It does appear that Xander Schauffele was the most complete player on the PGA Tour in 2024; a year in which the 31-year-old went on to win two major titles.
Of course, Scottie Scheffler so often took the headlines in 2024 as he won nine times worldwide. But it was Xander Schauffele who had the edge when it came to the majors as he won both the PGA Championship and The Open Championship.
And while Scheffler was outside the top 70 for strokes gained putting, Schauffele was amongst the world’s best in every category. At the end of the FedEx Cup play-offs, Schauffele was the only player in the top 25 for each strokes gained area.
But it seems that Schauffele was far from satisfied with every aspect of his game.
Xander Schauffele says one part of his game ‘sucked’
Schauffele ended the year in sixth for strokes gained approaching the green. But perhaps most of his best work was done with an iron in his hand.
Speaking ahead of the Sentry this week, Schauffele admitted that he was not at all happy with some of the shortest shots he faced.
“My wedge play sucked. It was really bad. Really, really bad. Golf is tough. With my club pitched a little bit more vertical in my back swing it’s not catering to the best – it’s great for driver, great for long irons, the stats show that – then, with wedges it’s, you know, the club’s moving around a little bit, it’s not ideal for hitting like a distance wedge,” he said.
“It’s something I’m trying to work on, still working on it now, still trying to figure it out, get the right feel for it. When my shoulder were a lot flatter, the club was way more laid off and shut, and I was more rotational. I was a really, really good wedge player, really good inside 150. And then the club is moving a different way, up more even across, and now all of a sudden I can, you know, smoke my driver and a four iron, but all of a sudden, like a 90-yard wedge is a little bit, at times. So just trying to figure that out.”
How the Sentry is the perfect event to put Schauffele’s wedge game under the microscope
The Sentry will provide a very interesting test for the field, and Schauffele in particular. While the Plantation Course is one of the longest on the PGA Tour, it also provides an opportunity for players to hit some of the longest drives all season.
And thus, there are a number of times where the field will be left with a wedge in their hand for their approach shots. And given that many of the drives will end up in similar spots, it really is going to be the quality of second shots which largely decides the winner in the coming days.
Obviously, it would be more of a statement if Scheffler was still in the field, but a victory for Schauffele in Maui would send out an impressive message as he looks to pick up where he left off in 2024.
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