Daniel Mogg
More than three million players hold a USGA handicap. In a collaboration between GOLF and the USGA, we’ve been able to identify five of the best golfers in America who, in percentage terms, have put down more than any other player in the past year. Every player is proof that there is always a chance to score your dream score.
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ICYMI: How did this single-digit handicap become a scratch player
ICYMI: How this amateur went from shooting in the ’90s to breaking into the ’80s
ICYMI: How this college kid used a deal with his dad to lower his golf score
Diane Patton, 56, Bothell, WA Handicap change: 37.3 to 23.8 (36% improvement)
In her own words, Diane Button doesn’t think she’s a very good golfer.
“I definitely feel like I’ve come a long way, but I still see a lot of room for improvement. So it was all a little surreal, I guess.”
The surreal part that Patton mentions? The feeling that you have become the winning woman Washington Golf Challenge “How Far Can You Go” in 2022, when she raised her handicap from 37.3 to 23.8 in just five months.
As an Assistant Attorney General in Washington state, Patton’s warm, playful demeanor isn’t what you’d expect from someone with her serious job title. But that’s part of the secret to getting better at golf: understanding that the game keeps it humble.
“Even the top pros have to work on their game,” she says. “It’s fun to go out there when it’s the mid-70s with no clouds in the sky, but it can be frustrating when you don’t see the results you want. Whereas, the next day, you can go out and shoot five strokes better. So that feels good.” .
With all due respect to Button, any golfer who is able to shave 14.5 strokes off his handicap is a good golfer—however modest. She credits working with a teacher for finding balance and confidence.
“That was really huge, to be able to go long and straight [off the tee] Then we follow up with a long, straight curling iron. Actually I had to start learning the distances I could go with my different clubs, because they made a difference, which hadn’t happened before.”
Button is proof that hard work, the right fundamentals and some self-confidence can help any amateur player achieve their personal goals.
“Eventually, you figure out what works and what doesn’t,” she adds. “I will do all things [to keep getting better]. I will be getting my annual pass to the range. I’m going to keep running there and playing nine holes at six in the morning. I’m going to sneak in as many rounds as I can. And the longer you’re there, the better and better it gets.”