The Best Iron Players in Golf Today

After finding the fairway with a splendid drive, the next important task is locating the green and giving yourself a look at the cup.

Whilst a professional golfer needs to be firing on all cylinders to contend, accuracy with the irons is perhaps the most crucial component.

We have selected eight golfers who possess silky skill with their irons, which has undoubtedly propelled them to the stage where they are today.

Scottie Scheffler (PGA Tour)

Scottie Scheffler experienced the ultimate breakthrough year as he finished the 2022 season with four PGA Tour titles - which was four more than he had at the start of the campaign! Not only did he win at impressive venues such as Bay Hill, but he also scooped his maiden major championship at the most special of locations, Augusta National. The American finished 1st for Greens in Regulation last season (72.28%). Scheffler has also started this season in scintillating fashion, having defended his WM Phoenix Open title before adding The Players Championship to his resume. Unsurprisingly, Scheffler finds himself at the summit of Greens in Regulation for the current campaign - will his accuracy add a second major championship this year?

Tommy Fleetwood (DP World Tour)

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Tommy Fleetwood is now a renowned name in the game of golf, having established himself without winning in America. The Englishman has recorded nine professional wins with six of them taking place on the DP World Tour. Remarkably, before his latest triumph in November 2022, Fleetwood had to endure a troubling spell that saw three years vanish before recording his second Nedbank Golf Challenge title last year. The 32-year-old finished 2nd for Greens in Regulation in 2021, but no victories would follow his impressive performances with his irons. He remained in that position during the subsequent campaign, which demonstrates his consistency from the fairways.

Ashleigh Buhai (LET)

Ashleigh Buhai was first victorious back in 2007, which shows how well she has managed her career. The South African is still only 32 years old, and she would have been delighted with earning her maiden major championship at the AIG Women’s Open in August 2021. Buhai has recorded five victories during her career - with the latest taking place in March 2023 - and she is showing no signs of letting up. She finished 2nd for Greens in Regulation last season on the Ladies European Tour, but her sample size was smaller than those around her. Fast-forward to the current season and Buhai is 8th for Greens in Regulation (80.42%), having played the second most holes of anyone in the top 10. It may not be long before we see major #2 for this sublime talent.

Lexi Thompson (LPGA)

Lexi Thompson is one of the most powerful names in women’s golf and considering the amateur career and professional journey she’s currently on, it’s so easy to see why she is so respected. The secret to her majestic play is her accuracy with irons, as the American continuously finds herself near the summit of the Greens in Regulations rankings. Since 2015 - yes, eight years ago - Thompson has finished inside the top 10 of the LPGA rankings for Greens in Regulation every year bar one. In the previous eight years, Thompson has won nine professional titles - but she is yet to add to her one major championship earned back in 2014.

Corey Conners (PGA Tour)

Corey Conners evidently possesses skill throughout his entire golf game, but his precision with his irons is perhaps the most impressive. The only thing missing from his career is more victories; the Canadian has only recorded one win during his professional career. His sole triumph took place in 2019, when he beat Charley Hoffman to the Valero Texas Open title. Conners finished 13th in Greens in Regulation for 2021 (69.93%), but that was improved the following campaign when he finished 2nd in the same category (71.90%). He’s 28th for the current campaign and he has failed to record a single top 10 all season, which will worry him as the meat of the season slowly approaches.

Ross Fisher (DP World Tour)

Ross Fisher is a veteran of professional golf and the 42-year-old has recorded five victories on the DP World Tour - but he could have doubled his trophy cabinet! The Englishman has been involved in five playoffs on the DP World Tour, and he lost them all. Of his five titles, his 2009 victory at the Volvo World Match Play Championship is the most impressive, having beat Anthony Kim 4 & 3 in the final. Fisher is a precise iron player, having finished 23rd, 9th, and is currently 12th for Greens in Regulation on the DP World Tour. Whilst his dream of a maiden major may not come to realisation, his accurate iron play and desire for a 6th DP World Tour win is still very much alive.

Chiara Noja (LET)

Chiara Noja announced herself to the world of golf when she won the Aramco Team Series in Jeddah last year. The highly impressive 17-year-old beat Charley Hull on the second playoff hole to record her second professional victory. When Noja declared professionalism in 2021, she held a handicap of +7.4. The majority of amateurs who turn professional hold a handicap of anywhere between +2 to +5, which demonstrates just how special the German is. She finished 11th for Greens in Regulation last year (75.93%), but her offseason work has paid dividends and she currently finds herself 2nd (84.52%) for the current campaign. At the age of 17 and her entire career ahead of her, Noja could very much win everything available to professional female golfers!

Jodi Ewart-Shadoff (LPGA)

Jodi Ewart-Shadoff is a fine example of just how difficult it is to win on tour. In her 246th start and after 11 seasons on tour, the Englishwoman won her first professional event in 2022. She also enjoyed a splendid year with her approach play, finishing 3rd for Greens in Regulation (76.5%). That was an improvement on the previous campaign (74.9%) which would indicate her game is trending in the right direction. Ewart-Shadoff’s greatest major finish took place in 2017 when she finished runner-up at the Women’s British Open. At the age of 36, there’s still plenty of golf on the horizon for this English star.

These eight superstars are living proof that accuracy remains the most important factor in golf.

Explosive drives are exciting, but they are rendered useless if your subsequent shot fails to find the green!

Are you comfortable with an iron in your hand? 

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