Scottie Scheffler has been the man to beat on the PGA Tour for some time, although that may not be necessarily true at this week’s Genesis Invitational.
Scheffler was backed to win the WM Phoenix Open, but it was Thomas Detry who lifted the trophy in Arizona.
Detry wants to be like Scheffler, even with the Belgian storming to a seven-shot win at the WM Phoenix Open as the American finished T25.
Scheffler finished on nine-under, with Detry triumphing on 24-under, ahead of both Michael Kim and Daniel Berger in second.
It was just Scheffler’s second PGA Tour start of the 2025 season, having finished T9 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Scottie Scheffler posts highest scoring average at Torrey Pines South ahead of Genesis Invitational
His debut came after hand surgery following a glass injury over the festive period, which came after a season in which Scheffler won a stunning seven titles.
But as detailed by Justin Ray, Torrey Pines has not been a happy hunting ground for the world number one.
He noted that from the 21 PGA Tour courses Scheffler has played eight or more rounds on, his scoring average of 72.0 at Torrey Pines South is by far the highest.
Is Scottie Scheffler in danger of being his own worst enemy at the Genesis Invitational?
A lot has changed for Scheffler in recent years, with nobody able to topple him from he summit of world golf.
And after a full recovery from his unfortunate injury setback, that is a scenario that is likely to continue in 2025.
But his scoring record at Torrey Pines South may just play on his mind in the build-up to and during the Genesis Invitational.
A lot of factors will, of course, be at play, from weather to his competitors being able to outshine him or not.
But the rest of the star-studded field should gain plenty of confidence from his comparative struggles in San Diego, with the Genesis Invitational having been moved there this year from Riviera Country Club due to the recent wildfires.
Other than perhaps being his own worst enemy at Torrey Pines, recent PGA Tour winner Rory McIlroy could provide Scheffler with his toughest test this week.
Given his recent finishes, it looks like Scheffler may need a bit more time to get back to his very best, having shown he is human after all with a wild shank from a bunker on five in round one last week.
In true Scheffler fashion, however, he didn’t take long to show his true colours with a stunning hole-out eagle, this time from a bunker on the 10th in the same round.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
