CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jon Rahm walked down the sloping 16th fairway at Quail Hollow Country Club with his head down. The distinct sounds echoing from the nearby 14th green, where Scottie Scheffler had just sank a birdie putt to extend his lead to two shots, effectively sealed his fate in the major championship. “Even if you don`t want to check the leaderboards,” Rahm remarked, “the crowd will certainly let you know.”
For a brief period, Rahm seemed poised to achieve the seemingly impossible: catching the world`s top-ranked player, who had started Sunday five shots ahead of him. After pulling level with Scheffler on the 11th hole, following Scheffler`s unusual 2-over front nine, it appeared Rahm had seized momentum and was set to charge towards claiming the Wanamaker Trophy.
However, defeating Scheffler demands more than just a temporary burst of exceptional golf. The now three-time major champion is renowned for his consistent play and remarkable composure when facing setbacks. The pressure he exerts on his competitors builds naturally; his game is so fundamentally solid and resilient that anyone attempting to beat him knows the effort required to outlast the world`s best player will be immense.
Scheffler`s inevitable triumph felt palpable in the humid Charlotte air throughout Sunday. This is why, by the time Rahm bogeyed the 16th hole and Scheffler had navigated the 14th and 15th in two under par, the Spaniard felt compelled to take desperate measures. His tee shot on the par-3 17th found the water, signaling the end of his challenge.
“I`ll remember this back nine for a very long time,” Scheffler stated. “Being able to step up when it mattered most, that`s something I won`t forget.”
Nineteen years prior, during the 2006 PGA Championship, Luke Donald witnessed a similar scenario unfold. Donald, then ranked 10th globally, shared the lead after 36 holes and shot a 66 at Medinah Country Club on Saturday to reach 14 under. The complication was that Tiger Woods also shot a course-record 65 that day, leaving him tied with Donald for the lead heading into Sunday. At that point, Woods boasted a perfect 11-0 record in majors when holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead.
“Tiger possessed a certain aura that made you feel like you needed to go above and beyond, to truly elevate your game to defeat him,” Donald recalled Sunday after finishing his final round at Quail Hollow. “And I believe he understood that.”
That Sunday, Woods and Donald played together in the final group, and Woods carded a 68 en route to securing his 12th major title by a five-shot margin over the runner-up. On Sunday in Charlotte, Scheffler, who now holds a 3-0 record when leading or co-leading after 54 holes at a major, achieved the same winning margin: five strokes.
“He simply played his game, avoided making too many errors, and gradually wore you down, which is certainly what I experienced in 2006,” Donald commented on Woods. “I think Scottie is a similar type of player when he gets the lead.”
Much has transpired since Scheffler won the 2024 Masters and firmly established himself at the pinnacle of the sport. Xander Schauffele has claimed two majors, Bryson DeChambeau has also contended strongly in two, and Rory McIlroy finally completed his career Grand Slam by winning the green jacket.
Scheffler has by no means been overlooked during this period – he has won six times on tour and recorded three more top-10 finishes in majors. However, a subtle question had begun to emerge: When would Scheffler win a major other than the Masters?
It was fitting that Rahm served as Scheffler`s primary challenger on Sunday. They have previously helped each other into green jackets, and both entered the tournament with two major victories to their names. Now, Scheffler surpasses not only Rahm but also DeChambeau, Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, and Justin Thomas. He stands as the defining player of his generation, with everyone else striving to catch up.
“There were moments where I felt I pushed too hard,” said DeChambeau, who finished tied for second. “I need to be more precise and refine what I can to become more consistent and reach that level, like what Scottie is achieving right now.”
Over the past two years, no golfer has garnered more praise from their peers than Scheffler, who have simultaneously attempted to articulate his greatness while also observing it with awe.
“I`ve played alongside him extensively, and it seems like every shot carries immense force and somehow finds its way right where it needs to be,” Sam Burns observed.
With Scheffler, things rarely appear out of control. Even after carding three bogeys on the front nine and battling a tendency to miss shots left, he remained visibly unfazed. Throughout the week, he had been working with his coach, Randy Smith, on improving his hip movement towards the target. For a moment, it seemed old habits were creeping back into his swing. But then, Scheffler stepped onto the 10th tee, adjusted his aim further right as suggested by his caddie Ted Scott, ensured a full body turn, and struck the ball perfectly. Something clicked. Following three more birdies through the 15th hole, Scheffler`s victory once again felt inevitable.
“I felt like I battled as hard for a tournament as ever in my career,” Scheffler commented, noting that his driver had been deemed non-conforming before the event, forcing him to use a new one. “Closing out a major championship is always tough. I didn`t have my absolute best game, but I kept myself in contention. I was fighting my swing for the first couple of days.”
Scheffler has already frequently been compared to Woods over his last two seasons due to his exceptional ball-striking. However, his ability to win even when not at his best, and then win convincingly when he is, also strongly resembles Woods during his prime.
“He just doesn`t get overly excited or discouraged, but his game speaks for itself,” Donald noted. “And he absolutely despises losing.”
As Scheffler has accumulated victories and become a prominent figure in the sport`s spotlight, he has allowed himself to openly display just how much winning means to him. At the 2024 Masters, he shared how nervous he felt and wished he didn`t desire victory so intensely. On Sunday, Scheffler wiped away tears walking up the 18th fairway at Quail Hollow before ecstatically throwing his hat onto the green moments after sinking the final putt and letting out a yell. He is no longer merely a two-time Masters champion but now, at 27 years old, a three-time major champion, halfway to completing the career Grand Slam.
“Sometimes I wish I didn`t care as much as I do,” Scheffler reiterated after his final round. “It would be far simpler if I could just show up and think, `eh, win or lose, I`ll still go home and do whatever.` Sometimes I feel that way. But ultimately, this means a great deal to me.”
“He strives to win every time he competes, whether it`s golf, pickleball, anything, he wants to win,” his coach Smith said. “I keep comparing it to other sports. In basketball, you always know who wants the ball with one second left on the clock, and that`s exactly how he is.”
While McIlroy`s emotional Masters win this year might have concluded one chapter, Scheffler`s victory at Quail Hollow served as a timely reinforcement of a narrative that is only growing stronger. McIlroy might be having an exceptional year in the sport, but the title of the world`s best player undeniably still belongs to Scottie Scheffler.
