Scottie Scheffler is already recognized as the best player on the PGA Tour and now one expert thinks that he’s also initiated some significant change.
Scheffler won the Masters Tournament in 2022 and the Players Championship in 2023 but it was last year that he asserted himself as the best in the business.
He won nine events, including the Masters, Players, Tour Championship and Olympic Games, in a season only bettered by Tiger Woods in 2000.
Now, though, the American has received praise for changing the PGA Tour, with Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele named as beneficiaries.
How Scottie Scheffler has made Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and the PGA Tour better
The Fried Egg’s Andy Johnson explained Scheffler’s impact on the PGA Tour when reflecting on McIlroy’s victory at the Players Championship.
Of course, he was impressed by the Northern Irishman’s performance just like everyone else, but he thought that the biggest talking point was how Scheffler was somewhat responsible.
“The thing that I’m impressed the most about is what Scottie Scheffler seemingly has done to the top end of the game,” Johnson said. “I think two years ago, Scottie started to raise the level of what a modern great PGA Tour player was.
“He started to play really great golf and I think for the first time in over a decade, Rory McIlroy looked around and thought: ‘I don’t think I’m the best player in the world.’
“He admitted that in a press conference and what’s been super impressive is we’ve seen Xander Schauffele raise the level of his game and now we’re seeing Rory McIlroy play the highest level of golf that he’s played in his entire career. You just see the well-roundedness of the game and he has all of the answers to the test.”
Rory Mcilroy answered biggest question at the Players Championship
Johnson later suggested that McIlroy’s win at Bay Hill answered the biggest question of him that remained after his US Open collapse last year.
The 35-year-old’s short-putting let him down on that occasion and ultimately led to Bryson DeChambeau lifting the trophy instead.
“For Rory, I think the big question after Pinehurst was short putting in those high-leverage moments and he got it done on 18 and 17 on Sunday, making those putts that were not easy. And then he came out in the playoff and holed the putt on 16 which was just a huge putt.
“If you look at all the shots, the tee shot on 16, the approach on 16 but then that second putt on 16 and the shot on 17, he effectively ended the playoff right there.”
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