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Scottie Scheffler reveals what his putting coach told him the first time they met

Originally posted on HITC | By Charlie Walker | Last updated Oct 12, 2025 6:30 AM ET

Scottie Scheffler has put in the work to become one of the game’s top putters.

Scheffler dominated 2025 in a way we haven’t seen since Tiger Woods. He picked up two major titles and six total wins this season, and now he’s just a US Open short of completing the career grand slam.

He wasn’t always on top, though. While he had most of the tools needed to step up, putting was always his weakness. Even in 2023, when he led the PGA Tour in strokes gained, strokes gained off the tee, and strokes gained on approach, he still ranked just 151st in putting.

That’s when he brought Phil Kenyon on board as his new putting coach after the 2023 season—and the difference was clear from early on. But even Kenyon was caught off guard by what happened at first.

Scottie Scheffler’s Putting Coach Surprised He Had Ever Won a Tournament

It’s surprising now, but even before bringing Kenyon on board, Scheffler had already put on the green jacket. That same year, he won The Players Championship in 2023, marking his sixth PGA Tour victory.

Still, Kenyon couldn’t wrap his head around how Scheffler managed to win anything given his putting struggles. Speaking before the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, the American recalled Kenyon’s blunt assessment when they first started working together.

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Scheffler said: “Yeah, well, I mean, basically he just told me I sucked; he couldn’t believe I ever won a tournament with how I putted. That’s what you want to hear right?

“No, on a serious note, I had a feeling what I was doing wrong. It was something that — my suspicions were kind of answered. It was just I was trying to fix it in the complete wrong way. To get into the details of it would take a little bit of time, but it’s really very simple.”

Scheffler is now gaining an average of 0.5 strokes per round with his putter according to Data Golf – which puts him ahead of nearly everyone else on tour.

Scheffler’s struggles on the greens resurface at Ryder Cup

Although Scottie Scheffler put together a fantastic putting season in 2025, those old issues made a return during the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Keegan Bradley set up his side to make it a battle on the greens, and Scheffler couldn’t keep up.

He posted a 1-4-0 record in New York and had a particularly rough start, ranking 15th in putting for the tournament.

Still, it’s not something to get worked up about just yet. Even throughout his strong 2025 campaign, there were weeks where the putter wasn’t cooperating. It’s also worth noting that many players commented on how different the greens played compared to expectations, which could have played a part in Scheffler’s off week.

If these issues stick around into upcoming events though, then questions will start to mount over whether this is just another blip or something more serious heading into next season.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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