First things first. Amendment purpose of the undersigned: as much as one might think that Scottie Scheffler has slightly lowered his performance, even if only slightly, it is advisable not to elevate to the category of certainty, for example, that the season is getting long for him until it is effectively proven to be so. We may have had that impression at the US Open, but then he won the Travelers. We may have seen him again at the Open making some bad decisions on the field, or a bit more erratic from tee to green, just like in the first two rounds at the Golf National… But there is the gold medal, hanging from the Texan’s neck.
Scheffler has already spent 99 weeks as World Number One and has just surpassed Nick Faldo (97) in the historical ranking; at the beginning of January 2025 he will overtake Rory McIlroy (122) and, if nothing strange happens, he will also reach Dustin Johnson (135) at the end of April. Ahead only a distant Greg Norman (331) and an unreachable Tiger Woods (683) would remain, but at this point it is much more than evident that Scottie has been wearing the NUL (Legendary Number One) label. And it seems that sometimes one still forgets…
Now, let’s go with some fabulous numbers.
Scheffler has risen to the top of the podium in Paris finishing the tournament in the 38th position of the Strokes Gained Putting statistic, and losing over the four rounds 1.3 strokes on the greens compared to the average of the players on the field. In the 38th position of sixty competitors, let’s not forget. According to this statistic and without going any further, Tommy Fleetwood, silver medal, led Scheffler by almost eight strokes on the greens over the four rounds, two strokes per round, and still finished second one stroke behind the champion. Matsuyama, bronze, was more than six strokes ahead on the greens…
Seeing him at the top of the podium, there was no choice but to remember once again the words of Tiger about the Texan, which once freely translated sound like this: “if he putts badly, he will still be up there; if he putts decently, he wins the tournament; if he putts well, you don’t even see him.”
Somewhere this deficit had to be compensated, it’s obvious. And it is at this point where once again we are taken aback. Scheffler finished the tournament in first place in the Strokes Gained Approach to Green statistic, leading the average of the competitors, pay attention, by more than ten strokes. But let’s translate what, among other things, this data means, beyond catching more greens in regulation than most. The record is absolutely chilling: in 37 of the 72 holes, more than half, the American left the ball less than five meters from the hole to make birdie or eagle.
No further questions, your honour.
