Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele both had superb years in 2024 and Smylie Kaufman has now pointed out what the duo do that is better than 99% of players on TOUR.
Scheffler won nine events and added a second Masters title to his resume while Schauffele finally got over the line in the majors himself, winning two of the four on offer.
Going into 2025, most of the field know that if they beat Scheffler or Schauffele, that there’s a pretty good chance of them winning events.
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Of course, doing it is a lot harder than saying it. And according to Smylie Kaufman, Scheffler and Schauffele are just a cut above everyone else at the minute when it comes to mentality.
Why Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele are doing what 99% of players only do once a year
Speaking alongside PGA Tour player Maverick McNealy on the latest episode of his Smylie Show podcast, Kaufman lauded the American duo for their ability to stay mentally on point so consistently.
“It’s wild,” Kaufman commented. “I unfortunately was not able to get into that zone enough but when I did I had some really nice moments on the tour. It makes me think about Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele. I would say those two guys, because I think mentally they are the best in the world.
“We watched Tiger Woods grew up and we knew he had the edge of everybody in the world physically and mentally, but now when I watch Scottie and Xander, what strikes me is that it seems like every shot is the most important shot and they are able to stay in a one shot at a time mentality. When I would say that 99% of the tour is able to find that maybe once a year at one tournament which they go on to win – it could be every three years. But they seem to do it every week.
“It blows me away that type of mental endurance to be able to pull that off.
Adding further credence to Kaufman’s comments, Maverick McNealy also praised the duo, suggesting they are so on top of their game that it makes golf fun.
“I am going to quote Scottie Hamm. He is like man it’s pretty easy to have a good attitude when it’s coming out of the joint. If you know that ball is going to go where you are aiming it is really fun and really exciting. It gives you a lot of confidence and gets you really excited.
“When you are worried about that, it’s a lot harder to stay present and have that confidence that even if stuff doesn’t go the right way now, that I am playing good enough and hitting it good enough that I will get it going the right way.”
Can anyone beat Scheffler and Schauffle in 2025?
Well, given the standard of player on the PGA Tour right now, you’d expect the answer to that to be a resounding yes.
However, with the standard set by the pair in 2024, it is also hard to look past both of them in terms of going on to win more majors and more tournaments overall.
Yes, the likes of Rory McIlroy and others will fancy their own chances. But Scheffler and Schauffele have set an extremely high bar and they could take some stopping.
Right now, the American duo are the two best players in the world and beating them is no easy task.
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