It is fair to say that anyone who has outperformed Scottie Scheffler in any category in 2024 has had an impressive season, with the world number one enjoying one of the greatest years of all-time on the PGA Tour.
While Scottie Scheffler‘s putting leaves a little to be desired, there is no question that he has been the best player on the planet this year. The 28-year-old won eight times worldwide, including his second Masters title, The Players, The Tour Championship and an Olympic gold medal.
Scheffler was almost robotic in how consistent he was from tee to green. Unsurprisingly, he is the best performer, according to Data Golf, when it comes to strokes gained from tee to green across all tours in 2024.
But it turns out that two LIV Golf players actually outperformed Scheffler when it comes to approach play – and it is not the two names you would perhaps expect.
Peter Uihlein and Caleb Surratt outperforming Scottie Scheffler this year
Within the top 10, there is no Bryson DeChambeau, no Jon Rahm and no Sergio García. Instead, the two names at the top of the list are Peter Uihlein and Caleb Surratt.
Surratt was largely an unknown quantity when he was signed for Rahm’s Legion XIII team ahead of this season. And remarkably, the youngster did not register a single top 10 finish on LIV Golf this year.
Uihlein meanwhile, also finds himself in the open zone after finishing the year 27th in the season standings. He did win on the Asian Tour in 2024, which probably helps explain why he is in top spot for approach play.
Where the LIV Golf pair are losing shots this year
There two more LIV players in the top 10, with Abraham Ancer just behind Scheffler, while Joaquin Niemann rounds off the list. Xander Schauffele and Tony Finau also feature.
| Player | Strokes gained approach |
| 1. Peter Uihlein | +2.32 |
| 2. Caleb Surratt | +2.00 |
| 3. Scottie Scheffler | +1.57 |
| 4. Abraham Ancer | +0.99 |
| 5. Tom Hoge | +0.98 |
| 6. Xander Schauffele | +0.95 |
| 7. Corey Conners | +0.94 |
| 8. Gregory Havret | +0.91 |
| 9. Tony Finau | +0.91 |
| 10. Joaquin Niemann | +0.85 |
Uihlein’s weakness is clearly off the tee, with the American losing 1.59 shots to the field in that particular category. Meanwhile, Surratt loses 2.46 shots to the field around the greens.
Clearly, there is a lot of potential for the pair if they can address the weaknesses in their games over the winter.
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