Jack Nicklaus was hugely impressed by what Scottie Scheffler did at the Memorial Tournament this week.
However, there was one shot Scheffler hit on Sunday that surprised Nicklaus.
The 28-year-old world number one is very similar to the Golden Bear in the way that he plays.
After holing the winning putt on the 18th hole at Muirfield Village, Scheffler spoke to Nicklaus, and both of them praised Ben Griffin.
It was actually an example of just how humble both men are.
Scheffler proved just how good he is during tough conditions at Memorial, and there isn’t a golfer on the planet right now who can hold a candle to him.
Nicklaus knows all about what it takes to dominate just like Scheffler is doing right now.
That said, it seems as though the 85-year-old would have played one specific shot differently to the man from Dallas on day four of the Memorial.
Jack Nicklaus says Scottie Scheffler surprised him on the final day at The Memorial
Nicklaus raved about Scheffler when speaking to reporters after the Memorial Tournament ended on Sunday evening.
The 18-time major champion is a big fan of the world number one.
However, Nicklaus did open up on something that surprised him about Scheffler on Sunday.
The Memorial host said, “I always was a — I just asked Scottie if he watched the leaderboard. He says, Yeah, I do. Well, I did too. I always watched the leaderboard and found out what my competition was and always felt like what level I had to play to fight that competition off. Sometimes you would have to fight it off because you knew they would self-destruct.
“So, obviously, you just don’t make dumb mistakes, play solid golf, and you win. He is such a good player, and he drove the ball beautifully today. Like he said, he drove the ball, but he never put himself in jeopardy. He didn’t put himself in a position to lose the golf tournament. He was always in a position to win. And if he had to do something more spectacular, he was in a position to do so. But he didn’t have to.
“So you don’t take any chances to do that. I mean, the most risky shot that I saw him play, I thought today, was 16. 16, by hitting the ball pin high, he actually gave the opportunity to have the water in play. I thought he would hit it in the front right of the green there.“
Scheffler said, “I was trying to hit it over the water.“
To which Nicklaus replied, “Well, you know what I’m saying.“
Before Scheffler commented back, “I know what you’re saying (laughing).“
Nicklaus then carried on, “That was the only place he could lose the tournament, and he hit it on the far right side of the green, which was all right. Even if he went in the bunker, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. But there’s places where you play when you’ve got to finish and finish properly that don’t put you in jeopardy. That’s what he did. That’s what good players do.“
That is an interesting point from Nicklaus because Scheffler actually took a really conservative line off the 16th tee.
However, it seems the 73-time PGA Tour winner would have taken an even more cautious approach to the tee shot on the par three than the three-time major champion did.
Jack Nicklaus’ instant reaction to Scottie Scheffler winning the Memorial tournament
Nicklaus was visibly delighted to see Scheffler win the Memorial Tournament for the second year running.
The greatest golfer to have ever played the game delivered his instant reaction to Scheffler’s win during a press conference after the tournament had finished.
Nicklaus said, “Your champion is the one who managed all those conditions, and Scottie managed them. Scottie didn’t play spectacular golf, he played what he should do. He played good solid, smart golf. Three 70s and a 68, that’s pretty good golf under the conditions that were out there. That’s what the best player in the world does. He comes out and does things the right way, manages it and sees who’s on the leaderboard and who’s challenging him. You’ve got to know who’s out there, what they’re doing, got to know what you have to do. We’re so proud to have Scottie as the champion, not only last year but this year too.“
Praise like that from Nicklaus does not come cheap, and Scheffler will be well aware of that fact.
The 28-year-old may well be the closest we have seen to Nicklaus since Tiger Woods, and that’s quite the statement when you think how many exceptional golfers have graced the game over the past two decades.
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