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Meet Phil Kenyon, the man behind Scottie Scheffler’s incredible putting turnaround

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Scottie Scheffler was on his plane headed home to Dallas when he sent the text.

Tired from a long season and disappointed with how it had finished, Scheffler was ready to get away, put the clubs down and unwind before the Ryder Cup later that month. Something gnawed at him, though.

A few hours earlier, Scheffler had wrapped his 2022-23 PGA TOUR season on a low note at East Lake Golf Club, finishing a distant 11 shots behind FedExCup champion Viktor Hovland. Scheffler started the week 10-under, first on the Starting Strokes leaderboard, but finished at only 11-under, tied for sixth. He’d left too many tournaments with that feeling. He won twice, yes, but given that his ball-striking recalled peak Tiger Woods, it felt like Scheffler’s obvious weak spot – his putting – had kept him from having a historically great season. He needed reassurance that he was heading in the right direction, that he could get past this glaring inefficiency and to the victories that were on the other side.

Phil Kenyon was as surprised as anyone to see the text come through. A renowned European putting coach, he is used to players reaching out to have him look at their putting, but Scheffler was never going to be one of them. For 27 years, the only coach he ever had was Randy Smith. Kenyon and Scheffler had only exchanged hellos a few times. They didn’t really know each other. But Scheffler knew Kenyon’s reputation, and he knew he had exhausted all his internal options. So Scheffler reached out, asking for help.

Within three days, Kenyon was in Dallas working with Scheffler. By the time the Ryder Cup came around, Kenyon’s teachings were taking hold. A year later, the partnership between Scheffler and Kenyon looks like one of the most consequential in recent memory. Scheffler’s putting drastically improved under Kenyon’s tutelage. He went from one of the best players in the world to the unquestioned dominant force in golf, winning seven times in 2024, including THE PLAYERS Championship, the Masters and the Olympics.

Kenyon is quick to deflect praise; the understated Englishman prefers to lurk in the background. His pupils feel differently, happy to see Kenyon’s spotlight grow, as it will at The Royal Montreal Golf Club this week. Four Kenyon clients – all Americans – are playing in the Presidents Cup. Along with Scheffler, Kenyon works with Max Homa, Keegan Bradley and Russell Henley. He has seven clients in the world’s top 40.

“Phil’s brilliant,” said Homa, who made the U.S. team as a captain’s pick. “He’s definitely the most knowledgeable person I’ve ever talked to about putting.”

“He’s a very unassuming character,” said Justin Rose, another Kenyon client. “He doesn’t look for the limelight, but I’m glad he’s got it.”

It was Scheffler’s year. Those that know the backstory, though, know it was also Kenyon’s.


 

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