Scottie Scheffler took a few steps back to where he started his pre-round practice the day before, settling into a familiar location on Quail Hollow’s range. He is a guy of habit, meticulous, and picky about very few things, but one thing he never messes with is his preparation.
The Texan, who appeared impervious to everything, was beaten by the scorching Carolina sun. The weather ? He has performed in warmer climates. Under pressure ? He experienced some emotions, but it would be incorrect to attribute any of them to his position in the game, history, or legacy. The contest ? They are far more conscious of him than he is of them.
A packed grandstand watched. Likewise, a swarm of reporters and journalists focused on him with notepads and camera lenses. The next few hours would be the making of history. Scheffler was the big event, as it always is on major championship Sundays. He was aiming for Major No. 3, the second leg of the career Grand Slam, which carries significant career-defining achievements.
As Scheffler has risen to the pinnacle of the sport, a pattern has emerged around him. It was possessed by the real powers of nature in the game. Tiger Woods had it. It was Jack Nicklaus. When they’re at the top of a leaderboard, they have their own gravity, dragging everyone else down with them. It accelerates their rivals, makes them take shots they wouldn’t ordinarily take, and causes them to misplay ones that they would regularly take. Scheffler is peppering flags with ease throughout, as if he were hammering balls in a pre-round range session with no stakes.
Of course, Scheffler had his moments on Sunday. He began the day five strokes ahead of Jon Rahm, but after nine holes, they were level. Golfers with less skill may lose it. Scheffler, however, stepped up, letting everyone else fumble around him with a back-nine of 34. Therefore, Scheffler’s winning margin was five strokes for his maiden PGA Championship triumph by the time he reached the 18th green, tapped in for par, tossed his hat on the ground, and yelled to the sky.
“Since it’s not particularly physical, it’s difficult to appreciate, isn’t it ? You can observe Rory’s power, grace, and balance as well as his swing and footwork. They are unique because they are visible and palpable. The inner workings of the mind, however, are not always visible on television. That’s the reason Scottie is so amazing.” Phil Kenyon Scheffler’s putting coach told PGATOUR.COM
Scheffler is a unique power. Rory McIlroy at the Masters is one player who can achieve such heights, but none of them can do so with Scheffler’s ease or accuracy. McIlroy’s Sunday at Augusta National was a wild ride filled with both athletic success and self-immolation. Until the last putt fell, the rollercoaster ride appeared to be enjoyable for everyone.
It appears as though Scheffler would win every single one of them if the last round were played 100 times. Scheffler was pushed throughout this last round play. He struggled with his swing on the first nine, finished in a shaky 2-over 37, and saw Rahm, another two-time major winner, surge up the front. Rahm’s charge, however, may have fueled Scheffler. As he walked off the ninth green, he noticed they were tied. He then made birdies on the 10th to regain the lead, parred the challenging 11th, 12th, and 13th holes, and finished with birdies on the 14th and 15th.
“He consistently appears to be able to put the gas on when someone is approaching. He simply has the ability to say, “Oh, no, buddy, you’re not coming after me.” his caddie Ted Scott said.
Scheffler accomplished this at the previous year’s Masters, where he was tied with Ludvig Åberg and Collin Morikawa at the turn. Scheffler simply continued to make excellent golf strokes while waiting for the other two to falter and give him the victory. On his way to a double bogey on the ninth hole, Morikawa left a shot in the bunker. And when he discovered the water on the eleventh, Åberg did.
It was the same on Sunday at Quail Hollow. Those around Scheffler faded away as he maintained his composure. As Scheffler watched from the other side of the lake at the 15th fairway, Rahm bogeyed the 16th. Rahm then made the mistake worse by hitting the water with his tee shots on the 17th and 18th holes, closing with two double bogeys and trailing Scheffler by seven strokes. Alex Noren shot a back-nine 40 and finished eight back, despite starting the day only three back of Scheffler.
Additionally, he joins Woods and Nicklaus as the only players to reach such milestones before the age of 29, having won three majors and 15 PGA TOUR victories.
The career Grand Slam is also within reach this season if you want to go all out. The last two legs of the historic quartet—the U.S. Open and the Open Championship—will take place over the course of the following two months. If Scheffler enters either one as anything other than the favorite, it will be shocking.
In an instant, Scheffler defeated his contemporaries who, just an hour before, believed they had a chance to overtake him this week and in the history of contemporary golf. All of a sudden, Rahm was down five shots rather than three, and DeChambeau was far behind six.
“I don’t see Scottie bobbling.” On Saturday night, Matt Fitzpatrick remarked.
He didn’t..
When it comes to turning 54-hole leads into wins at majors, Scheffler is now three for three. He joins Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, and Rory McIlroy as the only other golfers to win three majors in the past 30 years.
Additionally, he joins Woods and Nicklaus as the only players to reach such milestones before the age of 29, having won three majors and 15 PGA TOUR victories.
The career Grand Slam is also within reach this season if you want to go all out. The U.S. Open and The Open Championship, the final two legs of the unprecedented quartet, will take place over the course of the next two months. If Scheffler enters either one as anything other than the favorite, it will be shocking.
“This seemed to be as difficult as I had ever fought for a tournament in my professional life. This week was quite difficult. It was a very special week, and even though I messed with it a little bit more than I would have liked to, I stepped up when we needed to.” Scheffler said with the Wanamaker Trophy on the table beside him,
The remainder of the PGA TOUR should feel deflated by that. By his standards, Scheffler didn’t play well, but he doesn’t have to. To let his gravity do the work, he simply needs to be present in the end.
What caught my attention the most? Really nothing
That was a praise, to be clear. Because Scheffler is the same player he sees every day, as evidenced by what he witnessed from him at Quail Hollow this week. It’s always the same Scheffler, whether it’s on the practice range at Royal Oaks back home or the 18th hole in a major event. His magnificence is found there.
“A lot of other things that people don’t see contribute to the way he plays. He has completed all the necessary steps to play successfully, so when it’s time to go play, he can play freely.” Burns said.
