Scottie Scheffler may be dominating golf in a way few others have before, but the American remains reluctant to see himself in the same conversation as Tiger Woods.
On Sunday, Scheffler claimed his first Open Championship – and his fourth major overall – with a four-shot victory at Royal Portrush, continuing a remarkable run that has seen him win 10 PGA Tour events, an Olympic gold medal, and three majors in just two years.
Despite his growing trophy haul, the world No 1 was quick to play down suggestions he is forging a Tiger-like era in golf.
“I still think they’re a bit silly,” Scheffler, 28, said of the comparisons. “Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there.”
“I think 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.”
Scheffler’s dominance was again on full display on the windswept Northern Irish coast. Starting Sunday with a four-shot lead, he birdied three of his first five holes to put any doubts to rest. Even a rare double bogey on the eighth – after failing to escape a fairway bunker – couldn’t halt his momentum. A birdie at the ninth restored calm, and from there, it was a procession.
“I felt a good amount of peace today,” said Scheffler, who closed out the tournament at 17-under. “Even after the little hiccup there on the eighth hole, we bounced back really quick. It’s always a battle within yourself to get the most out of your game. This week, I did a really good job mentally and just played some really solid golf.”
Victory brought a childhood dream full circle. “I grew up waking up early to watch this tournament,” he said. “Just hoping and dreaming I’d one day get the chance to play in it. To win it? It’s hard to put into words.”
He celebrated the moment with his wife Meredith and their one-year-old son Bennett, but as he has made clear, even winning the Claret Jug won’t define his happiness.
“Just because you win a golf tournament, it doesn’t make you happy,” Scheffler said. “Maybe for a few moments, maybe for a few days. But at the end of the day, there’s more to life than golf.”
That perspective hasn’t dulled his competitive fire. With only a US Open win missing from his career Grand Slam, Scheffler’s legacy is already being etched into golf’s history books.
