2023 Charles Schwab Challenge: Top 10 Power Rankings
Credit to Scottie Scheffler for teeing it up this week. Surely, he’s not running on a full tank after taking T-5th a couple weeks ago at the AT&T Byron Nelson and T-2nd at last week’s PGA Championship.
He’d probably love to put his feet up this week, but the Dallas native is sticking with his commitment to play a de facto home game in Fort Worth.
Scheffler likely feels he has unfinished business at Colonial. He debuted at the Charles Schwab Challenge with a T-55th in 2020 and missed the cut in 2021.
Scheffler finally got in the mix last year, but came up shy in a playoff against Sam Burns. Scheffler led the field in strokes gained tee-to-green and could have ran away with the tournament if not for a middling putting week.
Unfortunately for him, the putter has been a reason Scheffler’s “only” won twice in 2023. Fortunately, Scheffler posted a 4-under back nine 31 last week at Oak Hill where putts were finally finding the back of the hole.
Scheffler is tops in SG tee-to-green this season, gaining 2.309 per round. He’s also first in SG off-the-tee at 1.022.
Few think Scheffler’s putting woes are a long-term problem, so that could be the type of momentum that can propel him to better luck on the greens.
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Being on bent grass this week that he grew up on should also play in his favor.
The former Texas Longhorn has won six times on the PGA Tour by age 26, but never in the Lone Star State.
Scheffler is also looking to create separation on Jon Rahm, who is off this week, in the Official World Golf Ranking. Scheffler’s high finish at the PGA, combined with a T-50th for Rahm, was enough for Scheffler to climb to No. 1 for the first time since March.