What a statement when Scottie Scheffler let his putter do the talking at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and snatched the victory with an incredible three-shot lead. Of course, Scheffler at world number one is no surprise, but a crucial factor stands out from the numbers that will amaze even the toughest data nerds: +2.24 Strokes Gained Putting per round. That's not just "good," it's a genuine metamorphosis in what has recently been one of the weaker links in his game.
The Week in Numbers
The week at TPC Southwind was a spectacle of consistently good scores, topped off with an explosive round. After a solid start with a -2 in Round 1, Scheffler hit the turbo on Friday. An unbelievable -9 in Round 2 catapulted him to the top and showed the field who was in charge. In Rounds 3 and 4, he further improved his score with -2 and -4 shots, bringing his total to -17. A three-shot lead over the runner-up – that's not just won, that's dominated.
Strokes Gained Analysis: What Made the Difference
Where did this dominance come from? The Strokes Gained data speaks for itself. Throughout the tournament, Scheffler accumulated a solid +4.09 Strokes Gained Total per round. His 24-month baseline, which reflects his skill level over a longer period, stands at +2.77. This is already a significant positive, but a closer look reveals the true difference:
| Category | Tournament SG (avg) | 24-Month Baseline | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | +4.09 | +2.77 | +1.32 |
| OTT | +0.52 | +0.79 | -0.27 |
| APP | +1.68 | +1.09 | +0.59 |
| ARG | -0.36 | +0.36 | -0.72 |
| Putt | +2.24 | +0.53 | +1.71 |
| T2G | +1.85 | +2.24 | -0.39 |
The elephant in the room is, of course, putting. With a sensational +2.24 SG Putting per round, Scheffler obliterated his 24-month baseline of +0.53. That's a difference of +1.71 strokes per round – pure gold dust on the greens that made the victory possible. His approach play was also significantly above average (+1.09) at +1.68 SG Approach, which created many birdie opportunities for him.
Interestingly, however, his off-the-tee play (OTT with +0.52 SG) and his around-the-green play (ARG with -0.36 SG) were below his usual elite level. His T2G, which is everything from tee to green, was even weaker at +1.85 SG T2G than his 24-month baseline of +2.24 (added components: +0.79 OTT + +1.09 APP + +0.36 ARG = +2.24 T2G). The story is therefore clear: less his famously dominant T2G performance, and more a suddenly red-hot putter, was the game-changer here.
The fourth round impressively highlights this: +4.56 SG Total, driven by an unbelievable +3.27 SG Putting. Even with -1.54 SG Around-the-Green on the final day, Scheffler
