Scottie Scheffler is the dominant male player in golf right now but when it comes to the comparisons with Tiger Woods, there is an obvious place we have to draw the line.
Scheffler’s third win in four starts at The Memorial at the weekend once again got the juices flowing when it comes to the comparatives between Woods and Scheffler.
Sure enough, Scheffler is winning tournaments just like Tiger did back in his prime days and at the rate of knots he’s doing, he might end up closer to that magical 82 wins than some people think.
Likewise, the 15 majors Tiger won is also under threat if Scheffler carries on, albeit these are all questions that remain unanswered and will only be answered in time.
However, while Scheffler is the very best in the world right now, there is one element of the game of golf that Woods will always hold the upper hand in.
What Tiger Woods will always have over Scottie Scheffler in the game of golf
While Scheffler might have earned more dollars per start than Woods in his career so far, there is one almost immeasurable statistic that Scheffler will never come close to, and that is impact on the game.
When it comes to Tiger Woods, there are strong arguments to say he changed not just the way golfers are perceived, but athletes in general.
Few would argue that Woods is one of the biggest names in all of sports history, not just golf. Along with people like Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, and Lionel Messi, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who’d not at least heard of Tiger.
Furthermore, Woods’ approach to golf changed things forever and is the reason we see so many long hitters and top athletes on the course in the modern game.
Gone are the days of golfers being looked at as ‘overweight’ or ‘not athletes’. No, instead, we see superstars like Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg, and the younger generation coming through, all embracing gym and exercise culture. That is absolutely influenced by Tiger.
Alongside that, Woods also made golf ‘cool’ again. Instead of it coming across as an exclusive club or member’s game, players could relate to him, whether it be through simply watching him, dressing in the latest trendy Nike gear, or by playing one of his many golf video games he put his name to.
That impact cannot really be measured. Yes, you can put a monetary value on some of it and take a glance at TV ratings. But in terms of worldwide impact, nobody has ever or will ever do it like Tiger.
Scottie Scheffler can still impact golf in his own way
The comments and points raised about Woods’ impact on golf are hard to debate and disagree with but that doesn’t mean that Scottie Scheffler can’t carve his own path and inspire.
Right now, he’s showing there is another way to play golf. Some call it boring but that is a tad unfair.
| Tiger Woods – 2000 | Scottie Scheffler – 2024 | |
| Events played | 20 | 19 |
| Events won | 9 | 7 |
| Majors won | 3 | 1 |
| Top 10s | 17 | 16 |
| Missed cuts | 0 | 0 |
| Prize money | $9,188,321 | $29,228,357 |
Instead, Scheffler is simply becoming the king of consistency in the game. He makes little to no errors in most tournaments and when he does miss his target, it’s usually not by much.
That relentless nature of being so consistent and crucially, competitive, is inspiring in itself. Scheffler is carving a new way for golfers to think and approach the game, one that doesn’t need to be flashy and is simply about life balance and staying in the moment.
In the future, we don’t know what it will be like to look back on Scheffler’s career. But if he ends up with anything below 40 wins and less than double figures in majors won, it would be a huge surprise.
And when he does eventually stop playing, he’ll have no doubt left a legacy that leaves everyone looking back at one of the true greats of the game.
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