How many shots would you need to beat men’s World No.1, Scottie Scheffler? That is a question which has likely been posed in many a clubhouse, bar, or midway through any number of long journeys in the car.
According to the USGA, the average golf Handicap Index for a male American is 14 while his female peer sits at around 27. It is a similar picture in the UK, with the index averaging 16 for men and 28 for women.
Ahead of the Tour Championship at East Lake this week, a tournament which Scheffler begins two strokes clear of 29 other players, the FedEx Cup leader was asked how social golf games with his buddies are kept interesting.
As it turns out, the leading PGA Tour golfer on the planet revealed he gives his buddies anything up to 20 strokes. And admitted he still usually wins.
Asked how games are made equitable when playing with his friends, Scheffler said: “Most of it’s just strokes. Just like the handicap system. I think that’s one of the great parts about our game, is I can go out there with whoever it is and we can come up with some sort of a fair match just based on the handicap system.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
So what figure does Scheffler use, given – as a professional – he does not have an official WHS number?
He said: “Depends on the game, but at home I’m typically playing to a plus seven. I used to be a plus five. They moved me to a plus seven. So now we’ve got guys in the group that are getting like two strokes a hole. I typically still will win more often than not, I feel like, but it’s just fun. It’s just entertaining.
“If you’re going out there with a 12-13 handicap, you don’t know what the heck is going to happen. If we’re playing Wolf there is a lot of volatility there and it’s fun.”
Although – as previously stated – pros do not have an official handicap index, the average PGA Tour golfer’s handicap would probably be in the plus five to plus six range.
A few years back, Golf Stat Pro Lou Stagner crunched the numbers on the PGA Tour from 2016 to 2020 and worked out what Handicap Index players would be relative to Course Rating and Slope Rating on the course’s scorecard from that period. It showed the average Handicap Index for PGA Tour players in that time was +5.4.
Have you ever wondered what the USGA index would be for a PGA Tour pro if they posted…
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