Scottie Scheffler now has two verdant-green jackets in his closet. One so rarely has the opportunity to tastefully sport such a loud shade of green so I hope Scottie is taking full advantage of it. He doesn’t seem like the strutting type, but I hope he catches his reflection while passing a window or a mirror and says to himself in his polite southern boy kind of way, “God Damn, I look good.”
Bryson DouCheambeau led after the first round, but the rest of the tournament belonged to Scottie. He hit a little rough patch on Saturday when he double bogeyed 10 and then bogeyed 11, but he recovered with an eagle on 13 and after that he was in complete control.
Scheffler is far and away the best golfer in the world right now and would it surprise anyone if he won two, maybe even three majors this year? That level of dominance is rarely seen in golf but the gap between the way he’s playing compared to the rest of the tour is considerable.
As for the Big Cat, we have to view this result as a success. Despite coming in dead last he still managed to finish all four rounds, and given his health issues, this is an important accomplishment. Tiger is not the sentimental type and he certainly doesn’t believe in moral victories, but this is one.
He broke Gary Player and long time friend Freddy Couples’ Masters record of consecutive cuts made with 24, and for most players in his stage of life that would have been enough. He was clearly in a great deal of pain throughout the weekend and no one would have judged him if he had withdrawn from the tournament.
But, that’s not Tiger. This is the same man that won the US Open on a broken leg. He looked determined to finish even if it meant coming in last, even if it was slightly embarrassing, and even if it meant jeopardizing his health. You can question whether it was wise, but you can’t question his heart and mental toughness.
The representatives from the LIV tour acquitted themselves well for the most part with three finishing in the top-10. Rahm and Keopka were expected to be in the mix, but both struggled to find any rhythm. I’m happy to see them return to the fold for the major tournaments, but it wouldn’t break my heart if they all collapsed like DouCheambeau did in the third round. Usually I despise the term, but I’m happy to play the role of the “hater” in this instance.
The PGA Championship is next month and Scheffler will undoubtedly be the favorite. His game is firing on all cylinders and anything less than a top-5 finish would be a surprise. The only thing that can slow him down will be the sleepless nights he’s sure to have once his first child is born. Everyone on Tour is silently praying the baby is a loud crier.