Tiger Woods Scottie Scheffler comparability is nearer than you suppose

As soon as once more, Scottie Scheffler had that killer intuition on Sunday at The Masters.

Like he did at The Gamers Championship one month in the past, Scheffler relied on his beautiful ball-striking to triumph at Augusta Nationwide and thus additional cemented himself as the highest participant within the sport.

Scheffler was a person on a mission, dissecting Augusta’s again 9 en path to a second Inexperienced Jacket in three years. He had that very same drive final month, when he turned the primary participant to win The Gamers in back-to-back years.

He once more seemed like Tiger Woods in his prime on Sunday. Scheffler chased down one other trophy with a disciplined but flawless fashion of play whereas others round him caved below stress.

“Anytime you could be in comparison with Tiger, I believe, is actually particular, however the man stands alone in our sport,” Scheffler mentioned after his victory at TPC Sawgrass. “He actually does.”

His post-victory press convention at The Gamers was not the primary time Scheffler acquired a comparability to Woods.

“I’m not going to recollect the precise numbers,” Scheffler reminisced.

“However, we’re enjoying at Riviera this yr, and I hit my tee ball, and this man yells out, ‘Congrats on being primary, Scottie. Eleven extra years to go.’”

The reference to “11 extra years” pertains to Scheffler’s ascendance to the top-ranked participant on this planet. He has held that esteemed place for 83 weeks to date in his profession, which equates to roughly 19 months.

Woods, in the meantime, was ranked primary on this planet for 683 weeks, or about 13 years and one month.

So, in actuality, Scheffler might want to maintain the top-ranked spot for an additional decade no less than. He nonetheless has an extended method to go, as he identified after The Gamers.

However Scheffler checked one other main off at Augusta.

Picture by Ben Jared/PGA Tour by way of Getty Photos

The 2024 Masters marks Scheffler’s ninth win on tour and second main championship, thus diminishing the depend towards Woods to 73 and 13, respectively.

“I really feel like I’m enjoying actually good golf proper now. I really feel like I’m in charge of my feelings as I’ve ever been, which is an efficient place to be,” Scheffler mentioned after his win at The Masters.

“I believe it’s arduous to argue with the outcomes of the previous few weeks. I’ve been enjoying some good golf. However I actually strive to not focus an excessive amount of on the previous. I’m going to go residence this week, replicate on this week, and soak it in as greatest I can.”

Regardless that Scheffler nonetheless has an extended method to go to catch Woods, the comparisons between the 2 stars actually carry some weight.

Scottie Scheffler vs. Tiger Woods By The Numbers

The strokes gained metrics converse for themselves.

Throughout the 2022-23 PGA Tour season, Scheffler averaged 2.614 strokes gained tee-to-green, which ranked second all-time behind Woods’ 2006 season (2.982).

(Value noting: strokes gained started in 2003, or else Woods’ 2000 season would rank even increased than his 2006 marketing campaign.)

Picture by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR by way of Getty Photos

This yr, of the 26 rounds Scheffler has performed on the PGA Tour, he has averaged 2.80 strokes gained tee-to-green.

Contemplating how effectively he performed a season in the past, he has been higher to date this yr, which is kind of the praise.

Take into account this: in 2023, Scheffler performed in 23 occasions on the PGA Tour. He completed within the prime 5 13 instances, together with a tie for second on the PGA Championship and a solo third on the U.S. Open.

If he’s not profitable, he’s proper there, as was the case with Woods so many instances. Scheffler additionally by no means got here near lacking the minimize a season in the past, just like Woods on the peak of his powers.

The identical could be mentioned about this season.

Scheffler’s worst efficiency to date in 2024 got here at The American Categorical—an absolute birdie barrage performed throughout three programs. That occasion noticed an novice win for the primary time since 1991, whereas Scheffler completed at 21-under and tied for seventeenth.

Since then, Scheffler has been nothing in need of superb. He tied for sixth at Pebble Seaside, completed three strokes out of a playoff in Phoenix, tied for tenth at Riviera, after which received back-to-back on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and TPC Sawgrass.

Since his win at The Gamers, Scheffler completed second to Stephen Jaeger on the Houston Open, due to a 6-foot birdie putt he missed on the 72nd gap. However he redeemed himself—after which some—by profitable The Masters by 4 pictures over Ludvig Åberg.

Sounds fairly Tiger-esque, proper?

Picture by Sam Greenwood/Getty Photos

However the comparisons don’t cease there.

Like he did at The Gamers, Scheffler hit the pictures he wanted to at Augusta Nationwide whereas ever different contender crumbled.

On the par-4 ninth, Scheffler completely executed his strategy after discovering the golf green, utilizing the slope behind the opening to will his ball again in the direction of the pin. Then, at 10, sensing a higher alternative, Scheffler went proper after it, and one other birdie adopted.

