'Hidden Champion' Schaeffler: "World Ranking 12th Still Has No Wins?"

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] "In 63 tournaments, two runner-up finishes, three third-place finishes, and 17 top 10s."

World No. 12 Scottie Scheffler (USA, photo) has yet to win on the PGA Tour. He is a 25-year-old elite rookie who has been actively competing on the PGA Tour since the 2019/2020 season. Last March, he caused a sensation by finishing second at the World Golf Championships (WGC) Dell Technologies Match Play. He defeated Jon Rahm (Spain) in the quarterfinals and Matt Kuchar in the semifinals, drawing significant spotlight. However, he could not overcome Billy Horschel (USA) on the final day.

This is why American golf media selected him as this year’s "hidden champion." Scheffler is gaining momentum with a 4th place finish at the World Wide Technology Championship, which is included in the 2022 season in November, and a 2nd place at the Houston Open. It is worth noting that at the Houston Open, he started the final day as the leader by one stroke but faltered with a 1-under-par round, leaving some regret. After finishing 2nd at the December elite event Hero World Challenge, he is currently resting to recharge his energy.

Scheffler boasts an average driving distance of 305.9 yards (60th on the PGA Tour) and a greens in regulation rate of 73.15% (39th), equipped with what is called a "needle-like iron shot." This is known as the "300-70" club. In the 2021 season, he finished in the top 25 an impressive 16 times in 29 events, and twice in the 2022 season, demonstrating remarkable consistency. It is interesting that he performs particularly well on major stages, with a tie for 18th at the Masters in April, a tie for 8th at the PGA Championship in May, a tie for 7th at the US Open in June, and a tie for 8th at The Open in July.

Will Zalatoris (USA), the 2021 Rookie of the Year, is another hidden champion. He joined the PGA Tour last year and successfully landed with eight top 10 finishes, including 2nd place at the Masters. Tommy Fleetwood (England) is also expected to secure his first PGA Tour win. He has already claimed five victories on the DP World Tour (European Tour) and became the 2017 Race to Dubai champion, a global star. However, on the PGA Tour, he has fallen short by "2%" with four runner-up finishes and two third-place finishes in 90 events.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.