Scottie Scheffler is the man to beat whenever he tees it up these days, so it was ominous for his rivals that he finished just one shot off the lead at the first FedEx Cup playoff event in Memphis last week.
When Scottie Scheffler does not manage to win on the PGA Tour, he has turned looking rusty while also finishing comfortably inside the top 10 into an art form. That proved to be the case at TPC Southwind as the world number one made his first start since The Open Championship.
It would not be a surprise to anyone if Scheffler won this week’s BMW Championship at Caves Valley and secured his fifth victory of the season.
He will certainly be one player who is delighted that the second playoff event will not be taking place at Castle Pines after last year’s visit to Colorado.
What Scottie Scheffler has not done on the PGA Tour since the 2024 BMW Championship
The 2024 BMW Championship was certainly a significant moment in this Ryder Cup cycle. Keegan Bradley won to really put some momentum behind the idea that he should be a playing captain at Bethpage.
It proved to be a unique event, with the altitude significantly impacting the yardages shots were travelling. And one of those who seemingly struggled to get to grips with the conditions all week was Scheffler.
It was the only tournament, outside of the majors, where Scheffler failed to break 70 in any of the four rounds he played in 2024. And he finished in a tie for 33rd.
Incredibly, that week remains the last time that Scheffler has finished outside of the top 30. He has played 25 events since – and won six of them.
When Scottie Scheffler lost his temper at the 2024 BMW Championship
One of the more bizarre incidents of Scheffler’s career came at the 2024 BMW Championship. During the second round, Scheffler was hitting an approach from the drop zone on the 10th hole. The ball ended up bouncing through the green and onto the fringe behind the flag.
Scheffler was incredulous; baffled to see the ball not stay on the green. And it prompted the 29-year-old to produce the kind of moment so rarely seen during his career.
He finished at one over par for the tournament. And after his final round, he admitted that he simply could not get to grips with Castle Pines.
“Yeah, it’s frustrating when you feel like you’re doing stuff that’s good and it’s not turning out the way you’re intending it to,” he said.
“I remember on number 10 I felt like I was hitting it in the rough way too often. Hit it in the rough there again, hit it in the water.
“The day before, I hit a really good shot into 15 and the ball spins off the green. I have the same number, very similar number, I think I had just a touch shorter on 10. I’m like, oh, perfect, big slope again. That green was soft yesterday. Should have just chipped a little 56. Hit it exactly how I wanted to, ball lands next to the pin, and it bounces six over the green. It’s kind of like, man, that’s just tough.
“I really didn’t understand how it was possible that that green was not a similar firmness. Felt like we got some rain and really it was just one of those deals where the golf course this week just got the better of me.
“Like I said, the balls were not bouncing the way I thought they were going to. I was a bit off most of the week.”
It feels like you could count on one hand the number of times Scheffler has failed to work out how to navigate a certain course.
But with Caves Valley hosting the event this year, there is every reason to think that Scheffler could be about to win the BMW Championship for the first time in his career in the coming days.
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