Birdie every hole as the mindset. Scoring average as the reality. Top 25 is the outcome.
The Premise
The lowest possible score in golf is 54. Birdie every hole. Nobody expects to shoot 54, but elite players organise their thinking around it. That orientation changes the questions you ask, the shots you choose, and how you respond emotionally when things do not go perfectly.
If you begin a hole thinking about avoiding mistakes, you tend to protect, guide, and hesitate. If you begin a hole with birdie intent, you create clarity and commitment.
Birdie intent is the engine of elite scoring.
Scoring average and T25
T25 means Top 25 in the world. It is not a target you play for. It is what tends to happen when you repeatedly chase the lowest score possible and your scoring average stays elite.
As a practical benchmark, to be a T25 level player your scoring average typically needs to live around 68 to 70 on the men’s side, and 69 to 71 on the women’s side, depending on tour and setup. You do not get there by trying to “make fewer mistakes”. You get there by making enough birdies to outscore the hard days and adapting to situations to reduce the possibilities of big numbers (double bogeys etc).
What that scoring average is built from
A low scoring average is a season long outcome. It is built from a repeatable pattern of round types. A representative distribution for players who live at T25 level is shown below.
Key insight: around 60 to 65 percent of rounds are in the 60s. That only happens when the player keeps birdie intent on every hole and builds a game that converts chances.
How a 68 to 70 average is created
• Birdies are actively planned, not hoped for.
• Pars are interpreted as neutral or positive, depending on context.
• Bogeys happen, but they do not change intent.
• Doubles are rare because decisions stay clear and emotions stay level.
Pars, Fractional Bogeys, and the Scoring Language
This framework is not reckless. It is irrationally positive and realistic at the same time. Outcomes are interpreted with context so the player keeps pressing for low scores without emotional spikes.
Pars: neutral or positive
Par can be neutral or positive. A par is positive when birdie was not realistically available given lie, wind, position, or how the player is swinging that day. A par is neutral when birdie was available but not converted, as long as the process was good and the player stays committed to the next birdie opportunity.
Fractional Bogeys: Giving Bogeys Proportion
Fractional bogeys give bogeys context. They frame a bogey as a single unit of loss inside an otherwise low scoring plan. The purpose is not to accept poor play. The purpose is to stop one hole becoming a narrative shift that drags the player away from birdie intent / being positive.
It also allows the player to frame a hole score correctly. If the scoring average on a Par 4 is 4.25 then a bogey (5) on that hole is only 0.75 of a shot lost. This mindset insulates a positive attitude.
In practice, a fractional bogey means the player makes a clear decision that protects the round: a smart chip to the correct side, a putt to a sensible leave, or a conservative line that keeps double out of play.
The player then immediately returns to birdie intent on the next tee.
A simple outcome hierarchy
• Birdie is positive and is always the objective.
• Par is neutral or positive and keeps the round stable.
• Fractional bogey is a one shot loss that stays in proportion.
• Double usually comes from compounding errors or emotional reaction, not from the first mistake.
The elite psychological loop
• Orient to 54: How do I make birdie here?
• Apply reality: What does my skillset and the conditions allow today?
• Commit fully: Pick the shot and commit to it with one simple intention.
• Interpret correctly: Birdie is positive, par is neutral or positive, fractional bogey is context.
• Reorient immediately: Next hole, same birdie intent.
Summary
Aim for 54 as a mindset, build the scoring average reality of 68 to 70, and Top 25 becomes a by product of chasing excellence.
Thanks for reading,
Oliver C. Morton
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