ATLANTA – The pattern dimension is small and this week’s outcomes are, at finest, inconclusive. But when Scottie Scheffler continues on his present tempo on the swansong cease on the PGA Tour schedule he may need to think about slicing off a chunk of that $25 million FedExCup bonanza to Andrew Inexperienced.
Inexperienced is the mastermind behind East Lake’s restoration that reworked the Donald Ross format from a secular up-and-back course right into a extra compelling take a look at with classical touches that has the complete consideration of the Tour’s finest gamers.
Aside from the historic footprint of the course, all the pieces else has modified for this yr’s Tour Championship. The tees, the fairways, the bunkers and the grasses have all been massaged to higher resemble Ross’ authentic design. However for Scheffler, it’s the brand new greens which have made his fifth begin on the finale really feel a bit totally different.
Tee occasions and pairings for Transferring Day on the Tour Championship.
On two earlier events, Scheffler has arrived at East Lake with a built-in benefit due to the occasion’s “beginning strokes” format that offers the FedExCup factors chief a two-shot lead over the participant in second place and as a lot as a 10-shot lead over these in the direction of the underside of the 30-man area.
Each occasions, Scheffler didn’t win the FedExCup and it doesn’t take a deep statistical dive to unearth why the sport’s preeminent ball-striker couldn’t benefit from the top begin. Statistically, and relative to the sport’s finest gamers, Scheffler’s placing at East Lake has been past pedestrian.
The world No. 1 has by no means had back-to-back rounds at East Lake on the plus aspect of the strokes gained: placing ledger and he’s by no means completed inside the highest 25 within the 30-man area in strokes gained: placing. His finest placing spherical at East Lake was on Day 2 final yr when he picked up a powerful 1.73 pictures on the sector however finally misplaced 5 ½ pictures for the week on the greens and completed 30th in strokes gained: placing.
That egg salad of stats solely reveals how significantly better he’s carried out by way of two rounds this week. On Thursday, he ranked inside the highest 10 in strokes gained: placing, choosing up 1.43 pictures, to associate with his regular elegant ball-striking.
All of it added as much as a seven-shot lead by way of 18 holes. He continued on Friday with a gradual, if not spectacular, day on the greens (choosing up .45 pictures on the sector) to forge into the weekend with a four-shot lead over Collin Morikawa. It’s the primary time in his profession at East Lake he’s posted back-to-back rounds that gained pictures on the greens.
Scheffler’s work with famend placing coach Phil Kenyon, which started final fall following the Tour Championship, has seen impressed outcomes and led to a historic season that’s contains six Tour victories, a second Masters title and an Olympic gold medal.
The year-over-year enchancment along with his placing is hardwired into higher approach and a transparent image of what he’s making an attempt to do on the greens, however this week there appears to be a cheat code due to Inexperienced’s handiwork.
Normally, East Lake’s greens have been dramatically rebuilt and due to the short turnaround from final yr’s Tour Championship, they’re exceedingly agency. That, mixed with a basic lack of information that comes with new greens, has resulted in fewer birdie putts in comparison with earlier years.
Finally yr’s finale, the sector transformed 11.95% of putts 20 to 25 toes. This yr, that quantity has dropped to 11.48%. Put one other manner, the sport’s finest putters haven’t been as prolific this week which, in flip, brings those that are statistically extra towards the center of the pack (even a much-improved Scheffler ranks 87th this season on Tour in strokes gained: placing) nearer to the median.
“I believe, actually, it’s a totally totally different golf course than it was. I imply, it’s the identical routing. It’s actually not the identical golf course. It’s utterly totally different,” mentioned Scheffler, who adopted a gap 65 with a second-round 66. “A number of the pictures off the tee nonetheless form the identical, however the bunkers are in numerous positions, the greens are completely totally different. It’s a brand new golf course that we’re all type of studying on the fly.”
Perhaps Andrew Inexperienced’s slice-and-dice at East Lake received’t be Scheffler’s FedExCup elixir – and it’s value noting that he led by six pictures by way of three rounds in 2022 earlier than stumbling on Sunday to complete tied for second – however by way of two sizzling and steamy days, a perceived legal responsibility has develop into a official asset.
