In the wake of his triumphant victory last year, where he towered above Wyndham Clark with a 5-stroke lead, Scottie Scheffler stepped onto the greens at Bay Hill with the hopes of reclaiming his old glory. However, the after-effects of his recent injury seemed to be clinging on to the 13-time PGA Tour champion like a stubborn specter.
Scheffler came into the game with an unwavering determination, but the results failed to mirror his spirit. Securing a modest 4 under par during the four rounds at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he ended up at T11. Although inching closer to his first win of the season, it was evident that an upgrade in his game, particularly on the greens, was the need of the hour.
Scheffler’s performance in terms of Strokes Gained by Putting was less than stellar. With a ranking of 49th in the field, he lost almost 5.328 strokes due to his underwhelming performance on the greens. Despite managing a commendable 51 pars across the four rounds, his downfall was the bogeys, which saw him hold a T4 position among the field.
Recognizing the chinks in his armor, Scheffler commented, “I didn’t hole too many putts, it was really challenging out there on these greens. Putting on a surface that’s practically dead, the ball can have a life of its own. I’m proud of hitting a lot of good putts, just wasn’t my week on the greens.”
A glimmer of hope did emerge amidst Scheffler’s struggle to regain form. His drive, in particular, proved to be a beacon, casting a silver lining over his performance at Bay Hill. Ranked No.1 in the field with a score of 6.516 in Strokes Gained Off the Tee, Scheffler found solace in his driving accuracy, which was recorded at a significant 69.64%.
Reflecting on his performance, Scheffler said, “Yeah, I didn’t drive it very well the first few weeks coming out, so to have a good week off the tee was definitely nice. I could definitely be a little sharper with the irons, a little sharper on the greens, but overall I felt like I did a lot of good stuff.”
In the face of unsatisfactory results post his surgery, Scottie Scheffler remains resolute and optimistic. With his eyes set on improvement, he is determined to regain his lost momentum and reclaim his position at the top. His journey of resurgence and the lessons it brings will be a story worth following in the world of sports.