Scottie Scheffler is better than Tiger Woods at a key thing, according to a golf expert.
Scheffler won the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, bringing him a US Open away from winning the career grand slam, as Rory McIlroy did at Augusta.
He took the outright lead on Saturday and never looked back. There was a sense of inevitability about Scheffler lifting the Claret Jug come Sunday, even on Saturday afternoon.
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Scheffler’s fourth major win led to comparisons with Woods.
Scheffler is inevitable, and Tiger Woods wasn’t, says Rob Lee
When Scheffler set his record for a major round on Saturday, entering Sunday with the lead, many thought it was over. They were correct.
Speaking on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Rob Lee said that Woods was not considered a sure bet for the win when leading like Scheffler is.
He said, “It was over on Saturday. Over. We wouldn’t even say that about Woods. Tiger was an amazing player, but I never felt like he was inevitable.”
He explained, “The Scheffler inevitability is because he never puts his ball in a position that Tiger would put his ball. Tiger could take a rogue double.”
Woods is the greatest of all time, according to most, including his great rival Phil Mickelson, but Lee said Scheffler’s cool temperament prevents him from giving up leads.
He said, “I don’t think we’ll ever see the complete package like Tiger ever again. The fist pump, you could see how into it he was. The full Tiger package when he was in full flow was spellbinding, and the world had to watch.
“Scottie is a cold cat. He just goes around there, he’s turning up to do his job and his job is to beat the field, he goes away, spends time with his family and you’ll see him the next time doing exactly the same thing.”
Scheffler reflected on the importance of golf prior to the tournament, explaining that golf is what he does, not who he is. His healthy relationship with the sport, which is rare among the all-time greats, allows him to remain calm in high-pressure situations.
There was only one winner at Royal Portrush because of that.
Scottie Scheffler can win the career grand slam on his 30th birthday
A win at the 2026 US Open will complete the career grand slam for Scheffler, and that too seems inevitable. That day at Shinnecock Hills will be extra special for the world number one.
The tournament will conclude on Scheffler’s 30th birthday on June 21st. It seems written in the stars for him to become the seventh player in the sport’s history to win all four major titles.
The celebration of McIlroy’s achievement at the Masters this year perhaps dilutes the gravity of what Scheffler is on the verge of achieving. We had to wait two decades between Woods and McIlroy’s completed slams, so the fact that we are close to another is ridiculous.
And if Scheffler wins in New York next year, then conversations can begin on where he ranks among the greatest of all time.
