DUBLIN, OHIO – JUNE 09: Scottie Scheffler hits a shot on the 14th tee box during the final round of … [+]
Even a brief spell behind bars following a misunderstanding with a Louisville cop directing traffic at the PGA Championships didn’t slow down the Scheffler train.
On FanDuel’s sportsbook, the odds of Scottie Scheffler winning the 124th U.S. Open, which tees off Thursday on Pinehurst No. 2, are currently +280. We haven’t seen odds this favorable to win a major since back when Tiger Woods was in his prime.
The number one player in the world is coming in molten lava hot with five wins under his belt this season including the Masters and last week’s Memorial. He has accrued over $24 million in tournament checks which set a new single-season PGA Tour earnings record, besting his own prior mark, in the process.
When Bryson DeChambeau was asked about the secret to Scottie’s consistent success at his U.S. Open presser today, he told reporters that he posed the same question to Scheffler.
“I tried asking him that a couple days ago when we flew in here. I saw him, and I was like, ‘Dude, you’re playing unbelievable. What are you doing, man’?”
While Scheffler’s humbly answered back, “I’m just playing good golf, I don’t know. It’s one of those things,” DeChambeau offered reporters his own more comprehensive analysis of Scheffler’s hot streak.
“He’s got full control of his golf swing. He’s figured out a lot of his putting. He plays some incredibly strategic golf from what I can tell. He doesn’t go too crazy. He just hits the right shots at the right time,” DeChambeau said.
“He’s really in control of the environment, not only his environment but the conditions on the golf course. He knows what the golf ball is going to do. He knows how to react accordingly. When things don’t go right, he’s able to right the ship pretty quickly. That’s just a recipe for success, and he’s been able to do it longer than anyone has for a long time.”
Norway’s Viktor Hovland, ranked No. 5 in the world, but whose attention-grabbing J. Lindeberg clothing script has generated more attention than his play of late, has been equally gobsmacked by Scheffler’s incredible season.
“You can have a nice little run, but then most of the time you kind of fall back to a more average week. But his average week is just really, really good. It’s just very, very impressive to watch. Definitely makes me work harder and motivates me to get better and try to compete against him.”
Jon Rahm, who was jockeying with Scottie for the top spot in the official world golf rankings before he jumped ship to LIV also had kind words to share on Scottie’s ascent.
“It’s quite incredible to see what he’s been able to accomplish. Every year or so, there’s been great ball strikers that come up. But when you start getting compared to Tiger and things that Tiger has done, that’s when you know you are in a level that is quite special. To win five times in a season and winning the tournaments he’s winning: Bay Hill, PLAYERS, the Masters, RBC Heritage and then Memorial, you’re basically replicating a Tiger Woods season. It’s fantastic to see.”
Witnessing Scheffler’s title-collecting prowess has inspired Rahmbo while also providing a kick in the pants to dig deeper.
“As a competitor, obviously it’s an added motivation to see somebody do so well because that’s what we all strive for. And as a golf fan, it’s just absolutely incredible to watch,” he added.