However a very powerful shot of his spherical got here on the par-3 twelfth. Woods, together with Jack Nicklaus, have famously mentioned that it is best to by no means tackle the flag when it sits on the suitable half of the inexperienced on Sunday. As an alternative, your goal must be over the center bunker. A par on 12, particularly with Rae’s Creek working in entrance of it, isn’t a nasty rating.

Like Nicklaus and Woods have at all times performed, Scheffler discovered the center of the inexperienced on 12, together with his ball crusing over the center bunker and onto the inexperienced. An easy par adopted, as did one other birdie on the par-5 thirteenth.

In the meantime, Collin Morikawa, Scheffler’s enjoying companion on Sunday, made colossal errors on the ninth and eleventh holes. So did Åberg and Homa, the latter of which made a double bogey at 12 due to an unplayable lie within the bushes.

Picture by Ben Jared/PGA Tour by way of Getty Photos

Not like the others on the prime of the leaderboard, Scheffler didn’t make any errors. He not often ever does, and the stats show it.

To this point this season, Scheffler ranks first on the PGA Tour in bogey avoidance, dropping a shot solely 8.89% of the time. In 2006, Woods’s bogey avoidance price was 12.18%.

As an alternative of creating errors, Scheffler fires at flagsticks when a inexperienced mild presents itself—simply as Woods did in his prime. Seemingly each spherical, the previous Texas Longhorn units himself up fantastically for a number of alternatives.

He takes benefit of them, too.

Scheffler has made extra birdies than anybody else on the PGA Tour. To this point in 2024, Scheffler has made a birdie or higher on 31.11% of the holes he has performed.

In 2006, Woods’ birdie or higher share was 27.14%, which ranked first on tour.

Bear in mind when Scheffler was a horrible putter? That pattern was short-lived. Regardless that he presently ranks 96th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: placing, Scheffler is now gaining 0.014 strokes on the greens.

Switching to the mallet putter earlier than Bay Hill has clearly paid off. He has received thrice since.

Scheffler Flexes Clutch Gene, as did Woods

One other statistical comparability between Woods and Scheffler issues their clutch genes.

In 2006, Woods had a final-round scoring common of 68.75. He received seven instances, together with The Open and the PGA Championship back-to-back. What makes this much more spectacular is that these two majors got here on the heels of his missed minimize on the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. That week, Woods was in a sorrowful state. His father and mentor, Earl, handed away a couple of weeks earlier than.

To this point this season, Scheffler’s final-round scoring common is 66.38, highlighted by his beautiful 8-under 64 at TPC Sawgrass and his great 4-under 68 on Sunday at Augusta.

He routinely reveals up when it issues most and does so each Sunday. Final month at Bay Hill, the ultimate spherical scoring common was 73.14—the very best of any of the 4 rounds.

Picture by Keyur Khamar/PGA Tour by way of Getty Photos

So, Scheffler, with a bevy of different gamers in competition, carded the most effective rounds of the yr. He shot a 6-under 66 in windy circumstances to win by 5.

Discuss clutch.

Then, he got here from behind to race previous Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark at TPC Sawgrass, changing into the primary participant ever to win consecutive Gamers Championships.

His clutch genes confirmed up once more this previous week in Georgia. He walked off the eighth inexperienced, tied for the lead at 7-under, and received by 4.

He dominates when it issues most, even in difficult circumstances.

Solely eight gamers completed below par on the 2024 Masters, emphasizing the problem of the circumstances as a result of gale-force winds. But, Scheffler was the one participant to not file a single spherical over par.

In truth, he has zero rounds over par to date in 2024—a preposterous statistic.

“No rounds over par is nice. I hate taking pictures over par,” Scheffler mentioned after his win at The Masters.

“I can’t let you know how a lot I hate taking pictures over par. It’s good to not expertise that but this yr.”

Scheffler will now head to Hilton Head, South Carolina, for the RBC Heritage—the fifth Signature Occasion of the 2024 season.

After that, his spouse Meredith is predicted to provide start to their first youngster, a second that Scheffler will treasure eternally.

“I’ll undoubtedly benefit from the start of my first youngster,” Scheffler added.

“However with that being mentioned, I nonetheless love competing. My priorities will change right here very quickly. My son or daughter will now be the primary precedence, together with my spouse, so golf will now be most likely fourth in line. However I nonetheless love competing. I don’t plan on taking my eye off the ball anytime quickly, that’s for positive.”

Regardless of the life modifications headed his means, Scheffler believes he’ll play within the PGA Championship—the season’s subsequent main—at Valhalla Golf Membership in Louisville subsequent month.

If he continues this tempo, Scheffler has a greater probability than anybody to win the PGA in Might. In fact, the final participant to win the season’s first two majors was Jordan Spieth in 2015, when he received The Masters and the U.S. Open.

But when Scheffler goes on to win in Kentucky, one thing will really feel a lot completely different than Spieth’s first two main triumphs. Spieth was a younger child then and has not found that prime degree of play since. Scheffler, in the meantime, has dominated for greater than two years now, and appears the a part of being the sport’s subsequent nice.

Now the query turns into, is the Grand Slam in play?

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. You should definitely take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.