Why Bryson DeChambeau, not Scottie Scheffler, is actually having the best major season of 2024

With the last major of the season on deck, a fairly historical mark is in play for DeChambeau

It is strange, isn't it, that Scottie Scheffler is having the best season anyone has had since Tiger Woods in 2009 ... and yet, he has not (by any good pro's standard) played the best at golf's most important events in 2024. That distinction instead belongs to Bryson DeChambeau, who is just a couple of shots from having won two of the year's first three majors. It has kind of snuck up on us, but DeChambeau is one strong finish away from a historic major championship season in 2024. Through 3 majors, he has gained 48.8 strokes on the field. 

In fact, Scheffler is not even second or third if we're looking at major performance from a purely statistical lens. If he can gain another 12 strokes at The Open that will put him above 60 strokes gained for the major season, a mark that has only been hit seven times since 1983: Tiger ('00, '02, '05, '07), Spieth ('15), Phil ('04), Els ('04).

None of this diminishes what Scheffler has accomplished thus far this season, of course. His six victories overall more than make up for the small margins by which he is trailing DeChambeau and Xander Schauffele (and Collin Morikawa, even!) at the major championships.