The Official World Golf Ranking system proved accurate last week at Augusta National when Scottie Scheffler, ranked #1 in the world, walked to the 72nd tee box with a 5 shot lead. Before 4 putting for double bogey, to win by 3, he had not made worse than a bogey. In fact, before that hole, he was leading the field in “bogey count” a stat that simply adds up all your over par holes. Scheffler’s “bogey count” was +9 on the 72nd tee and finished +11, good enough for second place. Rory McIlroy (solo 2nd) was first in “bogey count” at +10 (8 bogeys and 1 double bogey). Yes, birdies and eagles sent roars through Augusta National, but also the top two golfers on the leaderboard made the fewest mistakes. To limit their bogey count, they displayed an incredible array of short game shots, nothing short of artistry. McIlroy and Scheffler also ranked 1st and 3rd in Strokes Gained around the green respectively. As you gear up for tournament season it’s easy to fall into the long range sessions on a newly open range tee. Remember that double bogey avoidance is one of the fastest ways to lower your scoring average and having a sharp short game is critical to avoiding big numbers on the scorecard.
