The reason why Scottie Scheffler will never be the next Tiger Woods
Tiger’s cultural significance cannot be ignored – he was an empowering symbol for people starved of positive role models
AUGUSTA NATIONAL — First it was Rory McIlroy, then Jordan Spieth. Brooks Koepka raised his hand and now Scottie Scheffler wears the would-be Tiger crown. It’s a tough gig on so many levels. It is not just a matter of winning, but winning big, and to order.
In those golden years at the turn of the new millennium in the space of four seasons Woods won eight of his 15 majors, including the Tiger Slam, so-named for his possession of all four major titles concurrently if not in the same calendar year.
Woods created an aura that swallowed the field whole. None believed they had a chance and so it played out, Woods carving a red line under some impressive careers, including that of Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Colin Montgomerie and to a degree Phil Mickelson. They had the same thing in common – they felt they were beaten before they started.
Scheffler is in the nascent stages of imposing the same sense of hopelessness on his rivals. McIlroy rode with him over the first two days. He posted his lowest round of the week on the opening day, a composed one under par and still finished five behind Scheffler, who eased to a 66 without dropping a shot.
Scheffler has yet to record a score in plus figures this year. He entered Augusta as the overwhelming favourite, began the final day with a one-shot advantage and moved away around the turn as one-by-one the others choked in the crucible. McIlroy alluded to the lethal economy of Scheffler’s game. It’s a simple formula, he said; keep the mistakes to a minimum and hole your putts.
Ah, the putts. Scheffler set fire to the idea he might still be scarred by the gremlins of last year when he went eight months without a win. Since working with Englishman Phil Kenyon from last September and adopting the mallet putter, the rock is rolling in sweet accord with his wishes.
Like Woods, there is a nerveless disposition and a flair for sensing the moment. After uncharacteristic mistakes at the par-3 fourth, where he went long, and the seventh, where he found sand, Scheffler had dropped into a three-way lead on the final afternoon with Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Aberg. Three holes later he led by two after reeling off three birdies in a row.
