- Scheffler enters US Open as strong favorite
- Remarkable consistency: 5 wins in 8 starts
- Legal issues resolved; focus remains strong
Given that Scottie Scheffler, the world’s highest-ranked golfer, is entering the 124th US Open with a level of momentum not seen on the men’s tour in many years, what is the best course of action? The Louisville Metro Police Department was on the right track when they contacted Rory McIlroy.
The Northern Irishman spoke with a smile on Tuesday at the Pinehurst Resort in the sand hills of North Carolina, where the year’s third major will commence in two days. “The only thing that prevented him from winning a golf tournament was spending an hour in a jail cell.” “It appears that he is the one to beat every time he appears, and this is entirely justified.”
Due to the withdrawal of charges following a headline-grabbing arrest during the US PGA Championship last month, the mild-mannered Scheffler is the largest betting favorite entering a major in 15 years. He will be playing in the US Open. In a group that includes the world’s top three players, the Masters champion will play alongside McIlroy and Xander Schauffele during the first two rounds of the US Open.
There are veins of form and all-time burners, such as the one Scheffler has been on. The 27-year-old claimed his fifth victory in eight starts at the Memorial on Sunday, becoming the first player to do so in a season prior to the US Open since Tom Watson in 1980. It is only the first week of June, but the winner’s purse of $4 million has already exceeded $24 million for the year, surpassing the PGA Tour’s single-season earnings record. He has not finished outside the top 10 at a tournament in nearly six months, a period that encompasses 11 events.
It is a level of consistency that has left Scheffler’s challengers, including 2021 US Open champion Jon Rahm, perplexed as to how they will overcome it.
Hours prior to his withdrawal from the tournament due to an infected sore on his left foot, Rahm expressed his admiration for his accomplishments, stating, “It’s quite incredible to see what he’s been able to accomplish.” “Great ball strikers emerge every few years.” However, when people start comparing you to Tiger and his accomplishments, you realize that you’re performing at an exceptional level.
“You are essentially replicating a Tiger Woods season by winning the tournaments he is winning: Bay Hill, Players, Masters, RBC, and Memorial.” It is truly remarkable to observe. He has been playing golf exceptionally well and fulfilling his obligations.
Bryson DeChambeau, who has only achieved one major victory at Winged Foot in the US Open four years ago, stated on Tuesday that he confronted Scheffler upon his arrival at the site to inquire about the “secret.”
DeChambeau stated, “He has complete control over his golf swing.” “He has resolved numerous aspects of his putting.” He plays golf with an extraordinary level of strategic acumen, according to what I can discern. He refrains from becoming excessively agitated. He consistently executes the appropriate strikes at the right time. He is truly in control of the environment, which includes not only his own surroundings but also the golf course’s conditions. He is aware of the trajectory of the golf ball. He is capable of responding appropriately. He is capable of rapidly reversing the course when circumstances are favorable. That is a prescription for success, and he has been able to do so for an extended period greater than anyone else.
He is currently the gold standard, and we are all emulating him.
Last month at the US PGA Championship, authorities detained Scheffler outside Valhalla Golf Club and charged him with a felony for assaulting a police officer with his vehicle, along with three misdemeanors, testing his composure. Even that proved to be virtually ineffective: he was released from jail in time to make his tee time, shot a five-under 66, and still managed to tie for eighth by Sunday night. Both parties described the dismissal of the allegations as a “major misunderstanding.”
A secondary release of bodycam footage on Friday showed Scheffler speaking with the arresting officer while handcuffed in the back seat of a police cruiser, footage Louisville police had previously withheld. When the officer only realized that he had spent the morning with the world’s greatest player upon arriving at the jailhouse more than an hour after Scheffler’s detention.
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The officer stated, “You are too informal to be the world’s top player.” “You ought to have employed a chauffeur.”
It is a sangfroid that McIlroy believes is the cornerstone of Scheffler’s success.
“The most thrilling aspect of Memorial last week was when he made the triple on nine,” McIlroy stated. Everyone was concerned that he might allow individuals to enter the building; however, he manages to maintain equilibrium and score a few birdies when necessary!” Without a doubt, he is the most exceptional player in the world right now. It is incumbent upon us to endeavor to attain his level.
Scheffler, on the other hand, maintained that he has refrained from contemplating the past and has maintained an intense concentration on the present.
“When I play with Xander and Rory here on Thursday and Friday, they will not be saying weird things to me out on the golf course or attempting to block my putt from going in the hole,” he stated. We are all obligated to participate in our respective sports.” In terms of a target on my back, there is not much we can do in golf, even if it exists. Most of it involves competing against the golf course and against oneself.
