Scottie Scheffler is golf’s no.1 star in the world, but not in the eyes of nine-time major champion Gary Player.
The American has drawn comparisons to Tiger Woods in his prime having enjoyed a superb season culminating in his recent triumph at The Open.
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Scheffler doesn’t think he can be compared to WoodsCredit: Getty
Scheffler is a shoo-in for the US Ryder Cup team and few would bet against him proving decisive in New York next month.
But despite his rise to prominence, Player remains unconvinced by Scheffler’s work and says that he doesn’t view him as the best in the world.
Instead, that accolade goes to Jordan Spieth, in Player’s opinion at least, with the golf legend blaming poor teaching for Spieth’s drop from the top of the rankings.
“There is a tremendous lack of knowledge with golf. I would say in America today the golf pros that are teaching know less about golf. They have all the equipment and the technology but they are teaching golfers to do this at the top (pictured below),” he told The Golf Supply YouTube channel.
“But you can’t, once you do that you are gone. Jack Nicklaus won majors for 25 years, I won majors for 20 years, Palmer won for six years because he was shut.”
Player then provided a clinic on how players should aim to get their hands ‘under the club’.
He later proclaimed Jordan Spieth as the best in the world and explained where his game had gone wrong in recent years.
“What they are doing, they did it with Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler,” Player added. “Now those two guys. Jordan Spieth I think is the best golfer in the world but in my opinion he was taught the wrong thing. And he just went downhill. He went downhill.
“If you had a man like Ben Hogan teaching Jordan Spieth he would be the best in the world. He’s such a competitor, such a wonderful man. A wonderful guy for golf, the best short game, best course management but he just can’t hit the ball. That is a tragedy.“
Spieth rose to fame in the 2010s and was tipped to achieve great things after some early promise.
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The legendary Gary Player explained why he thinks golfers are being taught wrongCredit: Golf Supply YOu tube channel
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He went on to explain how golfers should aim to get their hands under the clubCredit: Golf Supply YOu tube channel
He picked up five victories on the PGA Tour in 2015 with huge wins at the Masters and US Open.
Spieth has since enjoyed further success by winning a third major at The Open in 2017, meaning a PGA Championship was all that was needed to complete the career Grand Slam.
But a failure to repeat his early success has seen Spieth tumble down the rankings having struggled for consistency since 2020.
Spieth has not registered a single Tour victory in the past three years and now finds himself 51st in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Player, now aged 89, had time for one more incredible claim.
He went on to state that Seve Ballesteros was ‘not even a 10-handicap’ after watching back at a round with the late Spaniard.
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Jordan Spieth is currently ranked 51st in the world but Player believes he is still the world’s bestCredit: Getty
“Do you know who knew the least about the golf swing? Ballesteros,” Player said. “I played with him at Troon as a young man, and he wasn’t even a 10 handicap.
“He had no idea what he was doing. No idea. But he had the greatest feel of any man that ever lived.
“He was so good from 50 yards in – he was as good as anybody that ever lived.
“I don’t know who the best is, but he was as good as anybody. But hitting fairways? All over the place. If you don’t have the knowledge, you’re limited. You’re very limited.”
