Scottie Scheffler is Special
It is easy to resort to a hyperbolic narrative when a player deeply excels. Scottie Scheffler has done just that. Not just in the last couple of weeks, but the last couple of years as well.
But drawing comparisons to the game’s greatest in Tiger Woods is unfair to the 15-time major champion. Scottie has one, and may well win a few more, but he is a long way off the complete dominance that Woods honed for over a decade.
Embed from Getty ImagesMaiden back-to-back champion
Scheffler became the first player ever to win back-to-back Players Championships on Sunday with a mesmerising 8-under par 64. He surpassed overnight leader Xander Schauffele and last year’s major winners Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman on his way to a single victory.
The round was kickstarted with a hole-out eagle on the 4th from 92 yards. Scheffler then reeled off six birdies in the next 12 holes with complete ease to reach 20 under.
Embed from Getty ImagesSchauffele (easy to get the two mixed up) was in with a shout to at least tie with Scottie Scheffler, but bogeys on 14 and 15 left him with too much work to do on a difficult closing stretch at Sawgrass.
Clark made a late charge after a slow start to his final round but a truly cruel horseshoe lip out for birdie on the 18th to tie meant he fell one short. Thus, Scheffler becomes the first golfer ever to successfully defend the Players Championship, and he did it in spectacular fashion.
Neck issues, no problem
What makes Scheffler’s win even more compelling is that he suffered from a neck muscle problem all weekend, yet still managed to win with his supposed B-game. It spells danger for all professional golfers if, even hurt, he can still win on the biggest stage. Beware the injured golfer!
His caddie Ted Scott said Friday night, “I don’t see him playing the weekend. He couldn’t move. He was 10 degrees, maybe, in mobility.” Scottie’s motivation to battle through the pain, following several neck massages during his second-round in-between holes.
Interestingly, Scheffler had some intriguing quotes after the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week, slightly foreshadowing the difficulty he would encounter this week with his neck. “I would like to be remembered as a competitor. I would like to be remembered as someone that always gave it his best and just kept a good attitude.” Scottie invoked that message this week on his way to victory and showed that he really is a competitor.
The Beauty of Sawgrass
Sure, the golf on display on Sunday was magnificent. But it was magnified and accentuated by the greatness of TPC Sawgrass. In particular, the final three holes really ask the question, and force you to execute every shot to perfection.
This was demonstrated by the players at the top of the leaderboard on the closing nine and decided the tournament as a whole. The par-five 16th was playing under par all week, so was an opportunity for a bridie or even an eagle. The 17th, although short, is a true risk reward hole with that signature Sunday hole location on the far right. Going for the pin brings the danger into play.
But Wyndham Clark pulled off the perfect fade with left-to-right spin, which fed down the lope towards the hole and led to a crucial birdie. The daunting tee shot on 18 typically requires a controlled draw off the trees. Scheffler, a fader of the golf ball, executed a draw off the 18th with a three-wood. A shot that he played on that hole all week long.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe consensus for most of the week was that the greens were too soft following an extremely wet winter in Florida and may have contributed to the low scoring. But no matter the score, the climax of the Players always delivers drama one way or another. And that is why it has played host to the Tour’s signature event for the last 50 years.
Contextualising Scottie’s run
As aforementioned, it is easy to delve into a hyperbolic state looking at Scottie’s recent run. He has now won in back-to-back weeks on Tour, and in two elevated tournaments with most of the world’s best in the field. But, still in the short term, it is arduous to properly contextualise Scottie Scheffler’s dominance and consistency in the past couple of years.
To provide some astounding stats that Scheffler has manufactured from his performances: he now has nine wins in his last 51 starts. He has only missed three cuts spanning back to January 2022, with 22 top threes. Even when he doesn’t win, he is always up there. With his two wins in two weeks, Scheffler made $8.5 million in the last seven days.
Narrowing it down to the last 26 starts, Scheffler has finished in the top ten all but five times, as well as winning four times. It has been an incredible run, but prime Woods was still a whole shot better during his peak, according to the data golf index. That proves that, despite Scheffler’s dominance, he is still a long way off the unbeatable Tiger Woods that ruled for so long.
Embed from Getty ImagesScheffler now has the chance to separate himself from the rest. But that can only be done in the majors. Now, there is four times a year when LIV and the PGA Tour amalgamate.
If Scheffler is to cement himself in the golf hall of fame, then he needs to stay on top while he can. Because in golf, you don’t know when someone is passed their prime until it is too late. So, appreciate the greatness while you can.
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