Alan Shipnuck explains what is really similar about Scottie Scheffler and Arnold Palmer as golfers

Add as preferred source on Google

Scottie Scheffler has taken the golfing world by storm over the last few years, and he has totally dominated the PGA Tour since his first win way back in February 2022.

However, it has been claimed that Scheffler is very different to the two greatest golfers of all-time – Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, because he wasn’t a child phenom and didn’t enjoy success on the PGA Tour until he was 25.

Instead, the 29-year-old from Dallas, Texas, has been likened to the late, great Arnold Palmer.

It was only last month when Butch Harmon said that world number one Scheffler is way more like Nicklaus than he is Woods.

Scheffler is already past the halfway point of Palmer’s major championship haul and he’s nearly a third of the way to matching ‘The King’s’ PGA Tour win tally.

After his win at the BMW Championship on Sunday, Scheffler joined Palmer, Nicklaus and Woods by becoming only the fourth man in history to win at least 12 PGA Tour events and three majors during a two-year span.

Palmer was one of the true gentlemen of the PGA Tour in his heyday, and it must be said that Scheffler acts in a very similar manner to the seven-time major champion.

Alan Shipnuck explains what’s similar about Scottie Scheffler and Arnold Palmer

In the world of golf, journalists do not come more well-informed that Mr Alan Shipnuck.

He was speaking about Scheffler’s incredible rise over the past three years, during an appearance on the Dan on Golf show on YouTube.

Shipnuck was asked which all-time great Scheffler is most comparable to.

And the golf journalist highlighted big similarities between the current Open champion and Mr Palmer.

He said: “Palmer, that’s where my mind went, because Palmer actually didn’t win his first Tour event until he was 25 and he didn’t win his first Masters until he was almost 28 (he was actually 28). So, he was not a phenom like some of these other guys, and his prime was short, he won all of his majors in a compressed period.

“There’s no doubt that they’re different personalities. Scheffler was a really good amateur and a really good college player but it took him a while to find his way.

“It’s true, Scottie has kind of sneaked up on people and of course now he’s the guy. Whether he could ever have the impact of Arnold Palmer, that’s highly doubtful, but as playing parallels, I like it.“

Scottie Scheffler vs Arnold Palmer: Career PGA Tour records compared

Scheffler is well on track to becoming one of the best players who ever lived, if not the best.

Here is how the current world number one’s career results match up against Palmer’s:

It’s clear to see from those numbers that if Scheffler continues his current form, he will surpass Palmer’s major record in two or three years’ time and overtake the King’s haul of PGA Tour titles within the next decade or so.

The Texan is so far ahead of everyone else in the professional game right now that we could be set to witness a period of dominance not seen since the prime years of Nicklaus and Woods.

So perhaps Scheffler will end up being likened to those two more than Palmer when all is said and done.