This Scottie Scheffler stat is key to his major winning prowess

Scottie Scheffler is a three time major champion. But, at times, his PGA Championship victory didn’t look too easy. However, one key stat shows that we should have expected his win.

Although the 28-year-old ended up winning by five shots, at one point in his final round, he found himself in a tie with Jon Rahm and brought plenty of other players back into the mix.

But, just when things looked like they were going wrong for Scheffler, he was able to steady the ship and pull away from the field once again.

More than anything, that is down to one key stat: bouncebackability.

It’s a metric that is measured on the PGA Tour and it is determined by the percentage of times that a player scores over par on a hole, but then follows it up by being under par on the next hole.

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At Quail Hollow, it was something that Scheffler excelled at. While other players compounded mistakes, Scheffler was able to put them behind him and carry on as if nothing untoward had happened.

Through his first three rounds, Scheffler had made either a birdie or an eagle four out of six times following a dropped shot. In his final round, where he stuttered on the front nine, Scheffler dropped three shots. He followed up two of them with birdies. By the time he made a bogey-five on the final hole, the tournament was wrapped up.

It was a trait that Paul McGinley highlighted on the Golf Channel ahead of the final round.

“What really impresses me, among many things, is the mental reset he’s able to do and how he’s able to wash away mistakes and come back and reset,” said the former Ryder Cup captain.

“That’s bouncebackability. I love that stat, it’s the window into a soul of a golfer and how they can reset.

“When you drop a shot and you hit some wild shots and we’ve seen him hit some wild iron shots this week, it’s like ‘where did that come from?’ and then you start questioning your golf swing. You can go down a rabbit hole very quick and lose your momentum in a round. He doesn’t seem to do that.

“To me, being a major championship winner, you’ve got to have that about you. Scottie has that better than anybody else in the game. Not just now, but from the previous era. Only Tiger Woods you would put up in that category.”

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While it’s a stat that was in full focus at the PGA Championship, it’s something that Scheffler has excelled at for years on the PGA Tour.

This season, he ranks second in the stat, with a bounce back percentage of 36%, compared to the tour average of 21%.

In 2024 and 2023, Scheffler also ranked second in the stat. His impressive bouncebackability is no fluke.

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor