Is a great competition going on? Scottie Scheffler exists at a level not seen since Tiger Woods’ bid 24 years ago

In the modern landscape of professional golf, it seems a laughable notion to believe that one player – among the hundreds who will tee it up at this year’s four major championships – could win consecutively. continue all four of those tournaments.

Every year after the Masters, only one golfer is capable of achieving this feat. This year, that golfer is not only the No. 1 player in the world but also has the greatest golf performance we’ve ever seen — At least from a scoring standpoint — since Tiger Woods.

Will Scottie Scheffler win the Grand Slam? Will he add the PGA Championship, US Open and Open to his green jacket (and victory at the Players Championship)?

The answer is almost certainly that he won’t – the odds are already against him – but there is a glimmer of hope because he is by far the best player on the planet and he is playing real golf dominate. It was an attractive offer.

Let’s look at the raw numbers because what Scheffler has done so far this year is an absolute joke.

Number of strokes gained since January 1

A minimum of six events took place

Looking at this another way, Sahith Theegla did 1.6 shots better off the court in the events he played in (adjusted for court intensity). That’s good for 10th in the world as of Jan. 1. What about Scheffler? Well… he was twice good like that.

Trimming these statistics to major events – in this case the four majors and the Players Championship – provides a similar view of Scheffler’s recent dominance. .

SG at the majors, The Players

Since 2020

What is revealed here is hardly shocking. These golfers have performed exceptionally well at major events, however, Scheffler has so much better than any of his colleagues. It’s clear from looking at the data that we’re dealing with an outlier, but can an outlier win all four majors in one year? It will be an extremely difficult endeavor.

It will take at least a little luck. Heck, it just needs to win one great. To win all four in one calendar year would require a borderline miracle.

Consider that four majors in one career considered majestic. That’s what Rory McIlroy has achieved so far and more than Jordan Spieth personally. It’s also more wins than Justin Thomas, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele and Tommy Fleetwood — combine.

Is Scheffler really that good?

There is also the mental and emotional toll a bid can take on a player. It exhausted Spieth in 2015 as he approached the 70th hole of his third Major. Scheffler has come under scrutiny. This will extend that wall of surveillance beyond regular stores.

Bettors say he is a 4-1 favorite to win the PGA Championship and is just a hair away from winning the US Open. He placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in those events a year ago but has not competed in the venues they will be at this year. Scheffler is also a 6-1 favorite to win The Open Championship. Going further, his odds are 65-1 to actually win the Grand Slam. By comparison, Tyrrell Hatton and Patrick Reed were both 65-1 just to win the Masters – and they finished T9 and T12 respectively.

So will Scheffler win the Grand Slam?

Most likely, one of three events will occur to prevent him from doing so.

1. Scheffler failed to grasp the luck he needed at some point over the next 216 holes.
2. Scheffler’s putting couldn’t stand up to a major bid.
3. Scheffler’s level of play – whether mental or physical – will decline a bit simply because he has created a standard that is nearly impossible to meet on a tournament-by-tournament basis.

Let’s hope I’m wrong because Scheffler is a great champion and has a lot to write about. And there’s nothing like chasing a big shot in golf. Nothing.

The thrill of Spieth’s foray into the summer of 2015 was extraordinary. It’s the holy grail of golf. Jack Nicklaus was unable to do that. Neither can Arnold Palmer. Ben Hogan tried in 1953, but the PGA Championship and The Open overlapped so he never had a chance. Even Tiger Woods couldn’t do it, even though he came closest to the Tiger Slam – and is the defending champion of all four majors.

It’s possible that Scheffler will fade from this historic mission, like those who came before him. But the nucleus of hope that he maybe do something that has literally never been done — knowing that his chances of doing it are better than anyone not named Tiger Woods in the last quarter of a century — go This makes for a story to follow ahead of next month’s PGA Championship.