This week, my course -- the TPC Boston -- will host the Deutsche Bank Championship. We are excited and as prepared as we could possibly be. But I hope the TOUR players left some excitement in their bags for us. What an exciting and dramatic week at Westchester Country Club!

There were too many storylines to cite them all, but Steve Stricker, one of the really "good guys" on TOUR, coming through with a win is really exciting for all golf fans. The fact that he is now your FedExCup Points Leader is another tremendous sub-plot. You can read about Steve's inspiring comeback on several articles today, but let's talk about what you can learn from watching Steve come through for his first win in the United States since 1996.

In my opinion, it was Steve Stricker's putting that lead to his win at the Barclays, and thus, put him in the lead for the FedExCup. Stricker averaged fewer than 1.6 putts per round. He made 100% of his putts from 3 to 4 feet as well as from 8 to 9 feet. Stricker also had zero three-putt greens for the week and birdied four of the last five hole of the tournament to claim his first victory in the United States in eleven years.

For TOUR players, time on the practice putting green is critical, an area they spend an enormous amount of time. Ironically, it is one of the least practiced areas amongst amateur golfers and higher handicap players. Too frequently, I see amateur players on the practice tee devoting hours to their long game and rarely do I see them on the putting green. Putting makes up roughly 43% of one's total score. With this statistic, it is obvious where one's time should be devoted.

Devoting minimal time to practicing one's putting will result in a loss of feel for the greens, ultimately leading to numerous three putts and higher scores. A great drill to help improve your feel for the greens is to practice putting to a much smaller target. For example, put a few tees in the ground at different lengths. This will eliminate your need to focus solely on the hole allowing you to focus more on the feel of a consistent putting stroke. Also it will give you the feel for getting the ball in and around the hole as opposed to trying to hole every putt that you stroke.

For your lag putts, try this drill from outside 30 feet and from within 10 feet for shorter putts. Practicing this drill will lead to greater consistency and control on all putts. It will also help you on the golf course in that when you start putting to an actual hole it appears to be much larger. Try spending 30 fewer minutes on the practice tee and 30 more minutes on the putting green and you'll be on the right track to putting more consistently ultimately lowering your scores.

And of course, this week, we welcome the PGA TOUR and golf fans from around the world to TPC Boston. As the PGA Head Professional here, I can't wait to see all the hard work that the Golf Course Maintenance Staff, the staff here at TPC Boston, and Tournament employees, volunteers, and officials have put in, finally be recognized and rewarded. As a fan, I can't wait to see the world's best players tackle what we believe is a stern, fair, and great test of their skills. And as someone who has a passion for learning more and more about the game, I can't wait to see what lessons can be passed on from this week's championship.

Tom Ellis is the PGA Head Professional at TPC Boston, the host of The Deutsche Bank Championship. Ellis, a native of Franklin, Penn., has been a PGA member since 2005 and the Head Professional at TPC Boston since 2006. He is a graduate of Curry College in Milton, Mass.