Paul Azinger made quite the prediction about Scottie Scheffler after seeing him hit golf balls for the first time in 2018.
Scheffler is currently the world number one golfer, and he has been ranked top of the pile for 110 consecutive weeks.
He has been so consistently good over the past two years or so that comparisons have been drawn between Scheffler and Tiger Woods.
The three-time major champion leads the FedEx Cup points list this season, and he hasn’t finished outside of the top-25 all year long.
Scheffler’s incredible ball-striking ability and his affable nature off the golf course have seen him become a hugely popular player amongst fans.
His swing might not be technically perfect to look at, but there aren’t any better at hitting consistently good shots with his driver and his irons.
However, has his success surprised those close to the action on the PGA Tour? Or has Scheffler lived up to expectations over the past few years?
The prediction Paul Azinger made about Scottie Scheffler in 2018
Paul Azinger is well-known for speaking his mind, and he certainly never beats about the bush.
So when he is asked a question, it’s fair to say that he never gives a lip service.
Back in 2018, while Azinger was working as an analyst for NBC, he went out to the driving range during one of the events he was commentating on to watch a young Scheffler hit balls.
And as soon as he saw the Dallas native, he made a very bold prediction about him.
Azinger said: “I remember [Dan] Hicks when I first signed on with NBC, Hicks asked me. We saw Scheffler from a distance, I didn’t know who a lot of those guys were at the time, and I rolled up there and he said: ‘Watch this guy swing. People are questioning whether it can be good or, you know, with his footwork,’ and I didn’t see anything wrong with it, I didn’t even really notice it. I saw the ball leave, and it looked pretty good, and then I went and looked at his record, and I saw where he dominates at every level, and I told Dan: ‘Oh, I think he’ll be great.’ “He goes: ‘Why do you say that?’ I said: “Because he’s dominated every level, Dan, and he’s going to be playing against guys his own age.“
“You first come out you’re playing against guys that are older than you, they’re more experienced, but now he’s up against all the guys his own age that he pounded for years, and he’s doing it again.”
Azinger’s prediction has turned out to be spot on, with Scheffler having his way with his opponents more often than not since his Masters win in 2022.
What Jack Nicklaus once said about Scottie Scheffler’s swing
The Golden Bear is well-known to be a huge fan of the world number one.
Jack Nicklaus recently described Scheffler’s footwork in his swing as ‘unusual’ but there is not a golfer on the planet whose club-face is as square at impact as the world number one’s.
Scheffler only played four PGA Tour events in the 2018-19 season, and made three cuts.
His first full season on tour came the following year, when he played 23 events and recorded seven top-10 finishes in the process.
The 29-year-old has obviously gone from strength to strength since then, and now has 17 PGA Tour titles, three major championship wins and an Olympic gold medal to his name.
And since the start of the 2024 season, there has not been a golfer on the planet capable of holding a candle to him.
Scheffler is the dominant force in golf now, just like Azinger predicted he would be.
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