ATLANTA – The sample size is small and this week’s results are, at best, inconclusive. But if Scottie Scheffler continues on his current pace at the swansong stop on the PGA Tour schedule he might want to consider slicing off a piece of that $25 million FedExCup bonanza to Andrew Green.
Green is the mastermind behind East Lake’s restoration that transformed the Donald Ross layout from a mundane up-and-back course into a more compelling test with classical touches that has the full attention of the Tour’s best players.
Other than the historic footprint of the course, everything else has changed for this year’s Tour Championship. The tees, the fairways, the bunkers and the grasses have all been massaged to better resemble Ross’ original design. But for Scheffler, it’s the new greens that have made his fifth start at the finale feel a little different.
On two previous occasions, Scheffler has arrived at East Lake with a built-in advantage thanks to the event’s “starting strokes” format that gives the FedExCup points leader a two-shot lead over the player in second place and as much as a 10-shot lead over those towards the bottom of the 30-man field.
Both times, Scheffler failed to win the FedExCup and it doesn’t take a deep statistical dive to unearth why the game’s preeminent ball-striker couldn’t take advantage of the head start. Statistically, and relative to the game’s best players, Scheffler’s putting at East Lake has been beyond pedestrian.
The world No. 1 has never had back-to-back rounds at East Lake on the plus side of the strokes gained: putting ledger and he’s never finished inside the top 25 in the 30-man field in strokes gained: putting. His best putting round at East Lake was on Day 2 last year when he picked up an impressive 1.73 shots on the field but ultimately lost 5 ½ shots for the week on the greens and finished 30th in strokes gained: putting.
That egg salad of stats only shows how much better he’s performed through two rounds this week. On Thursday, he ranked inside the top 10 in strokes gained: putting, picking up 1.43 shots, to go along with his normal sublime ball-striking.
It all added up to a seven-shot lead through 18 holes. He continued on Friday with a steady, if not spectacular, day on the greens (picking up .45 shots on the field) to forge into the weekend with a four-shot lead over Collin Morikawa. It’s the first time in his career at East Lake he’s posted back-to-back rounds that gained shots on the greens.
Scheffler’s work with renowned putting coach Phil Kenyon, which began last fall following the Tour Championship, has seen inspired results and led to a historic season that’s includes six Tour victories, a second Masters title and an Olympic gold medal.
The year-over-year improvement with his putting is hardwired into better technique and a clear picture of what he’s trying to do on the greens, but this week there seems to be a cheat code thanks to Green’s handiwork.
In most cases, East Lake’s greens have been dramatically rebuilt and because of the quick turnaround from last year’s Tour Championship, they are exceedingly firm. That, combined with a general lack of knowledge that comes with new greens, has resulted in fewer birdie putts compared to previous years.
At last year’s finale, the field converted 11.95% of putts 20 to 25 feet. This year, that number has dropped to 11.48%. Put another way, the game’s best putters haven’t been as prolific this week which, in turn, brings those who are statistically more toward the middle of the pack (even a much-improved Scheffler ranks 87th this season on Tour in strokes gained: putting) closer to the median.
“I think, literally, it’s a completely different golf course than it was. I mean, it’s the same routing. It’s literally not the same golf course. It’s completely different,” said Scheffler, who followed an opening 65 with a second-round 66. “Some of the shots off the tee still shape the same, but the bunkers are in different positions, the greens are totally different. It’s a new golf course that we’re all kind of learning on the fly.”
Maybe Andrew Green’s slice-and-dice at East Lake won’t be Scheffler’s FedExCup elixir – and it’s worth noting that he led by six shots through three rounds in 2022 before stumbling on Sunday to finish tied for second – but through two hot and steamy days, a perceived liability has become a legitimate asset.