How 'tiger-like' Scheffler Is Conquering Golf

As Scottie Scheffler steamrolled his measurement to nan Claret Jug, location was different sanction which kept being mentioned successful nan sermon surrounding his impending Open victory.

Tiger Woods. Remember him?

Scheffler's peers regularly referred to Woods erstwhile they came disconnected nan Royal Portrush people past Sunday. So excessively did nan tv and power commentators analysing nan action.

The comparisons betwixt nan existent world number 1 and 15-time awesome champion Woods - nan pre-eminent superstar who elevated play to a caller stratosphere successful nan precocious 1990s and early 2000s - continued successful nan aftermath of Scheffler's 4th awesome title.

An eye-catching statistic further fuelled nan frenzy. Exactly 1,197 days had passed betwixt each player's first awesome triumph to their fourth.

Scheffler's consequence to nan parallels being drawn? "I still deliberation they're a spot silly," he said.

"I conscionable sewage one-fourth of nan measurement there. I deliberation Tiger stands unsocial successful nan crippled of golf."

One point is undebatable. Scheffler is conquering nan men's crippled for illustration cipher since Woods successful his pomp.

Here, BBC Sport analyses really nan 29-year-old American is doing it.

The first motion of Scheffler's typical qualities came astatine nan 2021 Ryder Cup.

Questions had been raised astir nan young American being picked arsenic a Whistling Straits wildcard, but nan mode successful which he bossed European talisman Jon Rahm successful nan Sunday singles - putting nan hosts connected nan way to a uncommon regular triumph - was a motion of things to come.

In nan 4 seasons since, Scheffler has won 4 of nan 15 fields - nan 2022 and 2023 Masters, positive this year's US PGA Championship and Open - and earned a further 8 top-10 finishes.

Throw successful 12 PGA Tour victories, on pinch the Olympic golden badge astatine Paris 2024, and it is clear why he is nan undisputed world number one.

"Scottie is nan barroom that we're each trying to get to," said world number 2 Rory McIlroy.

"You could reason there's only possibly 2 aliases 3 players successful nan history of nan crippled that person been connected a tally for illustration nan 1 that Scottie's been for nan past 24 to 36 months."

One of those players is - evidently - Woods.

By securing triumph astatine Portrush, Scheffler became only nan 2nd subordinate to triumph The Open while world number one. The first was Woods, who did it 3 times successful 2000, 2005 and 2006.

Scheffler's machine-like ability, which is evident moreover erstwhile he does not look to beryllium playing astatine his peak, is akin to his chap American.

It is small wonderment respective of his peers person described Scheffler this week arsenic being "Tiger-like".

"I don't deliberation we thought nan golfing world would spot personification arsenic ascendant arsenic Tiger travel done truthful soon and here's Scottie taking that throne," said 2024 Open champion Xander Schauffele.

"He's a reliable man to beat, and erstwhile you spot his sanction up connected nan leaderboard, it sucks for us."

For some, nan parallels betwixt Scheffler and Woods - who has claimed a associated grounds 82 PGA Tour victories - mightiness consciousness premature.

Scheffler has a agelong measurement to spell to lucifer nan longevity of his compatriot, whose awesome triumphs stretched from 1997 to 2019.

But nan comparisons proceed to persist because of nan measurement Scheffler imperiously tears done fields for illustration Woods did successful his pomp.

At Portrush, location was a consciousness of inevitability astir nan result erstwhile Scheffler moved 4 shots up aft Saturday's 3rd round.

His unerring consistency and ruthless expertise to adjacent retired victories is what sets him isolated from nan rest.

It was nan 10th tourney successful a statement Scheffler had converted an outright 54-hole lead, though he still has a agelong measurement to spell earlier matching nan 37 consecutive times which Woods did it.

"Back successful nan time that's what separated Tiger," said English erstwhile world number 1 Justin Rose.

"You get a batch of guys starring tournaments and typically it is difficult to adjacent out, but Scottie and Tiger are capable to put these tournaments distant amended than most.

"That's really you are judged astatine nan extremity of nan day."

Scheffler's emotionless look arsenic he patiently and precisely carved up nan Dunluce Links was a acold outcry from nan power often shown by Woods.

On a last Sunday lacking immoderate benignant of jeopardy, 1 of nan astir colourful moments came connected nan sixth green. There was a uncommon flicker of emotion from Scheffler.

A vigorous pump of nan fist signalled his pleasance astatine dropping 1 of respective par-saving putts connected his measurement to glory.

Those who request high-octane power from their sporting stars were disappointed. But Scheffler's calm demeanour is precisely why he is truthful successful.

"He doesn't attraction to beryllium a superstar. He's not transcending nan crippled for illustration Tiger did," said Jordan Spieth, who a decade agone was being compared to Woods aft winning 3 fields and finishing runner-up successful 2 others betwixt 2015-17.

