Adam Scott says Scottie Scheffler has done something ‘incredible’ which is harder than what Tiger Woods did at his peak

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With Scottie Scheffler enjoying a fitting end to his 2024 PGA Tour season with victory at The Tour Championship, it is inevitable that fans are going to debate where the world number one ranks alongside some of the greatest to have ever played the game – including Tiger Woods.

Scottie Scheffler ended up winning his first FedEx Cup title at East Lake, beating Collin Morikawa by four shots to seal his eighth victory of the year.

Scheffler has played 15 events since finishing in a tie for 10th at the Genesis Invitational, and won more than half of them – Scheffler noted that he did not understand why the PGA Tour does not recognise his Olympic gold medal as a victory. Along the way, he has won one major, four signature events, The Players and The Tour Championship.

Wyndham Clark recently suggested that Scheffler’s dominance has not been seen since the days of Tiger Woods. And if he does sustain this kind of form over a number of years, it is inevitable that the 28-year-old is going to write his name in the pantheon of the best to ever play the game.

Adam Scott asked if comparisons between Scottie Scheffler and Tiger Woods are fair

Adam Scott has had his fair share of duels with Tiger Woods down the years, so he is better placed than most to suggest where Scheffler ranks up against the 15-time major champion, and he claimed that there is valid reason to compare the pair.

“Yeah, I think that’s fair. I think all the stats back that up. I think that the results back it up,” he said.

“It’s been pretty incredible, from really starting at Bay Hill, I guess.

“I think it is on par with those great years of Tiger’s. I think it’s very hard today for anyone to separate themselves as much as Scottie has. I don’t think we’ve seen that in a long time. I think it’s harder to do it today.”

Why Scheffler’s task may be harder than Woods’ was

Woods completely changed the perception of what the world’s best golfers could be; attracting a completely different audience to the game. He did things that seemed to not be possible for almost any other player on tour – and he did them so much more regularly than any of his rivals. Everyone has a group of shots they can vividly recall from Woods’ career where he stole the show.

Of course, there were some outstanding players also around at the time. Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh won nine major titles between them. But golf really appears to be enjoying a golden era right now, with many probably massively influenced by what Woods achieved.

Scheffler is one of the current stars on two major titles, so for him to win eight times in a year is a remarkable achievement.

He still needs to prove that he can do it over a much longer period before he establishes himself as an all-time great, but he clearly has the game to define this era – in the same way Woods has done previously.