Scottie Scheffler had one of the most ridiculous seasons in golf history, a year in which he won a total of nine events. He won at Augusta National, rallied to the top of the podium in Paris and won four signature event titles.
He also never ran away from his character, relying on his beliefs, trust in his process, and growing family to reach a level in the sport not seen since Tiger Woods. No wonder he became the first player since Woods to win the Player of the Year award three years in a row. He dominated in 2024, with more wins this year than in 2022 and 2023 combined.
Without further ado, here are 15 stats that show just how remarkable Scheffler's 2024 was.
1. First player to win The Players, The Masters and Tour Championship in the same season
These three wins say it all. Scheffler shot an 8-under 64 on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass, overcoming a five-shot deficit and winning by one. He also became the first player to win consecutive Players Championships. Later, at Augusta, he held off many potential champions and played flawless golf to win his second green jacket. And in Atlanta in August, Scheffler walked away from the field, even though he despised the format of the starting stroke.
2. First player since Tiger Woods to win Player of the Year award three years in a row
As mentioned above, Schaeffler is currently in thin air. Besides Scheffler and Woods, only Rory McIlroy has won the overall title three times, in 2012, 2014 and 2019. However, Woods is the only player to have won the tournament at least three times in a row and twice. Woods won three in a row from 2005 to 2007, then five in a row from 1999 to 2003. So if Scheffler can keep up this form over the next two years, he'll be able to match the amazing feat and be on par with the man who accomplished the greatest feats. Golf I've ever played.
3. Highest scoring rate in a single season on record
Scheffler averaged 68.01 points, which is ridiculous. Xander Schauffele ranks second on this list, finishing the season with an average score of 68.52.
4. Ranks #1 on the PGA Tour in average birdies and par breaker percentage.
Scheffler had 4.88 birdies per round for a par breaker percentage of 27.93%. This means you have almost a 1 in 3 chance of getting a birdie or eagle. From tee to green, he was unstoppable. However, the same cannot be said about his putting, which helps explain why he didn't get more birdies.
5. 2nd in bogey avoidance rate, 2nd in rebound rate
Looking back at the final round of the Masters, Scheffler made no mistakes. He played conservatively on every shot, not aggressively, like Woods and Jack Nicklaus did in their primes. This helps explain why Scheffler only dropped shots 9.85% of the time and ranked second in bogey avoidance. However, he usually recovered from his mistakes and made a birdie on the next hole at a clip of 31.75%, good for second place on tour. Talk about resilience.
6. Third player since 1981 to win seven or more games in a season.
Over the past 43 years, Woods and Vijay Singh are the only two to win seven times in a single season on the PGA Tour. However, although Scheffler won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, unlike the DP World Tour, it did not count as an official event on the PGA Tour. He then ended the year with a win at the Hero World Challenge, a non-tour-sanctioned 20-man exhibition. So if you add those two together, you have nine wins, a record set by Woods in 2000 and Shinn in 2004.
7. Most consecutive rounds of par or better on record to start a season.
No wonder his season scoring average was so low. Scheffler started the 2024 season with an astonishing 41 consecutive rounds under par. His winning streak ended in the third round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla. It was the only round this year where caddy Ted Scott wasn't with him. Coincidence?
8. Fifth player to defend title multiple times since 1995
Scheffler successfully defended his title at The Players and Heroes World Challenge. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2022 and again this year. The same pattern applies to his two Masters wins in 2022 and 2024.
9. Leads 3 out of 6 Strokes Gained Stats
Even though Scheffler appears to have an unbalanced shuffle on every shot he hits, he ranks first in tee-to-green strokes gained, strokes gained approaches and total strokes gained. . He split the fairway and found the green with surprising speed. But when he needed some ups and downs, he could rely on his nifty short game. No wonder he ranked higher than everyone else in these metrics.
10. Deadly wedge play
Scheffler's wedge game may be his greatest asset. He can hit any shot with a wedge, a testament to his sense and imagination. He placed first in approaches from within 100 yards, first in approaches from 50 to 125 yards, and first in approaches from 100 to 125 yards. Talk about pinpoint accuracy.
11. It didn't matter when Scotty teed off.
Is it morning or afternoon? It didn't matter. Scheffler posted a score of 68.39 in the morning, ranking second in early wave score average. After that, he improved a little in the afternoon and recorded an average score of 67.85, his first on tour.
12. Record-tying consecutive top 20 finishes since the start of the season
All of this otherworldly play resulted in incredible results. Even when he didn't win, Scheffler was still on the front page of the leaderboard, usually because he didn't make the putt. He started the season with a PGA Tour record of 13 consecutive top-20 finishes. His impressive winning streak ended with a second place at Pinehurst and a tie for 41st at the U.S. Open.
13. Fastest six wins since 1962
By July 1, Scottie Scheffler already had his sixth win of the season after defeating Tom Kim in the Travelers Championship playoffs. He thus became the fastest player to win six titles in a season since Arnold Palmer in 1962. I did that. Palmer's sixth win came at Colonial. Like Scheffler this year, Palmer's 1962 trophy case also included a victory at the 1962 Masters.
14. 77th in strokes gained putting
A lot has been said about Scotty Scheffler's putting, but it's the one trait in his game that isn't as highly praised as others. So, considering he was second on tour closer to the hole, imagine if he had had a slightly better putter. A double-digit win this year may have been in the cards. Nevertheless, after switching to a “claw” grip and using it from within 15 feet, Scheffler won the Hero World Challenge by six points. Perhaps it's a harbinger of things to come in 2025.
15. One arrest made at PGA Championship
Perhaps the most notable golf news story of the year occurred on the morning of Friday, May 17th. On his way to Valhalla Golf Club, Lousiville Metro Police took Mr. Scheffler into custody on suspicion of disobeying police commands and assaulting a police officer with his vehicle. Prosecutors later dropped the charges two weeks later after camera footage showed they had been exaggerated, but no one will ever forget what happened that morning. A few hours before tee time for the second round, Scheffler stood in his cell in a jumpsuit. His mug shot went viral, but he was subsequently released in time to play. He shot a 6-under 66 that day, a remarkable performance considering the mental toll the episode must have taken on him.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
