Jim Furyk has been one of the best putters on the PGA Tour for years. He even led the tour in putting in 1995.

Jim Furyk's putting game went from 40th on the PGA Tour to 125th last year. He finished in a tie for 13th at the 2007 Masters. (Jackie Ricciardi/Staff)

His work on the greens is the main reason he's won 13 times, including the 2003 U.S. Open.

Now he's trying to rediscover that magic.

Furyk's putting fell off in 2007. He went from 40th (an average of 28.85 putts per round) to 125th (29.48 putts per round).

There is a direct correlation between Furyk's putting numbers and his Official World Golf Ranking. He was No. 2 at this time last year; now he's barely in the top 10.

Furyk had some good putting events in 2007, but the Masters Tournament was not one of them. He finished 57th in putting among the 60 players who made the cut. That he led the field in greens hit in regulation explains how he managed to finish in a tie for 13th place.

"You get in a frustrated mode," Furyk said. "We kind of have our peaks and valleys and ups and downs in putting. You have streaks for a while, then you get cold for a while. I've had a little trouble with alignment throughout my career, aiming poorly. I've been working on that, and getting the face back a little more square at impact."

He even went to a belly putter during February's Match Play Championship, where he lost in the first round.

"The idea was to help with my posture and eye alignment," he said. "Get my eyes over the ball. I never ended up getting totally comfortable with it."

He's back with the conventional putter, hoping to work his way back to the elite class of putters.

"I'm chipping away at it," Furyk said. "I don't spend 10 hours a day on putting. Every day you try to learn something, you try to get better, you try to improve, you try to find a feel. Go out there and take it to the course for a couple of days, then go back to the drawing board and see what you can improve on.

"You can practice all you want, but there is really no replacement for getting out there in game conditions and see how things feel and how things go out there."

Furyk thinks Augusta National Golf Club's greens are slower than they were before the course was lengthened, starting in 2002.

"They're quick, but I think they were quicker eight years ago than they are now," he said. "When they lengthened the course, I won't say they eased off the greens, but there were years when they got nervous about us hitting 8-irons and wedges into the holes, and the greens were borderline at times. Now I think they're very severe and very difficult, but I think they're playable."

It's not just putting that Furyk is working on. He's spent time with Srixon, his club manufacturer, trying to find the right driver to put into play. He's also been working with his father, Mike, the only instructor he's ever had.

"I'm working on some technique with my dad and things that I think I can improve on, shots that I would like to hit but that I'm not hitting right now," he said. "And things I've been able to do in the past I'm not doing right now."

All this work might pay off in the Masters, where Furyk has finished fourth twice (1998 and 2003).

"It's kind of a fun part of the year," he said.

"I'm excited about what I see, yet I'm still trying to build confidence, if that makes sense. So it takes time."

Stellar iron play was what kept Furyk in contention in the 2007 Masters. He needed that accuracy after being one of the shorter hitters among those who made the cut (he tied for 44th at 271 yards per drive).

The 520 yards that have been added to the course, starting in 2002, haven't helped Furyk.

"It's gotten a lot longer; there is more rough," Furyk said. "It used to be more of a fun golf course. More of a risk-reward. Guys would go for broke on Sunday down the stretch trying to win the golf tournament.

"You don't see that anymore. You have to be more conservative. You can play aggressive with an 8- or 9-iron; you can't play aggressive with a 5-iron on some of those greens.

"It's a lot more penal. ... What they've done the last five years has changed the face of that tournament for a long, long time."

Reach David Westin at (706) 823-3224 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.