Child's play for Scottie Scheffler as he threatens era of greatness

Times

2 days ago

If golf does not fill the 'deepest wants and desires' of Scottie Scheffler's heart, it at least enabled him to fill his boots and then the Claret Jug with a celebratory tipple. This was a parade bereft of drama or uncertainty, but as an appreciation of a master of his art, and science, it was breathtakingly good. An Open and shut case, we are edging into an era of all-time greatness.
Tiger Woods's modern record victory margin at the Open is eight at St Andrews in 2000. Scheffler briefly threatened that but a round of 68, a score of 17 under par and a four-shot gap to Harris English were more than enough. The only real stumble from Scheffler's camp came when young son Bennett fell while exploring the green during the presentation. It says much about Scheffler's priorities that the emotion only morphed into a victory salute and tossed cap when he saw his wife and son.
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Bennett's dad has become a golfing phenomenon. Since the start of last year, Scheffler has now won 13 times, including triumphs at three different majors and an Olympic Games. It took Rory McIlroy 11 attempts to complete the career grand slam after getting to the three-quarter stage. Nobody expects it to take Scheffler as long to add the US Open and become the seventh man of that celebrated club. Of only 25 majors played, he has won four, been runner-up twice and had 16 top-ten finishes. These are dizzying numbers.
He started the day four shots clear of Haotong Li, with Matt Fitzpatrick another shot behind and McIlroy trying to cross a six-stroke divide. In truth, Evel Knievel had a more realistic chance of crossing Snake River Canyon in his old home-made space rocket, but at least McIlroy's parachute opened after a troubled post-Augusta period. The uneven nature of golf's calendar means he must retain his major mojo for almost ten months until his Masters defence.
Credit English for chipping away, again finishing runner-up to Scheffler, as he did at the US PGA, but the world No1 was never in the remotest danger. The Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup was five adrift, followed by a resurgent Fitzpatrick, Li and Wyndham Clark. McIlroy was feted by febrile crowds, but in a land of mythical giants, fated to finish in this one's wake. Bob MacIntyre also made the top ten to underline his impressive progress this summer, but it was a solo show by the seaside.
Two years ago, Golf Digest harshly declared the Open 'a dud' when Brian Harman romped home at Hoylake. It was undoubtedly a day drained of excitement, but if that was again the case here, the crowd knew they were witnessing a generational talent at the peak of his powers. Being brilliant can never be convincingly boring.
And this week Scheffler has been far from dull, causing a stir with a media address in which he said golf was not fulfilling and wondered why he cared so much. 'Sometimes, I just don't understand the point,' he said. That honesty was elevated by the fact Scheffler rarely says much beyond the practical, but the remarks were a reflection of his deep faith and belief in a greater purpose. He cares and suffers, but he knows this is only the important fluff of life.
A rounded player with a consistent game and level mind, his bad days are average and the good ones are stellar. Ten consecutive wins from 54-hole leads shows front-running is another arrow in his quiver. And for greater historical perspective, it is worth noting that nobody has won their four first majors by at least three shots since 1909.
It was not flawless. In a fairway bunker on the 8th he needed two attempts to get out. That double bogey, allied to Gotterup's charge, reduced the lead to four. The intimations of mortality welcomed down the field. Scheffler's response? A 335-yard drive, wedge and easy birdie.
In the group up ahead, McIlroy was over a hill and, after failing to mount a grassy bank with his chip, far away. That double bogey left the local hero eight shots adrift. He has likened winning the Masters to climbing Everest, but when it comes to scaling mountains you would really want Scheffler as your guide.
Others left with a raft of what-ifs. Bryson DeChambeau was down and almost out after an opening 78, but was 16 under for the remaining holes. It is too easy to suggest he had figured out the vagaries of links golf, though. 'I still have to crack the code when it's raining and windy,' he said. Indeed, the weekend has been positively balmy, but Scheffler showed that he is a man for all seasons by surviving Thursday.
DeChambeau's take on Scheffler? 'Scottie's in a league of his own right now,' he said. 'I played with him a lot in college and he was not that good so he's figured out a lot of stuff since then.'
He certainly has. One of the remarkable things about Scheffler is that he was pushing 26 before he won his first professional tournament. By that age, McIlroy had four majors while Jordan Spieth's purple patch came at 22. Scheffler, though, has entered into a period of superiority that we have not seen since Woods.
Part of the credit for this should go to Phil Kenyon, the quiet putting guru of Southport, who has helped Scheffler in his one area of vague weakness. 'Phil has been tremendous for me,' he said. 'He is a great guy to be able to bounce stuff off and I feel like we've made some great progress.' In turn, Kenyon says teaching Scheffler is easier than dealing with 20-handicappers who think they know it all.
After doing the same major double in 2014, McIlroy said he did not need another year like the one he had enjoyed. 'I need another ten,' he explained before talking of 'Messi, Federer and LeBron' and how star power drove sport. He had an 11-year wait for another. All the other Open champions since 2014 have not won another major since, but we should expect that curse to be lifted soon.
As for Royal Portrush, McIlroy was right when saying it has quickly established itself as one of the top two or three Open stages, with a stunning vista and terrific sequencing of holes, and so it was fitting that this championship produced such a fine winner.
'Phenomenal player,' Tommy Fleetwood said. 'If he keeps going the way he is then we're going to look back and talk about him in the same breath as some of the all-time greats — and he's played in our generation.'
Scheffler just said he thought comparisons with Woods were 'a bit silly' and that he did his best 'by living in the present'. It is a good policy and sensible perspective. He is the man of the dazzling moment.