After winning the BMW Championship last Sunday, Scottie Scheffler has firmly established himself as one of today’s dominant golfers. With that victory, he secured five PGA Tour titles for the second consecutive season, equaling the achievement Tiger Woods accomplished in 2006 and 2007. Such a milestone inevitably sparked comparisons between the two, but Scheffler quickly dismissed them.
I think in the simplest form, it’s very silly to be compared to Tiger Woods.” … “Tiger is a guy that stands alone in the game of golf, and he always will. Tiger inspired a whole generation of golfers. You’ve grown up watching that guy do what he did week in, week out. It was pretty amazing to see.
I talk about a mental change I made because I played one round of golf with him in a tournament. I’ve only played one tournament round of golf with Tiger Woods, and it completely changed the way I look at how I play tournaments.
The tournament Scheffler referred to was the 2020 Masters, where he had the rare chance to walk the course alongside one of golf’s all-time legends. Paired with Woods and Shane Lowry on the final day, Scheffler finished 19th, while Woods ended in 38th place. Dustin Johnson claimed the victory.
The biggest lesson Scheffler learned from Tiger Woods
Sharing the course with the greatest player in history leaves a mark, and Scheffler is no exception. He described the lasting impression that day made on him.
My biggest takeaway from playing with Tiger was the amount of intensity he took to every shot. Tiger was just different in the way he approached each shot,” Scheffler revealed. “It was like the last shot he was ever going to hit.
Reflecting further on the 2020 event, he added:
I’ve only played with him once in a tournament, at the 2020 COVID Masters, where he made a 10 on the 12th hole and then birdied five of the last six.
I remember thinking, what’s this guy still playing for? He’s already won the Masters four or five times, and the best finish he was going to have was around 20th place. But I admired the intensity he brought to each round, and that’s something I try to emulate.
Since then, Scheffler has incorporated those lessons into every competition. His preparation, the way he strikes the ball, and his focus on shaping shots according to his analysis of each hole reflect the influence Woods left on him.
This mindset underscores the value of constant preparation, vision, and intensity in golf. Following those principles has propelled Scheffler to the top of the PGA Tour. His rivals may aim to dethrone him, but to do so, they must match not only his technique but also his relentless approach to every swing.
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