Scottie Scheffler will have been very pleased to have proved a real point at the Presidents Cup after a disappointing debut in the event at Quail Hollow back in 2022.
Scottie Scheffler would have obviously been one of the players Jim Furyk would have been looking to to step up at Royal Montreal as USA looked to continue their dominance in the Presidents Cup. However, the world number one lost three of his four matches in Charlotte two years ago.
Given that he had also struggled at last year’s Ryder Cup, it appeared to be imperative that Furyk found the right partner for the 28-year-old. He has played several games alongside Sam Burns, while his partnership with Brooks Koepka went into the record books for all the wrong reasons in Rome.
Ultimately, Scheffler may have mixed feelings about his performance in Montreal. He won three points from his five matches throughout the week, with Hideki Matsuyama edging a brilliant contest in Sunday’s singles session.
Scottie Scheffler lauds underrated US teammate after their Presidents Cup victory
He did win on Saturday alongside Collin Morikawa, but perhaps the pairing Keegan Bradley will have taken particular notice of ahead of the Ryder Cup was the matchup of Scheffler and Russell Henley.
Henley was backed to be an ideal partner for Scheffler, and that proved to be the case, with the duo winning two of their three matches – and they only lost on Friday evening on the final green.
Henley certainly vindicated Furyk’s decision to pick him for the team. And speaking in the team’s press conference after the victory, Scheffler suggested that the 35-year-old has not got the credit that he has deserved.
“I think these weeks are a lot of fun. It’s pretty rare we get to play with these guys on my team. Usually every week of the year we’re playing by ourselves. It’s a lot of fun. This is one of the great joys of my career is coming out here in these team events and playing,” he said.
“I had some great partners this week. Russell and I played great together. Collin and I won a nice match there Saturday morning.
“It was just one of those matches where I felt like I was letting my partner down early in the match, and he picked me up there on 6, gave me a nice little pep talk, and we were able to play some great golf. I was just proud to earn a point for the team, and it felt like an important one at the time just to get a point late on Saturday.
“I think Russ and I were just both really excited. I think we’re both guys that usually keep a pretty even keel attitude on the golf course most weeks, and I think Russell is one of the most underrated players on our tour. So it was fun to go out and earn a point with him.”
A tough task ahead of Bethpage for Russell Henley
It will be interesting to see where Henley’s career goes from here. He was one of the older players on the team, and he has not won on the PGA Tour since 2022. So there is arguably a question mark over whether he will be able to make the team for the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Certainly, with the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka set to be eligible for the Ryder Cup, it will become harder for someone like Henley to force their way onto the team.
He does not have the power of some of the other players, which potentially prevents him from competing as often as some of his teammates. But his consistency clearly makes him such a valuable asset to have.
And Bradley will certainly be taking note of his success with Scheffler as he will be aware just how important it is that he gets the best out of the world number one at Bethpage.
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