Scottie Scheffler Is Inevitable And A Career Grand Slam Is Starting To Feel The Same
The No. 1 player in the world is halfway to the career grand slam after his win at Quail Hollow.
Scottie Scheffler has been the best golfer in the world for the better part of two years now, and with the fashion in which he's dominated the sport, it's become increasingly difficult to ask any legitimate questions about his game and what lines may or may not be added to his resumé.
Entering this week's PGA Championship, the semi-serious question about Scheffler being able to win a major outside the gates of Augusta National arose, and the two-time Masters winner delivered that answer in the form of a five-shot victory at Quail Hollow for the third major championship title of his career.
On the surface level alone, winning a PGA Championship by five shots speaks for itself, but it was the way in which he secured that five-shot advantage that was downright scary.
After Scheffler played his final five holes in five-under on Saturday that gave him a three-shot lead to begin the final round, the expectation was that he would come out of the gates on Sunday like a man possessed. Instead, he looked uncharacteristically out of sorts.
Scottie Scheffler celebrates after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
He fought the left miss throughout the afternoon and turned at two-over on his round. He suddenly looked at the leaderboard and saw a two-time major champion's name next to his in the form of Jon Rahm.
Scheffler was moving in the wrong direction and was deploying his C-minus game with a very difficult back nine to try to pick apart, and had a proven winner in Rahm grabbing serious momentum two holes ahead. The advantage felt to be in Rahm's corner as he could try and post a number in the clubhouse and have what appeared to be a struggling Scheffler try and beat it.
The keyword there is appeared.
Not only did Scheffler not allow any semblance of panic to set in, but he flipped the switch that only players of his caliber appear to have, and played his first six holes on the back nine in three-under. A pressing Rahm ahead of him made mistakes while Scheffler didn't, and about 90 minutes after being tied at nine-under, Scheffler suddenly possessed that same three-shot lead that he began the final round with.
In typical Scheffler style, he flipped the script back in his favor in an almost undercover fashion. In the moment, there wasn't exactly a wow factor to what he was doing, but hitting his first three fairways on the back nine and making the ‘must birdies’ on the 14th and 15th holes were boxes he wanted to check. He checked them, and it allowed him the luxury of coasting down the stretch.
That's the brilliance of Scottie. Yes, he's the best ball striker walking the Earth, but he plots his way around golf courses and grabs these comfortable leads on the biggest stages in the game, and you're left questioning how exactly we got to this point.
Speaking of this point, Scheffler's win marks a historic one.
A party of two now becomes a party of three, as Scheffler joins Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players in the modern era to have won 15 PGA Tour titles, along with three majors, before turning 29 years old.
Scottie Scheffler holds the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Scheffler has created a laundry list of ridiculous accomplishments and statistics over the last four seasons - 18 wins in his last 82 starts, three majors, an Olympic gold medal, 45 Top Five finishes over the last four seasons, etc. - but when you join a club whose longtime membership only includes Nicklaus and Woods, you enter the rarest of air.
This brings us back to the question regarding Scheffler's future.
Only two questions come to mind. They both involve the career grand slam, but the key difference is how they're presented.
Will Scottie Scheffler win the career grand slam?
When will Scottie Scheffler win the career grand slam?
Despite only being at the halfway point, coupled with the fact that winning major championships is the hardest mission to accomplish in the sport, it feels like we can skip the first question and start coming up with answers to the second one.
Only six players in the modern era have completed the career grand slam, and plenty have reached the halfway point never to reach the finish line, but Scheffler has the momentum that only the two best players to ever play the game have felt.
That momentum, no weaknesses in his game, peace with his faith and family, and so many opportunities remaining, it's hard not to get ahead of yourself when looking at Scheffler's future.