Scheffler’s Bounce Backs Demonstrate How He Wins Majors

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about taking what Scottie Scheffler is achieving for granted. I said that Tiger Woods’ exploits had probably spoiled us. I theorized that the number one player in the world needed to be flashy, extracting himself from trouble in dramatic fashion and making the unbelievable shots that lead to incredible birdies and, in the end, win the tournament - often a major.

Scheffler is very different. He rarely, if ever, puts himself in a position that needs flash, extraction, and/or an unbelievable shot. He’s kind of boring. His drives end up in the middle of the fairway. His approach shots are a few feet from the hole. He makes his putts without fist-pumping. These days, we are inundated with stats, facts, and figures. Everything is kept track of. One particular stat is referred to as the bounce back statistic. How often, after making a bogey, does a player “bounce back” with a birdie on the next hole? The tour average is 13 percent. Scheffler’s average? It’s a shocking 62 percent. More than 60 percent of the time, after he bogeys a hole, he comes back to birdie the next one. It’s one of those quiet stats that doesn’t draw much attention but does win golf tournaments and major championships. It is the kind of thing that makes him almost impossible to catch. When he’s in the lead after 54 holes, he’s never lost.

Sound familiar?

You could also say, if you wanted to stretch this analogy a little further, that Scheffler bounced back from a disappointing Masters tournament and, just a month later, won the next major - the PGA Championship. The PGA is Scheffler’s third major, along with his two Masters victories.

Like Tiger, Scheffler may also be beginning a run. There are very few places that don’t suit his game. Oakmont is tough on everybody, but if you’re disciplined, thoughtful, patient, rarely make a wrong decision, and are a good putter, you’ve got a chance.

At the home of NASCAR, Scheffler lapped the field last week. Now, with the game’s toughest test on the horizon, the game’s toughest competitor looks more than ready.