Scottie Scheffler has been the dominant force in world golf over the past three years, and Tony Finau thinks he knows the exact moment when everything changed for the world number one.
Interestingly, Finau believes the big turning point for Scheffler came long before his first win on the PGA Tour at the WM Phoenix Open in February 2022.
Scheffler won again on the PGA Tour last week, despite not having his best stuff at the Procore Championship.
His victory in Napa was yet another example of his ability to win golf tournaments with his ‘B’ or even ‘C’ game.
Scheffler now has 15 consecutive top-eight finishes on the PGA Tour – a streak that is still active.
Nobody has been able to get close to him over the past four months or so.
He has become a real leader over the past year as well.
Scheffler was the driving force behind the US Ryder Cup team members playing in the Procore Championship, and that just goes to show the standing he has behind the scenes now.
However, where did it all start for the world number one? Where did he initially gain the confidence needed to achieve what he has?
Tony Finau pinpoints the moment which changed the course of Scottie Scheffler’s career
Finau has been speaking on the Trey Wingo show about the upcoming Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
And as conversation drifted towards Scheffler, Finau made a great point about the world number one.
The six-time PGA Tour winner believes that the 2021 Ryder Cup had a huge role to play in Scheffler’s rise to the top of the game.
Finau said: “Scottie set the tone for how that Ryder Cup went. He steamrolled Rahmbo, he even talks about it today.
“That match and that Ryder Cup changed the course of his career. He’s mentioned that many times.
“He’s going to go on to accomplish many great things.
“I know how much it means to get a pick. You don’t only get picked by the captain and the vice-captains, you get picked by the players.
“Scottie knew that in order for us to win that Ryder Cup we needed him. He had the respect of the players and respect of the captains.
“Then we had full trust to put him out against Rahmbo first in singles.
“That has given Scottie so much confidence as we look back on the last three or four years. That’s how big the Ryder Cup is.”
Scheffler actually went out in match three in the Sunday singles at Whistling Straits, but Finau’s point remains.
The Dallas native has been a completely different animal since his involvement in the Ryder Cup four years ago.
He received Steve Stricker’s final captain’s pick and at the time, he was actually a contentious selection! Hard to believe now, isn’t it?
He went on to win two and halve one of the three matches he played at Whistling Straits, including a 4&3 demolition of the world number one at the time, Jon Rahm, and the rest is history.
Scottie Scheffler’s record since the 2021 Ryder Cup
Scheffler has reached a whole new level since his first win on the PGA Tour three-and-a-half years ago.
And maybe Finau is right. The 29-year-old’s results since the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits have been truly remarkable.
| Achievements | Scheffler’s totals |
| Events played | 87 |
| Major wins | 4 |
| Wins | 19 |
| Top-10s | 61 |
| Missed cuts | 3 |
| Olympic gold medals | 1 |
| Hero World Challenge wins | 2 |
| Money earned | $91,949,159 |
The scary thing for Scheffler’s rivals is that he clearly isn’t slowing down. If anything, he’s picking up the pace, and he proved that last week by winning the Procore Championship.
The world number one doesn’t take days off. He’s on a constant quest to improve and better himself as a golfer.
It’s fair to argue that everything we’re seeing from Scheffler now might not have been possible had he not participated in the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits four years ago, just like Finau suggested.
So could another breakout star emerge from the 45th edition of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black? Only time will tell in that regard.
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