"I deliberation it's much truthful nan quality successful characteristic from immoderate different superstar that you've seen successful nan modern era and possibly successful immoderate sport.

"I don't deliberation anybody is for illustration him."

While Scheffler's mind is mechanical, his method is not.

His unorthodox footwork looks clumsy astatine times and is different logic - according to Ireland's Shane Lowry - why galore do not see him successful nan aforesaid activity arsenic Woods.

"If Scottie's feet stayed unchangeable and his plaything looked for illustration Adam Scott's, we'd beryllium talking astir him successful nan aforesaid words arsenic Tiger," said Lowry, who won his solitary awesome astatine Royal Portrush successful 2019.

"I deliberation because it doesn't look truthful perfect, we don't talk astir him for illustration that.

"I deliberation he's conscionable unthinkable to watch, and his bad shots are really good. That's erstwhile you cognize he's really good."

As soon arsenic Scheffler's long-time coach Randy Smith spotted nan youngster astatine their believe scope successful Dallas, he knew location was thing which group nan kid apart.

Smith was moving pinch PGA Tour master Joel Edwards and saw 10-year-old Scheffler, sat crosslegged nearby, absorbing everything he witnessed.

"He's not comparing himself to different eight-year-olds aliases different 10-year-olds," Smith, who besides coached Justin Leonard to nan 1997 Open, wrote for Golf Digest past year., external

"He's comparing himself to a subordinate connected nan Korn Ferry Tour, a PGA Tour victor aliases to nan feline who conscionable won nan Open Championship."

Scheffler successfully put what he had learned into believe connected nan US inferior circuit, past started cleaning up successful nan collegiate crippled arsenic he juggled his play pinch a finance grade astatine nan University of Texas.

The inevitable move into nan master ranks came successful 2018. But it was not a straightforward introduction.

Scheffler had to scrap for his qualifying paper to nan Korn Ferry Tour, only clinching his playing position successful 2019 pinch a melodramatic up-and-down par prevention - which he later described arsenic nan astir important scramble of his career.

From that point, his profession accelerated.

In 2020, Scheffler earned nan first awesome top-10 decorativeness of his profession astatine nan PGA Championship and his improvement led to being named nan PGA Tour's 'Rookie of nan Year'.

A twelvemonth later came nan Ryder Cup breakthrough which marked his presence arsenic an elite force.

"What separates Scottie is his fire," Smith added.

"It's not conscionable competitiveness - though he has much of that than anyone I've ever coached.

"It's nan axenic emotion of practicing and experimenting and learning things connected your own. It's determination."

At nan commencement of this Open week, galore wondered if nan occurrence continued to burn.

Scheffler raised eyebrows by admitting he regularly questions why he is still playing play and lamented really he has small opportunity to digest his triumphs.

But nan mode successful which he celebrated winning nan iconic Claret Jug - roaring towards his loved ones earlier sobbing connected nan enarthrosis of his woman Meredith and hoisting boy Bennett into nan aerial - demonstrated his burning desire to triumph fields had not fanned.

"When I aftermath up successful nan morning, I effort and put max effort successful each time I get to spell retired and practise," he said.

"When I'm moving out, erstwhile I'm doing nan acold tub, doing recovery, I consciousness for illustration I'm conscionable called to do it to nan champion of my ability.

"It's conscionable mostly astir putting successful nan due activity and coming retired present and competing."

Even aft he had climbed to nan apical of nan world rankings, location were immoderate doubts astir Scheffler's game.

The statistic proved he was nan champion from tee to green. They besides proved he was among nan worst pinch nan putter.

A telephone was made to English putting guru Phil Kenyon - whose customer database is simply a who's who of awesome champions - successful a bid to amended pinch nan flatstick.

Attention was peculiarly paid to Scheffler's reference of nan greens and expanding nan stableness of his grip.

Switching to a claw grip - wherever nan correct manus acts arsenic a pincer little down nan shaft - has transformed Scheffler into 1 of nan astir reliable putters successful nan game.

The tweak helped him go nan first subordinate to take sides nan PGA Tour's Players Championship, triumph a 2nd Masters, Olympic golden and 5 different titles successful a stellar 2024 that besides had echoed Woods.

Leading nan putting statistic aft 3 rounds astatine Portrush, having holed 97% of his putts wrong 5 feet and 90% of those wrong 10 feet, put him successful command. He holed putts of 14, 15 and 16 feet connected Sunday.

"[The grip] was thing we tested retired past twelvemonth and felt comfortable from nan start," Scheffler said.

"I usage it arsenic we get person to nan hole, lag putting. Outside of 15 to 20 feet, I'm still putting conventional.

"It was thing we felt could thief america improve, and truthful acold it has."

While improved putting has taken Scheffler to Woods-esque heights, will it thief him move person to replicating Woods' achievements complete nan longer term? That remains to beryllium seen.