You would have got amazing odds on Scottie Scheffler going into what is likely to be his final appearance before the Masters still awaiting his first win of the year.
The one question concerning Scottie Scheffler heading out of 2024 was just how long he could sustain his dominance for. The world number one won nine times last year, including at the Masters, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Players Championship and the Olympics.
It felt as if he could take 2025 off and still potentially find himself at golf’s summit. But following the hand injury which ruled him out for several weeks at the start of the year, it appears that Scheffler is indeed human when inside the ropes.
Scheffler has five top 25 finishes on the PGA Tour this year. However, he is yet to win – so it is hard to know how exactly to feel about the 28-year-old’s form.
Dan Rapaport’s comment about Scottie Scheffler branded ‘insane’
There is obviously the chance that Scheffler is gearing up to peak at the perfect time as he looks to win the Masters for the third time in four years. Meanwhile, he also has to prove that he can win one of the other majors.
But it seems some are not as convinced that Scheffler is on the right track. Speaking on Dan on Golf, writer Alan Shipnuck issued a brutal response when asked by Dan Rapaport to grade Scheffler’s season so far.
“F,” Shipnuck said.
Rapaport replied: “I mean, tough standards! Looking at his results right now, tied ninth. Tied 25 at Phoenix and he shot a gazillion on the back nine, he was up there on Sunday. T-3 at Genesis. T-11 at Arnold Palmer. T-20 at the Players.”
“For a journeyman that is a pretty nice start. You’re talking about a guy coming off one of the greatest seasons in golf history. He has been on a three year heater. He is the best player since Tiger Woods. He has basically been a non-factor. F,” Shipnuck added.
“I was going to go B minus,” Rapaport said.
“What? That is insane,” Shipnuck replied.
Rapaport added: “This is what I will say. We do this all the time. Everybody who has gone on a run since Tiger. Spieth in 2015, Jason Day around the same time, Rory, Brooks. We just assume that it is going to continue forever because that is what Tiger did for 10 years and I don’t know. I just have a hard time giving him a C when he’s 14th in the FedEx. It hasn’t great been a great season by any stretch but I feel like an F is really strong.”
What Scottie Scheffler said about the state of his game after the Players Championship
In truth, there is one grade above which seems to be way off the mark – and it is not Rapaport’s.
Perhaps B minus is a little strong, but Scheffler definitely has not been a failure this year. Firstly, the American went into the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2024 still awaiting his first win of the season, so he is still only a couple of victories behind.
And he has had a couple of outside chances to win, as Rapaport noted. Certainly, Scheffler’s comments after the Players Championship suggest that he feels that he is moving in the right direction right now.
“I feel very close. I think it was definitely challenging with the winds and getting the ball close to the hole. Definitely started hitting some better shots. Starting to feel more comfortable with my irons,” he said.
“The last two weeks I feel like I’ve definitely driven the ball better. Definitely some positives from this week. Yeah, looking forward to another prep week at home and then getting ready for Houston.”
It was always going to be nearly impossible for Scheffler to get close to replicating his 2024 season this time around.
But what cannot be forgotten is that the five biggest events of the year are still to come.
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