Quail Hollow was the scene for Justin Thomas’ first major championship. A young, budding star announced his presence by winning his first major title. Upon the PGA Championship’s return to Quail, Scottie Scheffler won his third major at the course in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The reason I bring up Thomas at Quail is because Thomas had already won a handful of events that year and in his career but had yet to win a big one. Scheffler entered this tournament winning 13 (!) times in the last 15 months. He’s accrued two major titles but both came at Augusta National at The Masters.
Now, Scheffler has conquered another one of the four major championships and is half way to the career grand slam.
Scheffler has now reigned supreme at world number one for 138 weeks straight. Xander Schauffele - world no. 3 - has won two majors and Rory McIlroy, number two, has won one. Scheffler did win The Masters last year and now adds this one to his resume.
Some people have been saying that Scheffler hasn’t been good this season because he didn’t win a tournament until two weeks ago. However, in ten tournaments this season, his worst finish is a tie for 25th in his second tournament back from slicing his hand open and getting surgery to repair it.
He’s got seven top-10’s in those 10 starts. Everyone’s focus has been on McIlroy who’s had a great season in his own right. He’s won four times already this year but he was also a complete non-factor this weekend and almost missed the cut.
The “quiet” season Scheffler is having is quite literally the second best season but a player on Tour in 2025 outside of McIlroy. You can be assured Scottie Scheffler is going to succeed at The US Open in a month’s time at Oakmont.
The way Oakmont will be set up will likely make it the most challenging major of this season. The rough is going to be high and thick and players who can drive the ball far and accurately will probably be at the top of the field.
Scheffler is just above average at distance off the tee but also is probably the best at controlling his ball and keeping it in the fairway, the recipe that will be paramount for victory at Oakmont.
Guys like McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm can bomb the ball and that will certainly help but they can all become erratic at times with their accuracy off the tee which will undoubtedly hurt you at Oakmont.
But back to Scheffler strictly.
He’s top-20 on Tour in almost every major stat and top-10 in pretty much every one outside of driving distance and a few others. He’s got all those top-10’s. Two wins.
Scheffler never really had his best stuff until roughly the 12th or 13th hole of the final round on Sunday and still found a way to win the tournament by 5. He started leaking oil right around the 9th hole yesterday and was caught by Rahm at one point early in the back nine.
His driver was being pulled left all day long and yet he didn’t panic. He mentally reset like only Scottie Scheffler can do and started stringing together birdies by hitting approach shots to less than 10-feet, also like only Scottie Scheffler can do.
Anyone who was doubting Scheffler and saying he’s been sub-par so far, I hope this was a lesson. Sure, he hasn’t won 7 tournaments like he did last season. But the 28-year old, who turns 29 in June, is primed to win at least 2-3 more tournaments this year and possibly even another major.
Nobody needs to forget the most dominant player the sport has seen since Tiger Woods and Scheffler is doing it against a crop of players much more talented than any field Tiger ever faced in his heyday.
(photo courtesy of Yahoo Sports)