Scottie Scheffler has been in sensational form over the past two years and continued his dominant run at The Open Championship – but the world No. 1 has dismissed comparisons with Tiger Woods
Scottie Scheffler was compared to Tiger Woods after his victory at The Open Championship(Image: Getty Images)
Tiger Woods has revealed the similarities and differences between his playing style and Scottie Scheffler’s despite the latter’s attempts to brush off “silly” comparisons to the golf icon.
Scheffler, 29, is currently experiencing one of the most dominant runs on the PGA Tour since Woods’ historic streak in the early 2000s. The Texan star has maintained his grip on the world’s No. 1 ranking since May 2023.
He secured victory at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in May before delivering a masterful showing at Royal Portrush last week, where he clinched his maiden The Open Championship title.
His performance demonstrated the same dominance and consistency that has defined his past two years, as he carded 17-under par, beating the field by four strokes. The achievement marked the completion of a third leg towards the coveted career Grand Slam, meaning he is just one U.S. Open win away from joining golf’s most exclusive club, which includes Woods.
Despite his obvious supremacy on the golf course, Scheffler has been quick to dismiss any suggestions that he’s reaching the heights of the 15-time major champion. Following his Open win, he said: “I still think they (the comparisons) are a bit silly.
“Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there. I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf. He was inspirational for me growing up. He was a very, very talented guy, and he was a special person to be able to be as good as he was at the game of golf.”
But Woods, 49, has been less dismissive of the comparisons. In a recent PGA Tour video that featured players talking about Scheffler’s game, he offered high praise and deep insight into what sets his compatriot apart.
Woods spoke glowingly of Scheffler despite them doing some things “differently”(Image: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
He explained: “We see shots into the greens very similarly, how we miss golf balls into the correct spots. It’s not always pretty, but it’s not about the here and now. It’s about the long game. It’s over 72 holes. It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon. I think that’s the similarity in how we play the game.”
Woods acknowledged that their playing styles are still distinct, saying: “I did it differently. My game was very violent at times. We played differently. He slid on it. I snapped on it.”
He also highlighted a subtle but major aspect of Scheffler’s technique which only another top level golfer might notice, saying: “Forget all the footwork stuff. If you just sat behind him and only looked at the golf ball, you’d see how tight it is. He doesn’t move the ball very much either way.
“If you understand the fact that he hits in these tight windows and shapes it in varying degrees, you can understand why he’s able to control distance into the greens as well as he does.”
Scheffler has now been ranked the No. 1 golfer in the world for 114 consecutive weeks – the longest streak since Woods held the top spot for 264 weeks from August 1999 to September 2004, and again for a staggering 281 straight weeks from June 2005 through October 2010.
Some have even noted Scheffler’s on-course demeanor this past weekend which echoed Woods in his prime, including a dramatic fist pump following a successful 15-foot putt on the sixth hole.
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