Tag: Scottie Scheffler

Can Scottie Scheffler catch Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus?

Posted on by Ivana Miteva

Mindset

Scottie Scheffler doesn’t carry the same intensity as Tiger Woods or the aura of Jack Nicklaus. But beneath his calm demeanor is a killer instinct that mirrors theirs. He remains grounded and focused on the process, often deflecting praise in interviews and pointing instead to faith, family, and the basics. While Tiger thrived on intimidation and Jack thrived on control, Scottie thrived on consistency. And doing the basics right week in week out, grinding his opponents into the ground.

Consistency

Scheffler’s statistical dominance is no fluke. He’s posted record-breaking strokes-gained numbers and leads fields week after week, especially with his iron play. He’s also become remarkably consistent despite struggles on the greens. That makes his success even more impressive. If he can maintain around this level for over a decade, the comparison to Tiger and Jack becomes less speculative and more data-driven. While Tiger had dominant peaks and Jack had consistent major performances, Scheffler may be a hybrid model of both.

Injury Risk

One major issue in Scottie catching Woods and Jack is injury risk. Tiger Woods’ career was repeatedly set back by injuries which came from his explosive power and the toll of playing under intense physical and mental strain. Scheffler’s swing is controlled and efficient, and his swing doesn’t look like it will grind down his body the way Tiger’s did. But professional golf is a marathon and you never know how a player’s body will handle the grind. Avoiding serious injury will be a non-negotiable if Scheffler wants to chase 15 or 18 majors.

Time Frame

Scheffler turned pro in 2018 and, as of now, is still just 28 years old. At the 2025 PGA Championship, Scheffler joined Woods and Nicklaus in winning three or more majors and 15 or more PGA Tour events before the age of 29.  Nicklaus won his 18th major at age 46, and Tiger won his 15th at 43. That gives Scottie nearly two decades to build his resume. If he stays healthy and keeps winning the way he is, he’s suddenly in the GOAT conversation. But golf history is full of players who shined brightly for a few seasons, only to fall off. However, something feels different with Scottie Scheffler so we’ll have to sit back, and watch it unfold.

Will Buttleman is VPAR’s Social Media and Events Manager.

A former professional cricketer, Will played for Essex County Cricket Club from 2018 to 2023 before joining the VPAR team in 2024. During his cricket career, he competed in First Class, List A, and T20 matches, contributing to the club’s recent successes.
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Scottie Scheffler vs Xander Schauffele

Posted on by Ivana Miteva

Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele have had two amazing seasons to date and the FedEx Cup play offs are still to be played. But who’s season would you rather take at this moment in time?

Scottie Scheffler has broken records this season winning six times on the PGA Tour. Recently he took home the Olympic Gold Medal for the USA in Paris. He has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players Championship, The Masters, RBC Heritage, The Memorial Tournament, and the Travelers Championship so far on the PGA tour. He sits top of the FedEx Cup rankings heading into the Play Offs at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. His consistency the whole season has been mind blowing especially when he has been in the hunt. Some people are comparing him to Tiger Woods in his prime.

When he won The Masters in April, I thought that he was going to win all four majors of the year. But he did not. He came T-8 in the PGA Championship, T-41 in the US Open and T7 in The Open Championship. It did not help he got arrested mid-way through the second major of the year at Valhalla! He has been the man to beat in every competition, especially the elevated events. Although, some would say his major season was disappointing for someone who has been so dominant. He bounced back from the last major of the year by winning Gold at Le Golf National at the Paris Olympics, shooting a 62 in the final round to break the course record. It was an electric performance from the World Number One.

However, some would argue that they would prefer to take fellow American Xander Schauffele’s season over Scheffler’s. This sounds hard to believe but there is an argument for it. Schauffele has had a very consistent year but was in the shadow of Scheffler for most of the season. But then he won his second major of the year at The Open in July. Two majors in one year does not happen very often! In May, he won the PGA Championship to win his first career major at Valhalla, which most would say was a matter of time. Then two months later, Schauffele edged out Scheffler on the final day of The Open. The final round was 65. This is when golf fans started to question who’s season they would prefer between Scheffler’s and Schauffele’s.

Takeaway

Would you take a season with seven wins including a major and an Olympic Gold or two wins which were both majors?

Personally, I would have taken Schauffele’s season after The Open but after Scheffler won Gold in Paris, his season has gone one step ahead in my mind.