It is remarkable to look back to a time when Scottie Scheffler had a reputation for being unable to get across the line whenever he contended in a PGA Tour event.
Scottie Scheffler was almost a contentious pick for the 2021 Ryder Cup. However, he vindicated Steve Stricker’s faith with a superb performance at Whistling Straits.
Nevertheless, it would still be several more months before he secured his first ever PGA Tour victory – at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open.
His final runner-up finish in an official PGA Tour event before that maiden win came at the Houston Open in November 2021.
The player who caught Scottie Scheffler to win the 2021 Houston Open
Scheffler ended up finishing in a tie for second with Kevin Tway on eight under par. He had gone into the back nine on Sunday with a two-shot lead. However, three bogeys in quick succession after the turn opened the door for a player who joined LIV Golf the following year.
Jason Kokrak enjoyed a purple patch on the PGA Tour between 2020 and 2021, with all three of his victories coming in that time.
Incredibly, Kokrak had actually been 10 shots back after 36 holes at Memorial Park. He had concluded his second round by playing his last seven holes in seven over par.
He went on to make four successive birdies on his way to posting a 65 on Sunday, which was good enough to win by two shots.
Scheffler not the only big name Jason Kokrak beat to secure a PGA Tour title
Kokrak has been a reasonable performer on LIV Golf since his defection in 2022. He has registered a handful of top 10 finishes, but never managed to finish inside the top 20 for the season.
Interestingly, his record on the PGA Tour becomes even more impressive when you look at the players who finished second to him.
At the 2020 CJ Cup, Xander Schauffele was runner-up. Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth was second to Kokrak at the Charles Schwab Challenge the following year.
The 40-year-old has not been able to take that form into the majors. He has never registered a top 10 finish at the four biggest events of the year, while his only major appearance since missing the cut at The Masters in 2023 came at The Open Championship two years later.
Scheffler, meanwhile, has won three majors in that time. He has certainly moved on from the reputation of being a hugely talented player who simply could not close out tournaments.
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