Scottie Scheffler and Tiger Woods have solely performed one aggressive spherical collectively of their careers, however it’s one which altered Scheffler’s enjoying mentality and maybe the course of his enjoying days. Paired collectively within the remaining spherical of the 2020 Masters — Scheffler’s event debut and Woods’ title protection from his memorable win the yr prior — Scheffler and Woods have been outdoors the realms of rivalry.
And it was Woods’ depth and a spotlight to element regardless of being on this place that struck Scheffler the deepest and prompted him to take a look at his personal mentality in a distinct mild.
“My largest takeaway from enjoying with Tiger was the quantity of depth that he took to each shot, and that is one thing I’ve talked to a whole lot of guys about,” Scheffler stated. “Tiger was simply completely different within the sense of the way in which he approached every shot, it was just like the final shot he was ever going to hit. I performed with him within the 2020 COVID Masters, and I believe he made a ten on the twelfth gap, and he birdied, I believe, 5 of the final six, and it was like, ‘what’s this man nonetheless enjoying for? He is received the Masters 4 or 5 instances. Finest end he’ll have is like twentieth place at this level.’
“I simply admired the depth that he introduced to every spherical, and that is one thing that I attempt to emulate. If I’ll take time to come back out right here every week — prefer it’s not a straightforward factor to play a golf event. If I’ll take every week off, I would as properly simply keep house. If I am enjoying in a event, I’ll give it my all. That is actually all it boils all the way down to.”
Woods began the ultimate spherical of 2020 Masters at 5 underneath for the event and 11 strokes behind 54-hole chief and eventual champion Dustin Johnson. The ultimate stroll round Augusta Nationwide didn’t start in clean trend as he turned in 1 over, made bogey on No. 10 and arrived on the par-3 twelfth 2 over for his spherical.
The five-time Masters champion dumped not one, not two, however three balls into Rae’s Creek and put a ten on his scorecard — the best rating on a single gap of his PGA Tour profession. He dropped to 9 over for his spherical and was in jeopardy of failing to interrupt 80 earlier than discovering a gear solely Woods might discover.
“The most important change I felt like I made my first couple years on Tour to 2022 was the query at all times was, ‘Hey, how come you have not received?’ The rationale I felt like I hadn’t received but is I hadn’t put myself in place sufficient instances,” Scheffler stated. “I might solely performed in a pair remaining teams. I at all times discovered myself just a bit bit on the skin wanting in, and that is one of many issues I realized from enjoying with Tiger. It was like, we’re in twentieth place or no matter going into Sunday on the Masters, Tiger has received 5 Masters, he is obtained no likelihood of successful the event. Then we confirmed up on the primary gap and I used to be watching him learn his putt, and I used to be like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this man is in it proper now.’
“That was one thing that I simply considered for a very long time. I felt like a change I wanted to make was bringing that very same depth to every spherical and every shot. And I really feel like the explanation I’ve had success in these tournaments is — I do not hit the ball the furthest. The issues that I do on the golf course, different individuals can do. I believe it is simply the quantity of consistency and the depth that I carry to every spherical of golf isn’t taking photographs off, not taking rounds off, not taking tournaments off. Once I present up at a event, I am right here for a objective and that is to compete onerous, and also you compete onerous on each shot. I believe it is rather a lot simpler stated than carried out, and I believe I have been in head area the final couple years the place I have been capable of get up over a ball and give attention to what I am doing and simply try to pull it off.”
Woods rattled off a birdie on the par-5 thirteenth to shine off his journey to Amen Nook and made par on the par-4 14th. He then proceeded to make birdies on his remaining 4 holes to come back house in 39 and signal for a final-round 76 to complete in a share of Thirty eighth-place.
Since that day, Scheffler has remodeled from a younger participant on the PGA Tour to the very best participant on the planet. He has received 18 instances on the PGA Tour for the reason that starting of 2022 together with 4 main championships and two Gamers Championships. This doesn’t embody a pair of wins at Tiger’s Hero World Problem nor his Olympic gold medal from the 2024 Paris Video games.
Comparisons proceed to be drawn between Scheffler and Woods and the quantity solely will get turned up greater with each one in every of Scheffler’s wins. Nonetheless, the world No. 1 believes the parallels drawn between the 2 are foolish noting how only one spherical with the 15-time main champion was sufficient for Scheffler to vary his outlook on his personal sport.
“I believe within the easiest kind, it is very foolish to be in comparison with Tiger Woods,” Scheffler stated. “I believe Tiger is a man that stands alone within the sport of golf, and I believe he at all times will. Tiger impressed an entire technology of golfers. You’ve got grown up watching that man do what he did week in, week out, it was fairly wonderful to see.
“I speak about a psychological change I made as a result of I performed one spherical of golf with him in a event. I’ve solely performed one spherical of event golf with Tiger Woods, and it utterly modified the way in which I take a look at how I play tournaments. I am unable to let you know the look on his face after we obtained to the first inexperienced, and I look over, and we’re in twentieth place, type of enjoying, yada, yada, yada, and I look over and this man is simply locked in, and I used to be bowled over. I used to be like, holy smokes. Then we obtained to the 2nd gap, and he had this chip shot and he checked out it prefer it was an up-and-down to win the event. I am like, that is unbelievable. I’ve by no means seen something like this earlier than in my life.
“I believe he utterly transcended the sport of golf, and I believe relating to me, I do not even like comparisons to different gamers as a result of I believe after we come out right here, I am doing the very best I can to be the very best model of myself. I do not take into consideration legacy, I do not take into consideration the previous. I attempt to get essentially the most out of myself every week. I simply do not actually love the comparisons in any respect.”
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