William Mouw’s Odd Putter Boil Sparks ISCO Surge

A Surprising Ritual Yields Big Gains

Defending ISCO champion William Mouw turned heads Friday after a quirky pre‑round ritual paid off. He had struggled to make just 50 feet of putts in Thursday’s opening round and sat 116th in strokes‑gained on greens. Hoping for a change of luck, he half‑joked with his caddie about plunging the flat stick in boiling water. The result was a remarkable 105 feet of putts, five birdies on his front nine, and a seven‑under 63 at Hurstbourne Country Club. Mouw now sits solo sixth at nine under heading into the weekend.

Mouw’s Own Take on the “Hot Stick”

“I put my putting in hot water last night and it stayed hot,” Mouw said with a grin. “I woke up with it hot out of the water and stayed hot all round. That was nice,” he added. He also promised, “I’m going to do it tonight, too.” At 25, Mouw claimed his first tour win at the ISCO last year with a blistering 61 in the final round. After a rough start on the West Coast Swing, he posted a season‑best T‑6 at the Cognizant. Currently he is 105th in the FedEx Cup standings and 132nd in the world rankings.

Teammate Lucas Glover’s Reaction

Mouw plays the first two ISCO rounds alongside Lucas Glover, who leads the field solo at 13 under. Glover admitted he had no idea about Mouw’s overnight treatment of his putter. “Huh, I thought it was a different putter,” Glover said. “The other one looked black, this one silver. I thought it was a different putter altogether. I didn’t ask because he made everything, so I didn’t want to mess up the mojo.” He added, “I’ve thrown a few and kicked a few and broke a few but never boiled one. … I get it. He did, it worked. So he might be melted by tomorrow.”

What This Means for the Rest of the Field

The ISCO Championship is set at Hurstbourne Country Club in Louisville, Ky., and Mouw’s turnaround highlights how small adjustments can swing a tournament. His jump from 50 feet of made putts to 105 feet in a single round is a dramatic statistical shift. The defending champ’s current position—solo sixth at nine under—places him just three strokes behind leader Glover. As Mouw continues his Quest to keep the “hot stick” alive, the FedEx Cup battle will watch closely, especially with his ranking at 105th overall.