To be the Top 10% of Golfers

Since attending the Australian Golf School in 2015, my golf game has plateaued.  Although I play often and my game I feel has progressed (I feel that I hit it longer, have greater shot variety, hit out of the bunkers and generally play better), score wise I have clearly stagnated. My handicap remains 9.6 at year end, where it has been for the last couple of years. If there are any more ambitious goals I desire to achieve in golf, this will have to be done in the next few years.  I am not getting younger.

My first golf instructor in 1994 told me to aim to be a single handicapper - the top 5% of all golfers.  I became one around 2010.  But he clearly exaggerated. I am not even close to being in the top 5% of golfers.  USGA stats show that 30% of all golfers have a single handicap.  To be the top 5% of all golfers, I need to attain an index of 2 or below.  To be top 10%, I need to be index 5 or below - which is perhaps more achievable. But the handicap is the outcome of a better game.  The real improvement occurs when I improve on each component of my golf game and generally make less mistakes. 

These are therefore my component golf targets for 2021

Driver Distance:  In the tropics, the carry matters. A handicap 5 has an average drive of 240yds/220m.  A 220m drive requires me to gain around 10m in distance.  
Fairways Hits:  I want to hit 50% of all fairways.  Or 7 fairways out of 14 in a standard course.  This will mean I need to get the irons and fairway woods right.  
Greens In Regulation:   I will settle for hitting 40% of all greens. 
Scrambling:  I want to be a short game master.  50% of all scrambling shots (my definition as being from 40m in) landing within a flagstick of the pin. The bunker shots will be more demanding, but so be it.      
Putting:  Will want to make 50% of the putts from within six feet and two putt the rest.   This I am told is the average of good golfers.  
Mental:  This is the biggest challenge.  To have a consistent routine for all shots, to stay in the moment, and have clarity in having only one shot thought when addressing the ball.  

This will be demanding, as I am pushing against my limits again. Progress would be more and more games under 80 each month.  And I will present the stats as we go forward!  

Wish me luck!