Scottie Scheffler has been encouraged to make a final decision on the driver he is going to use this season as concerns over his current form intensify.
It has been incredibly difficult to know what to make of Scheffler’s performances at the start of 2026. He did win The American Express on his first start, but he has not registered a top 10 in any of his last three appearances.
The world number one finished tied for 22nd at The Players Championship this past week. Not for the first time this season, Scheffler left himself with plenty of work just to make the cut.
Scottie Scheffler’s recent form analysed following The Players Championship
Scheffler was 44th in the field for strokes gained off the tee, while he was 37th for strokes gained approach. That is far from what everyone has come to expect from the 29-year-old over the last few years.
Scheffler put his old driver back in the bag for the PGA Tour‘s flagship event. It has been a struggle for the four-time major champion to build any momentum. It is certainly a long time since he looked so fallible.
And speaking on The Smylie Show, Smylie Kaufman suggested what Scheffler needs to do to start getting back towards his best.
“It’s interesting, when you watch Scottie and Randy [Smith] work and you hear the comments about what Brandel [Chamblee] sees in his golf swing, the differences from when he swings it well to how he was swinging it this week, I attribute a lot to his poor driving this week and to switching back and forth between heads and not knowing what shot you have. I think it’s kind of blended into his golf swing,” he said.
“Sometimes you make adjustments based off what your eyes are seeing with what the golf ball is doing. I think he needs to make a decision on whatever club he’s sticking with and just stick with it, because balancing back and forth between drivers seems to be hurting him more than it’s helping him, especially with finding more fairways more often. I don’t know if that bleeds into his iron game, because it clearly hasn’t been the same.
“He’s typically first or second or third in iron play every single week. It’s unusual to see him not really high in that statistic week-in and week-out. His driving was really poor this week, but it was really good throughout the year so far. Not to say he hasn’t driven it well, because he has, but it’s just been too much of trying to figure out what the right formula is for him.”
The big question concerning Scottie Scheffler after an underwhelming week at TPC Sawgrass
Scheffler’s results would not look that bad on the resume of any other player on the PGA Tour. He has not finished outside of the top 30 this year, while he also has one win under his belt.
The big question is whether Scheffler’s results are more ominous for himself or all of his rivals.
He is nowhere near his best, so if he does manage to figure things out again, he is going to be impossible to compete with again.
However, it is becoming ever so slightly harder to envisage Scheffler getting back to his best again anytime soon.
He set such a ridiculous standard over the last two years that it should come as no surprise if he cannot sustain that level over the long term.
But it is clearly far too soon to write Scheffler off.
