The Biggest Weaknesses of The World's Best Golfers

The legendary Ben Hogan is quoted as saying "a good round of golf is when you can hit three shots that turn out exactly like you envision them before you swing the club."

What that underlines is the fact that golf is a game of imperfections - and it's all the more fascinating for it. The world's best names are not immune to glaring weaknesses. Jack Nicklaus was not a great wedge player, while Tiger Woods for many years struggled to hit a fairway and even at his peak was never the most sparkling from the bunkers.

And that remains the case today in the game, where absolute perfection is forever unobtainable. 

We all know what the top players of this age are good at, Scottie Scheffler is a ludicrously fine iron player, while Rory McIlroy's deadliest weapon is the driver in his hands, but what are their frailties?

Delving into the statistics, we have picked out the weakest qualities belonging to some of the finest golfers on the planet.

Scottie Scheffler

The two-time Masters champion is the men's world number one by a country mile and dominates many of the PGA Tour's most prominent stats. But even casual viewers will be aware that he's not the sharpest on the greens. He is currently 141st in Putting Inside 10 Feet. That also likely influences his low Sand-Save Percentage, which is only 115th on the Tour.

It's also lucky that he hits so many fairways, as Scheffler isn't great from the rough, ranking 150th in Approaches From 75-100 Yards (Rough).

Xander Schauffele

Recently crowned PGA champion, Schauffele's breakthrough major victory was certainly long overdue, but he might desire to improve his approach play with his shorter irons to guarantee future success, as the American is only 136th for Proximity to Hole, and he is startingly ranked 156th in Approaches From 50-125 Yards. 

Rory McIlroy

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

There probably isn't a golfer who is more scrutinised these days than the Northern Irishman, but McIlroy is statistically strong across the board, with perhaps one notable exception. Many have discussed the quality of his wedge game, and it may still be lacking when you see that he's ranked 127th in Approaches From 50-75 Yards.

Ludvig Aberg

He only turned professional in June 2023, but the tall Swede has been a sensation, winning on both the DP World Tour and PGA Tour, starring in the Ryder Cup, and finishing runner-up in his major championship debut at the Masters. However, there is some room for improvement, especially on the greens, as he ranks 109th for Putting Inside 10 Feet. 

The 24-year-old might also wish to tighten up his game over a crucial yardage, namely Approaches From 100-125 Yards, where he ranks 136th on the PGA Tour.

Collin Morikawa

The two-time major winner has shown encouraging form this season after contending in the Masters, PGA Championship, and Memorial Tournament, but you might be surprised that his approach play is not consistently among the best on Tour. 

Morikawa is a lowly 120th for Greens in Regulation, while he also loses strokes to the field on the greens when you look at his Strokes Gained: Putting numbers.

Nelly Korda

It's already been a staggering, historic season for Nelly Korda, who has enjoyed dominance that we've rarely seen on the LPGA Tour, as the 25-year-old won in five consecutive starts, which included her second major title at the Chevron Championship. 

Naturally, she's pretty good across the spectrum, but her Sand-Save Percentage is only 38.64%, ranking 98th on the LPGA. It's fortunate, therefore, that she doesn't miss many greens!

Hannah Green

The Australian, a former winner of the Women's PGA Championship, has claimed two victories this season, which is a fine achievement given the accomplishments of Korda. But as we enter the height of major season in the women's game, Green might want to hit a few more fairways as her Driving Accuracy is a lowly 125th on the LPGA.

Rose Zhang

She was the sensation of last year, winning on her professional debut, but Zhang has only carried that form into this season, being victorious in May's Cognizant Founders Cup. The 21-year-old posts solid numbers in just about every category, but it might be a surprise that she's not the longest player, ranking 88th in Driving Distance, but we don't think the American has anything to worry about!

Yuka Saso

Saso only has two LPGA Tour victories, but both of them are US Women's Opens! Having modelled her swing on Rory McIlroy, the Philippines-born star has a flowing action that is the envy of many but she is only rated 110th for Driving Accuracy. But her stats aren't exactly bad - 68.78% would see her ranked 17th on the men's PGA Tour!

Charley Hull

Finally, we have to talk about England's number one, Charley Hull. The Solheim Cup-stalwart is an aggressive and fun player to watch, but she does lose ground on the greens. Her driving and approach stats are outstanding, but her Putting Average of 30.76 is 137th on the LPGA Tour and her Putts Per Green in Regulation average is ranked 125th, meaning that she doesn't convert enough of the many birdie opportunities that she gives herself.

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