Not long ago, Scottie Scheffler was asking himself why he is so obsessed with golf. Why he grinds so hard. But this week at the Tour Championship, he has reminded everyone exactly what sets him apart.
The world number one has been in a class of his own all season, racking up five PGA Tour wins and two majors. And it does not look like he is slowing down anytime soon.
This time around, there are no starting strokes to worry about – and Scheffler seems to be enjoying every bit of it.
Even after Rory McIlroy grabbed a lucky birdie on the last hole Thursday afternoon, it was still Scheffler who stole the spotlight with a round of 63.
That put him just two shots back of Russell Henley’s lead heading into Friday, keeping him well within striking distance.
Scottie Scheffler smashes another record on the Tour Championship opening round
How many more records can Scottie Scheffler set this year?
It is hard to believe given how difficult it is to maintain top form in golf, but he just keeps adding to his list.
He has already posted 15 top-10 finishes in just 18 starts, and that number is about to go up again.
This time, he did something new: three putts from beyond 25 feet in a single round. It is the first time he has managed that in a PGA Tour event.
The long putts came on the 10th, 16th, and 17th holes. The one at 16 felt especially important – a crucial par save that helped him finish with a seven-under opening round.
Scottie Scheffler’s mind-blowing putting improvements since 2019
Scheffler is the best golfer on the planet, and he is a long way ahead of the rest. And this season, his putting has been a big part of that. However, it has not always been like that.
Since March 2024, when he adopted a mallet putter, he has improved his PGA Tour putting, as shown in the six-season stats below.
| Year | Scheffler’s strokes gained putting rank |
| 2019-20 | 117th |
| 2020-21 | 107th |
| 2021-22 | 58th |
| 2022-23 | 162nd |
| 2024 | 77th |
| 2025 | 16th |
If you combine that with being ranked first in strokes gained off the tee, approach, and total – plus sitting inside the top 20 in putting – it is tough for anyone else to catch up.
Just look at Thursday at East Lake. He holed over 140 feet of putts. That kind of improvement speaks for itself.
If this continues through the Tour Championship, it will be hard for anyone to keep pace.
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