In modern golf, knockouts off the tee may dominate the highlight reels, but the game is still won (and often lost) within 125 yards. The best players in the world are distinguished not only by drivers, but also by their ability to control flight, spin and distance using wedges and short irons. While there is no single public metric that perfectly isolates wedge play, there is some analysis PGA Tour statistics and Data Golf provide a compelling picture of who is excelling this season.
Understanding the data behind wedge play
Wedge performance can be broken down into two broad categories: approach play (about 50-125 yards) and short game (inside shots about 50 yards, including sand and rough). The PGA Tours The ‘Approaches from 50–125 yards’ stat highlights players who consistently hit their wedges close, while the ‘Around the Green’ and ‘Scrambling from Sand’ stats show who performs best when missing the greens. Combined with Data Golf’s Skill Rankings for Approach and Short Game they paint a nuanced picture of true wedge mastery.
Hideki Matsuyama: Precision and touch around the greens
Hideki Matsuyama’s short game was nothing short of world-class in 2025. He currently heads the PGA Tour when clambering out of the sand, converting about 74 percent of bunker savings – a remarkable percentage even by tour standards. Matsuyama’s unique blend of shallow angle shots and exceptional pace allows him to produce consistent spin and ball flight control from a variety of lies.
Beyond the bunkers, its overalls Strokes Gained: Around the green songs remain among the best on tour. Matsuyama’s creativity and confidence on the greens make him one of the toughest players to beat in tight scoring situations, where a single delicate flop or bump-and-run can set the momentum for an entire round.
Scottie Scheffler: The Complete Approach Technician
If Matsuyama reigns supreme inside 50 yards, Scottie Scheffler dominates from wedge to short irons. The world number 1 leads the PGA Tour on approaches from 50 to 125 yards, with a medium proximity that routinely gives him realistic birdie opportunities.
Data Golfs Approach skill tool – breaking down performance into distance classes – confirms Scheffler’s consistency in these scoring zones. His precise control of spin, launch and trajectory allows him to attack tucked pins without spinning the ball too much. In the ‘Short Game Skill’ category on Data Golf, Scheffler is among the top performers with a score of almost +0.89, underscoring how balanced his wedge-and-short-iron game has been.
Scheffler’s dominance from tee-to-green is well documented, but these wedge numbers show why he converts so many opportunities. When the driver gets it into position, it’s its precision from 75 to 125 yards that takes the rounds from good to great.
Honorable mention: Shane Lowry’s quiet consistency
Another player quietly excelling in 2025 is Shane Lowry, whose deft hands and natural sense of distance control have long been admired. While not leading in raw proximity metrics, Lowry remains one of the most reliable wedge players in the game. His route management in windy conditions – particularly link-style setups – shows a mastery that few can replicate. Lowry’s touch and creativity still make him a fixture at the top of the leaderboards, when scoring depends on precision rather than power.
Verdict: Scheffler and Matsuyama set the standard
Taken together, the numbers suggest a shared crown. Hideki Matsuyama stands out as the best short game wedge player – elite from the sand and around the greens – while Scottie Scheffler leads the way approach wedge performance from 50 to 125 meters. Both exhibit a level of control that turns birdie chances into near-certainties and saves pars when others would struggle.
If there were one title for the best wedge player yet this season, the nod would probably go to Scottie Scheffler – for combining world-class precision with unparalleled consistency over any wedge distance. But Matsuyama and Lowry deserve credit for keeping artistry and finesse alive in an era defined by speed and distance.
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