There must be a part of Scottie Scheffler which is already dreading the build-up to the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor following his performance at Bethpage Black last month.
Scottie Scheffler has a strange relationship with the Ryder Cup. The 2021 event provided the springboard to Scheffler confirming himself as one of the best in the world.
But the two Ryder Cups since have proved to be hugely disappointing. Scheffler went eight matches without winning in the event. That run included four defeats over the first two days in New York.
Scheffler ended up beating a weary Rory McIlroy in the singles to contribute his first full point since beating Jon Rahm on Sunday at Whistling Straits.
The reasons Scottie Scheffler has struggled in the Ryder Cup have been suggested
The 29-year-old is not the first world number one to struggle in the Ryder Cup. Dustin Johnson lost four of his five matches in 2018. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods was beaten 21 times in 37 games across his career.
Nevertheless, Scheffler’s performance this year was certainly shocking. He won six times this year, including at the Procore Championship in his final start before the Ryder Cup.
And speaking on Fried Egg Golf this week, Edoardo Molinari suggested two reasons why he believes Scheffler has not been able to be so dominant on the Ryder Cup stage.
“You’re the best player in the world, by such a big margin, all of a sudden you have a big target on your back. And 18 holes in matchplay, any one of these players can beat anyone. You go out knowing that your chances to win are not the same as over 72 holes in strokeplay. And if you get a guy who has a good day on the greens or makes a chip at the right time, all of a sudden, you’re in danger of losing the game. So I think it’s a very difficult spot for them to play,” he said.
“And I would also add that it’s a very difficult spot for someone to play with. Because Russell Henley is a fantastic player, but you could see on Friday morning, and a little bit on Saturday, but especially on Friday, he wasn’t playing like his usual self. And I think part of it, deep down, is the fact I’m paired with the best player in the world and we’re losing badly. If we’re losing, it’s not really his fault. It’s more like my fault. And I think when you start looking at it that way, I think for their playing partners, I think it’s quite difficult. If you look at it, Tiger had I don’t know how many different playing partners and he had a losing record in the Ryder Cup. Maybe Stricker was the one he played the best, but even in Ryder Cups they didn’t have a fantastic record.
“And I think, on the other hand, it just frees up some of our other players. If you look at historically how, Lee Westwood and Sergio putted in their career, and how they putted in the Ryder Cups, that’s the other side of the coin. When you’re the underdog and you’ve got nothing to lose, it’s pretty easy to go out and play 18 holes. If you win, it’s great. If you don’t, it’s normal.”
Team USA’s next captain’s biggest challenge ahead of the 2027 Ryder Cup
Molinari’s comments certainly make a lot of sense when you consider that Scheffler’s best work came with Bryson DeChambeau in 2021. On that occasion, Scheffler was the player deemed by some to be a slightly contentious pick. So the pressure was on him to play well alongside DeChambeau.
That dynamic has shifted, with the likes of Sam Burns, Brooks Koepka and now Henley struggling alongside the world number one.
Whoever the next captain of Team USA is faces a crucial task trying to get the best out of Scheffler. Europe’s three most important players in New York – Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm – all delivered at least three points.
Scheffler has won two points across his last two Ryder Cups.
The worry is that Keegan Bradley was far from the first American captain who simply could not get close to unlocking his best player’s full potential.
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