Witnessing Greatness: Scottie Scheffler

As we all know, Scottie Scheffler has been dominating the PGA tour over the last few years. His game is defined by elite consistency, mental toughness, and world-class ball striking. Scheffler is arguably the best in the world from tee to green. His driver is long and accurate, but it’s his iron play, especially mid to long irons, that separates him as he routinely gains strokes on the field with his approach shots. While putting has been a bit of a drawback, he still contends because the rest of his game is so dominant. When his putter is working, he’s virtually untouchable. 

GOAT

When the boys are having a cocktail talking about “GOAT’s” the conversation is always the same, Jordan or James, Moss or Rice, Earnhardt or Petty. There is one that is never argued, the golf GOAT is Tiger Woods. Being the “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) isn’t just about wins or stats – it’s about a rare combination of dominance, longevity, influence, and legacy. A GOAT won’t just win – they crush, they’re not great for a few seasons – they sustain excellence across different eras, they change the game and influence generations to play the game they dominate, and of course their name becomes a benchmark: “Is he the next Tiger?”. This may be a hot take, but could we be watching the next Tiger right now?

The Comparison 

With 82 tour wins, 15 major wins and over $120 million in tour winnings, Tiger dominated the golf world for decades. There hasn’t been anyone close to being in the conversation, until now. Scottie Scheffler is dominating the golf world. Scottie now has 17 tour wins, 4 major wins and $90 million in tour winnings. While the numbers seem far off, Scottie is only 29 years young. It took Tiger 1,197 days from his first major win to his fourth major win. Scottie? 1,197 days exactly. Since the beginning of 2020, Scottie is 111 shots under par in major tournaments, that is 46 shots better than anyone in that time span. Basically, If the man shows up with a golf bag he is taking home the purse. Is Scottie Scheffler rewriting golf’s greatest legacy, or are we witnessing a dominate stretch that will fade over time?

Can Scheffler Become the GOAT

Scottie had some thoughts on this after his win at The Open in Royal Port Rush this past weekend.

Enough of the comparisons, Scheffler said.

“I still think they’re a bit silly. Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there. Tiger stands alone in the game of golf. He was inspirational for me growing up. He was a very, very talented guy, and he was a special person to be able to be as good as he was at the game of golf.” 

While Scottie says this, his peers have other thoughts.

“I don’t think we thought the golfing world would see someone as dominant as Tiger come through so soon, and here’s Scottie sort of taking that throne of dominance. You can’t even say he’s on a run. He’s just been killing it for over two years now.” – Xander Schauffele

“Scottie Scheffler has been dominant this week. Honestly, he’s been dominant for the last couple years. He is the bar that we’re all trying to get to” -Rory McIlroy

Scottie Scheffler may not be the “GOAT” today, but if greatness is measured by how wide the gap is between you and everyone else, he’s already halfway there.

 -TCarr