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How ‘Tiger-like’ Scheffler is conquering golf

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As Scottie Scheffler steamrolled his way to the Claret Jug, there was another name which kept being mentioned in the discourse surrounding his impending Open victory.

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Tiger Woods. Remember him?

Scheffler’s peers regularly referred to Woods when they came off the Royal Portrush course on Sunday. So too did the television and radio commentators analysing the action.

The comparisons between the current world number one and 15-time major champion Woods – the pre-eminent superstar who elevated golf to a new stratosphere in the late 1990s and early 2000s – continued in the aftermath of Scheffler’s fourth major title.

An eye-catching statistic further fuelled the frenzy. Exactly 1,197 days had passed between each player’s first major win to their fourth.

Scheffler’s response to the parallels being drawn? “I still think they’re a bit silly,” he said.

“I just got one-fourth of the way there. I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf.”

One thing is undebatable. Scheffler is conquering the men’s game like nobody since Woods in his pomp.

Here, BBC Sport analyses how the 29-year-old American is doing it.

Creating a ‘Tiger-like’ dominance

The first sign of Scheffler’s special qualities came at the 2021 Ryder Cup.

Questions had been raised about the young American being picked as a Whistling Straits wildcard, but the manner in which he bossed European talisman Jon Rahm in the Sunday singles – putting the hosts on the path to a rare routine win – was a sign of things to come.

In the four seasons since, Scheffler has won four of the 16 majors – the 2022 and 2024 Masters, plus this year’s US PGA Championship and Open – and earned a further eight top-10 finishes.

Throw in 13 PGA Tour victories, along with the Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024, and it is clear why he is the undisputed world number one.

“Scottie is the bar that we’re all trying to get to,” said world number two Rory McIlroy.

“You could argue there’s only maybe two or three players in the history of the game that have been on a run like the one that Scottie’s been for the past 24 to 36 months.”

One of those players is – obviously – Woods.

By securing victory at Portrush, Scheffler became only the second player to win The Open while world number one. The first was Woods, who did it three times in 2000, 2005 and 2006.

Scheffler’s machine-like ability, which is apparent even when he does not seem to be playing at his peak, is similar to his fellow American.

It is little wonder several of his peers have described Scheffler this week as being “Tiger-like”.

“I don’t think we thought the golfing world would see someone as dominant as Tiger come through so soon and here’s Scottie taking that throne,” said 2024 Open champion Xander Schauffele.

“He’s a tough man to beat, and when you see his name up on the leaderboard, it sucks for us.”

For some, the parallels between Scheffler and Woods – who has claimed a joint record 82 PGA Tour victories – might feel premature.

Scheffler has a long way to go to match the longevity of his compatriot, whose major triumphs stretched from 1997 to 2019.

But the comparisons continue to persist because of the way Scheffler imperiously tears through fields like Woods, whose masterpiece 2000 season is regarded as one of the best ever, did in his pomp.

At Portrush, there was a sense of inevitability about the outcome once Scheffler moved four shots ahead after Saturday’s third round.

His unerring consistency and ruthless ability to close out victories is what sets him apart from the rest.

It was the 10th tournament in a row Scheffler had converted an outright 54-hole lead, although he is way short of matching the 37 consecutive times which Woods did it.

“Back in the day that’s what separated Tiger,” said English former world number one Justin Rose.

“You get a lot of guys leading tournaments and typically it is hard to close out, but Scottie and Tiger are able to put these tournaments away better than most.

“That’s how you are judged at the end of the day.”

Staying emotionless in the heat of battle

Scheffler’s emotionless expression as he patiently and precisely carved up the Dunluce Links was a far cry from the energy often shown by Woods.

On a final Sunday lacking any sort of jeopardy, one of the most colourful moments came on the sixth green. There was a rare flicker of emotion from Scheffler.

A vigorous pump of the fist signalled his pleasure at dropping one of several par-saving putts on his way to glory.

Those who demand high-octane energy from their sporting stars were disappointed. But Scheffler’s calm demeanour is exactly why he is so successful.

“He doesn’t care to be a superstar. He’s not transcending the game like Tiger did,” said Jordan Spieth, who a decade ago was being compared to Woods after winning three majors and finishing runner-up in two others between 2015-17.

“I think it’s more so the difference in personality from any other superstar that you’ve seen in the modern era and maybe in any sport.

“I don’t think anybody is like him.”

While Scheffler’s mind is mechanical, his technique is not.

His unorthodox footwork looks clumsy at times and is another reason – according to Ireland’s Shane Lowry – why many do not consider him in the same breath as Woods.

“If Scottie’s feet stayed stable and his swing looked like Adam Scott’s, we’d be talking about him in the same words as Tiger,” said Lowry, who won his solitary major at Royal Portrush in 2019.

“I think because it doesn’t look so perfect, we don’t talk about him like that.

“I think he’s just incredible to watch, and his bad shots are really good. That’s when you know he’s really good.”

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Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture

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The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.

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With the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.

Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?

Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.

“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.

Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..

 

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Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.

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Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.

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It’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.

These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.

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Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses

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It looks like LIV Golf is over.

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The Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.

That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.

So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.

But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?

Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.

Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour

Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.

 

That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.

 

If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.

But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.

Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.

For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.

Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time

With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.

He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.

DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.

He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.

He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.

He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.

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