. She needed only 25 putts on the day, which was her best total so far this week.

Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa plays her putt shot from the 10th hole during Day Three of the AIG Women's Open at Muirfield on August 06, 2022 in Gullane, Scotland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)

Putting in Windy Conditions

External factors, such as wind, can influence the ball on the putting green. Not only do you need to consider the effect the wind will have on the direction of the ball as you putt, but also the effect on speed when you putt. Downwind putts will see the ball roll out faster off the face, and when putting into the wind, they will roll slower on their journey to the hole.

6 Keys to Putting Better in Windy Conditions:

Create a Strong Base - On windy days, you need to widen your putting stance. When you’re being blown around, a wider stance creates more stability, which is a key factor to putting well.
Stay as Still as Possible - You should always strive to stay as steady as possible with your body and head when you putt, but in windy conditions, even more so.
Choke Down a Bit - When it's all about steadiness and control in windy conditions, it can be helpful to choke down a bit on the grip of your putter.
Be Aware of Wind Direction as you Read Your Putt - As you read your putt, be aware of the direction the wind is blowing and how that will affect your chosen line and speed.
Be Aggressive - While the suggestion to be aggressive on putts into the wind makes sense, you have a better chance holing more putts by being aggressive in your approach on all putts on windy days. Often golfers become far too tentative the wind, so be aware of the wind at your back and maintain an aggressive overall approach.
Be Confident - For good play to be the story of the day, it's always important to be confident out on the golf course…but even more so in difficult conditions.