According to Scottie Scheffler, Tiger Woods stands out from the rest of us in many ways.
The top-ranked player in the world revealed his takeaways from arguably the greatest who has ever done it.
Scottie Scheffler, who holds the title of defending champion at the 2024 Players Championship, stands out as an unparalleled force. His dominance on the course is so undeniable that it’s pointless to inquire about which golfer is currently performing better because even when he doesn’t clinch victory, Scheffler typically answers that question himself.
Throughout his 70+ weeks as the world’s top-ranked player, Scheffler has shown remarkable dominance. His strokes-gained metrics since 2024 exemplify this noteworthy trait by surpassing players like Justin Thomas who have four top-12 finishes in five starts with nearly one stroke per round. Looking back to early 2023, it is evident that Scheffler consistently performs almost two and a half strokes better on average than second-ranked Jon Rahm for each tournament played.
In any sport, it is unavoidable to compare players from different eras. For instance, the debate about Michael Jordan versus LeBron James remains ongoing. Recently, there has been a growing discussion about Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. While golf tends not to make comparisons with Tiger Woods, it can be intriguing when observing a player on a winning streak and noting similarities between their experiences and those of the 15-time major champion who had one of history’s most impressive runs in the game.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Scheffler reminisced about playing alongside the golfer during the Masters tournament a few years ago. This particular round stood out to him because it was the day that his fellow player made an impressive comeback after scoring 10 points on hole No.12 at Augusta National Golf Club. Despite this setback, he managed to birdie five of the last six holes and secure victory on Sunday – showing just how different he is from other competitors who would have likely become disheartened by such an error and given up hope altogether. To someone with so many wins under their belt already, why bother getting bogged down in insignificant mistakes?
“It was simply unbelievable to witness him step up and completely reverse the situation. I’m not kidding when I say that he executed three of the most exceptional iron shots, even now as we speak, while entering those final few holes.”
Scheffler recollects the 2020 Masters, where Woods participated as the reigning champion. With a score of only three under for the tournament, despite being a winner of five green jackets before, he had no possibility to defend his title when he arrived at par-3 12th hole. Unfortunately, after hitting three balls into Rae’s Creek during this round and struggling on that particular hole in general too much pressure lead him to carding an inexplicable ten shots – which then went down in history as one among double-digit scores throughout his professional career until now! Consequently with these poor results already added up by previous holes earlier so far within all four rounds played making overall performance quite erratic overall resulting eventually ending-up walking off from green trailing behind total aggregate scorecard going overpar i.e.,4 than under it such figures are usually achieved for championship wins contrary here turned out disastrous if given context really matters?
Tiger managed to turn things around by scoring five birdies on the last six holes, with four consecutive ones resulting in him finishing his tournament positively. What a remarkable comeback!
Scheffler’s success during this stretch can be attributed to his ability to avoid being weighed down by things beyond his control. His reliance on faith, family and friends has been instrumental in keeping him grounded and reminding him that there is more to life than just what happens on the golf course. He understands that prioritizing one’s personal life over professional endeavors is crucial for overall happiness and fulfillment.
Like anyone else, Scheffler feels frustrated after a poor shot. However, his remarkable capacity to rebound is praiseworthy. For instance, during the Arnold Palmer Invitational last weekend on Saturday’s third round at the 11th green, he shouted out loud for missing a par putt. Strikingly enough though; that was his final missed putt from under fifteen feet throughout the tournament – now that’s what you call an impressive recovery!
Scheffler and Woods share a common ground in their approach to golf, yet they follow different paths to reach the same destination. During his prime years, Tiger had an all-or-nothing mindset when taking every shot on the greens. On the other hand, Scheffler has a more pragmatic view as he regards each stroke for what it truly is – just another attempt at hitting a golf ball successfully. Neither perspective holds superiority over the other since both are rooted in recognizing that no matter how small or significant any decision might be during gameplay; its accumulation will ultimately influence one’s overall performance outcome.
Scheffler commented, “Observing him has taught me a great deal. His approach to the game sets him apart from other players since he invests all his energy into each shot on the golf course – an often overlooked talent in this field. Regardless of whether it’s Thursday or Sunday, and no matter what stage of the tournament he is at; when he stands over a ball that moment consumes his entirety.”
Observing him, I discovered the techniques he used to read greens, tackle pitch shots and approach iron and tee shots. He maintained an unwavering focus throughout the round and gave it his all – a feat much simpler in theory than execution.
