Scottie Scheffler has cut a really frustrated figure out on the golf course during his last four PGA Tour events.

Interestingly, Scheffler‘s 2026 PGA Tour season actually got off to a superb start as he won his first tournament of the year at the American Express in La Quinta, California.

However, he has been struggling with his game on the whole over the past six or seven weeks.

Scheffler continues to struggle during his opening rounds on the PGA Tour, leaving himself with mountains to climb in order to get back into contention.

In fact, Scheffler failed to break par during his first rounds on the PGA Tour for three consecutive tournaments up until his 70 at Bay Hill on Thursday.

That was the first time he had ever done that in his career and if the truth be known, he was nowhere near his best on day one of the Arnold Palmer Invitational either.

He has become more and more frustrated with his golf with every week that has passed.

Scheffler’s temper boiled over at Bay Hill on the 18th green on Friday after he three-putted to finish his second round with a bogey.

But what is the real reason why he is failing to hit the heights he hit in the 2025 season? Is it a mentality issue or is it something very simple that is staring us squarely in the face?

The real reason why Scottie Scheffler has struggled on the PGA Tour

The simple fact of the matter is that Scheffler has regressed in the department where he has been so dominant over the past four years.

The man from Dallas, Texas, hasn’t been anywhere near as precise with his approach play in 2026 as he has been in previous years.

In 2025, he was ranked first on the PGA Tour in strokes gained approach, gaining 1.291 strokes on the field every single round he played.

It was very much the same story in the 2024 and the 2022/2023 seasons. However, things have regressed for Scheffler in that department in 2026.

Up until the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week, the 20-time PGA Tour winner was ranked 57th in strokes gained approach, having gained just 0.25 strokes on the field in every round he has played.

While that is still decent, it’s more than a full stroke worse every single round compared to last season.

Is it any wonder why he has been so far off the boil in 2026? There is no doubt that Scheffler will get to the bottom of his current problem, but it will be a big worry for him nonetheless.

Fine margins for Scottie Scheffler and he’s been here before

Professional golf at the very highest level is a game of incredibly fine margins.

If Scheffler would have hit his irons as crisply and precisely as he did in 2025 in Phoenix and at Pebble Beach, he would be a three-time winner already this season.

That really does put things into perspective.

The good news for Scheffler is that, aside from his win at the American Express this season, he made an almost identical start to the 2025 season.

The 29-year-old world number one is capable of going on an absolute tear all of a sudden.

He proved that last year after winning at TPC Craig Ranch in May, before reeling off another five wins in the next four months after that, including two major championships.

Would it really surprise anyone if he does the same this year? It really shouldn’t.

Scheffler has the added bonus of having won already this season and if he can fine-tune his iron play, there is no doubt at all that he will end 2026 with more than three victories to his name.