There is little doubt the world of men’s professional golf has entered the Scheffler era. His Open Championship triumph at Royal Portrush rubber-stamping a period of dominance we’ve not seen since the heady days of Tiger Woods in the early 2000s. For all of Rory McIlroy’s mercurial brilliance and Jon Rahm’s feisty excellence, it is the quiet American who has moved serenely but markedly out in front.
This year’s major season has seen the Texan capture two, the PGA Championship and the Open, by five and four shots respectively. These are supposed to be the hardest events in the game but for significant periods of both, a Scheffler win felt like a foregone conclusion. At Royal Portrush, those fans hoping for a mistake to add jeopardy and excitement were left disappointed (audibly, at times) but not surprised.
Of the five main Strokes Gained stats categories on the PGA Tour this season, Scheffler leads the way in three and is inside the top 25 in the other two. With each individual element of his game reaching these heights, the sum of the parts can only be described as imperious. The near-perfect relentlessness of Scheffler’s play piles the pressure on his opponents and whilst they might be able to raise their games to compete with him sporadically, nobody is close to reaching the consistency that will be the hallmark of this era.
Having only recently turned 29, Scheffler has four majors to his name and the world at his feet. There is little doubt in my mind that by the time his dominance resides, he’ll have the sort of major tally that will hoist his historical impact closer to the likes of Woods and Nicklaus than to McIlroy and Palmer. His throughly modern and eye-watering prize money earnings will take some beating.
Is Scottie Scheffler’s Dominance Good For Fan Engagement?
The question is, what does this mean for the game? Whilst we can all marvel at the quality of his play, it would be fair to say that for many fans, Scheffler is easy to admire but hard to love. With his steely gaze pointed mostly at the ground, it is hard to feel a true connection. Combine that with the ruthlessness of his play, especially when in the lead, and there’s a certain sense of inevitability about the result. Brilliant for Scheffler but perhaps not so good for fan engagement.
Let's be clear, this isn’t Scheffler’s problem. The other leading protagonists need to figure out how to raise their levels to compete with a man who looks scarily far ahead of them.
In the meantime, I’d love to see Scottie engage more with the crowds and show glimpses of the passion that must burn within. If he can do that whilst retaining the level of his play, there’s no doubt he’ll be loved and admired in equal measure.
