Casual, understated and ruthless.
Royal Portrush, with its dramatic terrain and imposing bunkers, couldn’t offer a truer links test, but the 2025 Open Champion made the 18th the last seemingly effortless stretch of his 72-hole walk in the park.
Scottie Scheffler somehow managed to make headlines at The Open that were entirely devoid of any final-round anticipation or potential late twists and turns that the big events can bring.
The world number one held a four-shot lead going into the final round; this was game, set and match.
No final pairing analysis, no anticipation of the storied Major Championship going to the wire, just a readiness for the inevitable.
Scheffler dubbed comparisons in his dominance to that of Tiger Woods’ ‘silly’, but it’s a fact, no golfer has made winning big titles look as easy since the era of the GOAT.
The American’s comments at the start of the event fuelled mass interpretation with many labelling the four-time Major champion as unbothered, candid and even vulnerable in his own success.
But Scheffler proved he’s struck the perfect balance: he’s in control of his game, his emotions and the often uncompromisable combination, being the world’s best golfer and the ultimate family man.
Scottie Scheffler was never going to entertain the best since Tiger narrative – but that doesn’t mean we won’t.
Scottie & Tiger: 1197 days to Major No. 4
In trademark Tiger Woods style, he won his first Major and a Green Jacket with a 12-stroke Masters win at Augusta National in 1997 – the first of 15 Major crowns.
After his statement maiden Major title, the 638-week World Number One rattled along to claim his fourth crown at the Open in 2000 at St Andrews, just 1197 days later.
For Scheffler, his first taste of one of golf’s four most treasured prizes was also in the state of Georgia, a three-stroke win over big rival Rory McIlroy to claim a Masters Green Jacket at Augusta National in 2022.
Since that famous win which proved to the doubters that he had it in him to get over the line, Scheffler has been prolific, nearing 150 weeks as the world’s best and his critics, lost without sight over the past few years.
Thirteen event wins have followed, and it hasn’t been flashy, just a level of consistency and resilience that many believe Woods was the last to possess.
Scheffler won a second Green Jacket two years later in 2024, but many wondered whether he’d be able to carry his dominance of that year into 2025.
He has.
It was a slow start to the 2025 season, taking him four months to claim an event before an eight-stroke victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May at one of his home courses in Dallas.
It was always a case of when, not if, and the win in his home state of Texas kickstarted his 2025 season with a maiden PGA Championship five-stroke win at Quail Hollow quickly following.
His four-stroke win at Royal Portrush this weekend was his second Major of the season and brought up a fourth Major of his career, 1197 days after his first – we’ve heard that before.
20 years later, and a remarkable resemblance arises
Though Scheffler downplays it, his current run from 2022 to 2025 on paper stands as the most dominant stretch since Tiger Woods’ memorable spree from 2002 to 2005 – two decades ago.
That iconic combination of class and Sunday red twenty years ago saw an era of utter winning ruthlessness that many thought wouldn’t be seen again.
79 events. 20 wins. Four Majors. 2.8 SG per round.
The likes of Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson put together a period of golfing excellence that saw them each spend over two years at the summit of the rankings, but neither came close to matching Tiger Woods’ stretch.
Stand up, Scottie Scheffler.
81 events. 18 wins. Four Majors. 2.8 SG per round.
An eerie symmetry exactly two decades later. Are we seeing the best since Tiger Woods?
READ MORE: Scheffler the new Tiger, Ryder Cup clues and a new future Open winner found?
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Article Link: Scheffler's dominant run echoes Tiger Woods' legendary 20 year old record