How ‘Tiger-like’ Scheffler is conquering golf

There was another name Scottie Scheffler mentioned in the conversation about his upcoming Open victory as he steamrolled his way to the Claret Jug.

Tiger Woods . Remember him?

When they left the Royal Portrush course last Sunday, Woods was frequently mentioned by Scheffler’s peers. The analysis of the event was done by television and radio commentators as well.

The comparisons between the current world number one and 15-time major champion Woods – the pre-eminent superstar who elevated golf to a new stratosphere in the late 1990s and early 2000s – continued in the aftermath of Scheffler’s fourth major title.

The excitement was fueled even more by an eye-catching statistic. Between each player’s first major victory and their fourth, exactly 1, 197 days had passed.

Scheffler’s response to the parallels being drawn? He continued, “I still believe they’re a little silly.”

“I’m only about a third of the way there.” I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf”.

Undiscussed is one thing. Since Woods, Schuffler has taken over the men’s game with all of his pomp.

At the Ryder Cup in 2021, Scheffler showed his unique qualities for the first time.

Questions had been raised about the young American being picked as a Whistling Straits wildcard, but the manner in which he bossed European talisman Jon Rahm in the Sunday singles – putting the hosts on the path to a rare routine win – was a sign of things to come.

Scheffler has won four of the past four seasons’ majors, including the 2022 and 2023 Masters, as well as the US PGA Championship and Open, and added eight top-10 finishes.

Add to that the Olympic gold medal won at Paris 2024 and 12 victories on the PGA Tour, and it’s obvious why he’s undisputed world number one.

“Scottie is the bar that we’re all trying to get to”, said world number two Rory McIlroy.

Woods is undoubtedly one of those players.

By securing victory at Portrush, Scheffler became only the second player to win The Open while world number one. Woods did it three more times in 2000, 2005, and 2006.

Similar to his fellow American, Scheffler’s machine-like ability is present even when he doesn’t seem to be playing at his best.

It is little wonder several of his peers have described Scheffler this week as being “Tiger-like”.

Xander Schauffele, the 2024 Open champion, said, “I don’t think we thought the golfing world would see someone as dominant as Tiger come through so quickly and here’s Scottie taking that throne.”

When you see your name on the leaderboard, “He’s a tough man to beat, and it’s awful for us.”

For some, the parallels between Scheffler and Woods – who has claimed a joint record 82 PGA Tour victories – might feel premature.

Scheffler still has a ways to go before reaching the longevity of his fellow countryman, whose major successes spanned 1997 to 2019.

At Portrush, there was a sense of inevitability about the outcome once Scheffler moved four shots ahead after Saturday’s third round.

What distinguishes him from the competition is his unwavering consistency and ruthless ability to win.

Scheffler converted an outright 54-hole lead for the 10th time in a row, but he still has a long way to go before matching Woods’ 37 consecutive wins.

“Back in the day that’s what separated Tiger”, said English former world number one Justin Rose.

“You get a lot of guys leading tournaments, and typically it’s difficult to close out,” Scottie and Tiger do better than most.

Scheffler’s patient and precise carving of the Dunluce Links defied the intensity that Woods frequently displayed.

One of the most vibrant moments occurred on the sixth green on a final Sunday that was lacking in all other danger. There was a rare flicker of emotion from Scheffler.

His delight at dropping one of several par-saving putts on his way to glory was signaled by a loud fist pump.

The demands of their sporting stars were met by disappointment. But Scheffler’s calm demeanour is exactly why he is so successful.

He is not interested in being a superstar. Jordan Spieth, who won three majors and finished second in two others between 2015 and 2017, claimed that he is not transcending the game like Tiger did.

” I think it’s more so the difference in personality from any other superstar that you’ve seen in the modern era and maybe in any sport.

Nobody, in my opinion, compares to him.

Scheffler’s method is not mechanical, but his thought process is.

His unorthodox footwork looks clumsy at times and is another reason – according to Ireland’s Shane Lowry – why many do not consider him in the same breath as Woods.

We would be talking about Scottie Tiger in the same words as Tiger if his feet stayed stable and his swing, according to Lowry, who won his solitary major at Royal Portrush in 2019.

We don’t talk about him that much because it doesn’t look so perfect.

As soon as Scheffler’s long-time coach Randy Smith spotted the youngster at their practice range in Dallas, he knew there was something which set the kid apart.

When Smith and Joel Edwards, a professional on the PGA Tour, sat cross-legged nearby and absorbed everything he saw, Smith was working with the 10-year-old Scheffler.

Smith, who also coached Justin Leonard to the 1997 Open, wrote for Golf Digest last year, “He’s not comparing himself to other eight-year-olds or other 10-year-olds.”

” He’s comparing himself to a player on the Korn Ferry Tour, a PGA Tour winner or to the guy who just won the Open Championship. “

Scheffler, who successfully combined his golf and a finance degree from the University of Texas, began cleaning up in the collegiate game after successfully putting what he had learned in practice on the US junior circuit.

2018 saw the unavoidable entry into the professional ranks. But it was not a straightforward introduction.

Scheffler was forced to withdraw from the Korn Ferry Tour’s qualifying card, but he did so in the end to earn his playing time in 2019 with a stunning par-par save, which he later described as the most significant scramble of his career.

His career grew more quickly after that.

In 2020, Scheffler earned the first major top-10 finish of his career at the PGA Championship and his development led to being named the PGA Tour’s ‘ Rookie of the Year’.

Scottie’s fire, Smith continued, “is what separates us.”

” It’s not just competitiveness – though he has more of that than anyone I’ve ever coached.

“Practicing, experimenting, and learning things on your own is the pure love.” It’s tenacity.

At the start of this Open week, many wondered if the fire continued to burn.

Scheffler raised eyebrows by revealing that he frequently inquires as to why he’s still playing golf and that he has little time to digest his victories.

However, his burning desire to win majors was not fanned by the way he celebrated winning the famed Claret Jug, roaring toward his loved ones, sobbing on Meredith’s shoulder, and lifting his son Bennett into the air.

“When I wake up in the morning, I try and put max effort in each day I get to go out and practise”, he said.

“When I’m working out, using the cold tub, or recovering, I feel like I’m just called to do it to the best of my ability,” says one woman.

There were some doubts about Scheffler’s game even after he had climbed to the top of the global rankings.

From tee to green, the statistics established his superiority. They also proved he was among the worst with the putter.

In an effort to get better with the flatstick, English putting guru Phil Kenyon was called in. His client list includes a who’s who of major champions.

Scheffler’s reading of the greens and improving his grip were given particular attention.

Switching to a claw grip – where the right hand acts as a pincer lower down the shaft – has transformed Scheffler into one of the most reliable putters in the game.

In a stellar 2024 that also had Woods’ echoes, he became the first player to defend the Players Championship on the PGA Tour, win a second Masters, Olympic gold, and five other titles.

After three rounds at Portrush, having holed 97% of his putts inside five feet and 90% of those within ten feet, established him as leader. He holed putts of 14, 15 and 16 feet on Sunday.

We tested out the grip last year, according to Schuffler, and we immediately felt at ease with it.

As we approach the hole, I use it, lag putting. Outside of 15 to 20 feet, I’m still putting conventional.

“It was something we believed could improve,” the company said.