Scottie Scheffler, the greatest golfer in the world, had arguably one of the greatest seasons in the history of golf.

This season alone, he has seven wins and fifteen top-ten finishes in all competitions. These wins were in the Masters, the Olympics, the Players Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the RBC Heritage, the FedEx Playoffs, and the Memorial Tournament. 

With this in mind, one question arises: What makes Scheffler so good? The simple answer is his mental game, which is the most important factor in golf. When asked about what separates Scheffler from the rest, Luke Barwick, coach of Saint Paul’s golf team, explained, “At that level, it is totally mental. He has that intimidation factor that separates the good from the great.” That is the number one thing that makes him the dominant winner that he is.

Whenever there is a debate about the best golfer, one name is always mentioned. This is, of course, Tiger Woods. Any time athletes get to the top level, they are the best of the best. The one thing that separates these players is their mentality and intimidation factor. Some people just have what is known as the “killer mentality,” and Scheffler and Tiger are two golfers who maintain that trait. “When Tiger Woods was in his prime, he had 80% of them beat before they even teed off because they were intimidated. He was just mentally tougher than everybody else. Scottie Scheffler has that too,” remarked Coach Barwick. This shows that mind games and fierce competition are the little things that determine winners and losers.

It must also be noted that athletes can’t be this dominant just from a mental standpoint. Scheffler is the most talented golfer in the world. Statistically, no one comes close to him. “When you look at his statistics, his ball striking is insane,” Barwick stated.

Scheffler was first in the PGA Tour in his strokes gained total, strokes gained tee-to-green, and green in regulation percentage. This proves that his ball striking is the best in the world, and it’s not even close. On top of this, his scoring average was 68.01, which is the lowest actual scoring average ever recorded in a single season. 

One of the weakest parts of his game is his putting, which is considered by many to be the most crucial part of the game. Coach Barwick acknowledged this. “If his putting statistics are even middle of the pack, he is going to win.” Most of the time, when a player is ranked number one in the world, their putting is in at least within the top 10%. However, out of 169 of the best putters on the PGA Tour, Scheffler ranked 70th. This surprising stat demonstrates his level of dominance in his ball striking.

When all of these attributes come together, he starts to win tournaments. This was prevalent in what many would consider the biggest win of his season at the Olympics. At the end of the third round, Scheffler was tied for sixth place at ten under and four shots back from the lead. On the final day, he shot the lowest round of the day for a nine-under (62) to beat out Tommy Fleetwood by one stroke, a feat that is almost unheard of. 

It must be remarked that he also won a major, one of the biggest tournaments in golf. This also wasn’t just any major; it was the Masters Tournament, one of the most prestigious tournaments in golf. He won the tournament by a comfortable lead of four strokes, not giving the opposition a chance. He solidified his lead by shooting four under 68 in the tournament’s final round, which was one of the lowest rounds of the day. This win solidified his status as the best golfer in the world. 

His final win of the PGA Tour season was in the FedEx Playoffs, where he won with a score of thirty under. The format of the playoffs is a little different from every other competition. Throughout the year, as different tournaments and competitions take place, a win or made cut counts towards FedEx Playoff points. Majors and bigger events award more points for a made cut or a win. Whoever accumulates the most points at the end of the season is given a certain number of strokes at the very start of the playoffs to reward them for their points gained during the season. This year Scheffler had the most points, therefore he started the playoffs at ten under par. The golfer who finished second in points, Xander Schauffele, started at nine under par. The players in third, fourth, and farther down receive strokes as well, but they receive less and less as it moves down the points list.

After considering all these things, one might think that this is all a person could want. But Scheffler is different because his main priorities are God, his wife, and his baby. Golf comes second or third in the list of the most essential things in his life.

Many believe that this “work-life balance” is crucial to his success. Coach Barwick went as far to say, “His faith, and what he sees as his purpose on this planet, puts him in a peaceful mode, where he is free to play. Almost as if the pressure doesn’t even get to him.”

In other words, because golf isn’t the most crucial thing in his life, it stops him from overthinking and putting unnecessary stress on himself, like many other players do. This, in turn, allows him to trust his skill and natural ability and equates to complete dominance in the golf field.

It’s safe to say that Scheffler’s historic run is not a fluke. Now, the only question is: how many years can Scheffler sustain this dominance before he approaches – or even surpasses -Tiger Woods?