Woods, one of golf’s most influential figures, has 15 major titles and more PGA Tour wins than anyone in history.
Scheffler may not reach those heights, but it is hard to see what can stop him from getting close. Speaking on Dan on Golf, Dan Rapaport gave his view when asked if Scheffler will end up surpassing Woods.
“No, I don’t think so, but I do think he’s got a really good chance to be a top five player who’s ever lived,” he said.
“Tiger’s set the bar insanely high with 82 wins and 15 majors. Scottie has 20 wins and four majors, so he’d need to do this four more times, which I just don’t see happening.
“He started a little bit later in his career. He’s creeping up on 30. Justin Rose is showing us that you can be really good for a long time, but gun to my head, will he pass Tiger? No, but I think he will pass Rory and become the best player of this generation.”
What could help Scheffler in his pursuit of Tiger Woods
It is an enormous task ahead for Scheffler. Only three men have ever hit double digits in major wins, and he would need 11 more just to equal Woods’ total.
Scheffler wasn’t viewed as a future superstar early on, so it’s tough to guess who else might rise to the top of golf in the years ahead.
Still, Rapaport’s comment about his age doesn’t quite fit. Woods had already won 14 of his 15 majors by the time he turned 33. Injuries then slowed him down, keeping him from winning another major for over a decade.
If Scheffler can stay healthy, he may have a far stronger run through his thirties than Woods did. Between 2008 and 2019, Tiger was only able to show glimpses of his old form in the majors due to injuries.
And with golfers playing well into their forties these days, there’s every reason to think Scheffler could remain competitive for another two decades or more if he stays motivated.