Scottie Scheffler‘s victory at Royal Portrush wasn’t just another major win-it was a defining moment. With his commanding four-shot triumph at The Open Championship, Scheffler captured his fourth career major and his second of the 2025 season, following his win at the PGA Championship.
As the Claret Jug was raised, so too was the volume of comparisons to a name etched into golf immortality: Tiger Woods.
This win marked the first time Scheffler has won multiple majors in the same season, placing him in elite company. Only six players in history have accomplished that while finishing in the top 7 of the other two majors-Tiger Woods among them. For Scheffler, it was more than just dominance-it was a sustained peak that mirrors the very best to ever play the game.
Tiger Comparisons: From Bold Claims to Statistical Parallels
The discussion kicked off earlier in the week when former caddy Jim “Bones” Mackay claimed Scheffler was as close to peak Tiger as any player he’s ever seen. That comparison only gained credibility as the weekend unfolded. By Sunday, Scheffler had joined Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers to win four majors by at least three strokes since the inception of The Masters.
And then came the stat that stunned even the most casual fans. Both Scheffler and Woods won their first and fourth majors exactly 1,197 days apart. Woods‘ stretch began with the 1997 Masters and ended with the 2000 Open at St. Andrews. Scheffler followed that same timeline, starting with the 2022 Masters and ending this week at Royal Portrush.
It’s the kind of symmetry you don’t invent-because it seems too perfect to be real.
Beyond timelines, the metrics tell an equally compelling story. From 2002-2005, Woods played 79 events and won 19 times with four majors. From 2022-2025, Scheffler has played 81 events and won 20 times-also with four majors. Both averaged about 2.8 strokes gained per round. According to Kyle Porter and other analysts, their dominance is virtually mirrored.
Scheffler‘s streak of winning all four of his majors by three or more strokes is another layer of statistical rarity-no one else in modern golf has achieved that. Even NBC’s broadcast leaned into the Woods comparisons, giving credence to what many had been hesitant to say out loud: this isn’t a hot streak, it’s a full-blown era.
So where does this leave golf?
For decades, Tiger Woods was the benchmark-“the needle” that moved everything in the sport. His dominance in the early 2000s redefined what greatness looked like. Many believed it would never be approached again, especially as parity in the sport grew.
And yet, here stands Scottie Scheffler. Measured. Relentless. Unshaken.
As Rory McIlroy put it after his round, “He is the bar that we’re all trying to get to.”
Maybe no one will match Tiger‘s highest highs-his Tiger Slam, his 15 majors-but in an era of deeper fields and more talent than ever before, Scheffler is carving out his own historic run.
The conversation has shifted. It’s no longer about whether someone can match Tiger. It’s about recognizing the one who’s come closer than we ever thought possible.
Scheffler isn’t just chasing greatness-he is the standard now.
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