Is Scottie Scheffler’s era of dominance Tiger-esque, or are we all jumping the gun?

Is it too premature to compare Scottie Scheffler to Tiger Woods?

24 years on from Tiger’s unprecedented 2000 season, I dive into the data to see how Scottie Scheffler’s 2024 run compares with the best golf has ever seen.

It’s the nature of the beast, unfortunately. Rarely can we sit back and let success stories unfold organically without pitching them head-to-head against another great of the game.

In many cases, it serves only to add another couple of kilos to the weight of expectation they’ve already mounted to their backs in a desire to fulfill their potential.

Every so often though, a player comes along who starts doing things consistently that just can’t be ignored. It’s not just the amount of wins and trophies they amass within a small window, it’s the nature in which they are being won.

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Of course, we are talking about Scottie Scheffler on this occasion instead of the equally impressive levels of dominance being asserted by Nelly Korda on the LPGA Tour.

Scottie is an enigma in many ways. If he wasn’t setting the world of golf alight week in and week out on the PGA Tour, he wouldn’t look out of place as a biology teacher in your local high school, as my TG colleague says. Perhaps his tighter-than-tight trim at this week’s US Open in Pinehurst would elevate his street cred a little though.

Armed with a piece of metal in hand though, Scheffler is breaking records and topping leadboards like they’re going out of fashion. Sure, many of his rivals have more majors to their name at present, but they don’t have the raw ingredients that Scheffler seems to possess at present. No one has…at least since Tiger anyway.

At the peak height of his performance in 2000, a year in which he won the PGA Championship, US Open, and Open Championship, Tiger had a scoring average of 67.8, gaining +3.89 strokes per round. It took him beyond a stroke clear of David Duval’s run in 1999 (+2.88). We’re talking almost 25% better than the competition. Surely, Scottie has to be closer than that?

Perhaps this is why pausing to reflect on how his current form matches up to the 15-time major winner is justified. Five tournament wins before the US Open in 2024 alone and once again asserting his authority on the vast majority of strokes gained leaderboards. He may not win this week, but he’s undoubtedly still the best golfer in the world. And by a long way.

Strokes Gained analytics didn’t materialize until 2023, so for now, the figures above will have to suffice as a starting point for the conversation. A glance through and you’ll see good parity across most of the board, although the glaring difference is Tiger’s superior scoring average (-0.8). Obviously, we are only in June so Scottie has a good few months to keep this momentum going and add a few pieces of silverware to the cabinet.

Accuracy off the tee is closely matched with Tiger having a slight edge when it comes to greens in regulation which highlights just how good he was with an iron in hand considering the superlatives Scheffler receives for his iron play. Still second best.

Around the greens is one area where Scottie is highly competitive, not as proficient out the sand, but pips Tiger in the scrambling department, a metric of vital importance around a course such as Pinehurst where players are often happy to walk away with a bogey after missing a green.

Perhaps the most interesting finding in this small head-to-head is that both players are tied on a putting average of 1.7 putts. It demonstrates the huge headway made by Scheffler this year to up his flatstick game. And if he’s on any sort of even footing with Tiger, widely regarded as having the best-putting stroke of all time, then maybe this comparison isn’t too premature after all.

Scheffler arrived at Pinehurst No.2 fresh off the back of his fifth title of the year at the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial Tournament, holding off the field despite an uncharacteristic final round 74. It was still enough to get the job done and leave his nearest challengers, wondering at times if they were playing for a silver medal.

Rory McIlroy was asked what it feels like to be on the sort of run Scheffler is on at the moment.

“I haven’t been on a run like this. The fact that the only thing that took him from winning a golf tournament was going into a jail cell for an hour, joked McIlroy.

“He’s been through some struggles in his game, particularly the putter that he’s been able to turn around, as well. It’s not as if he hasn’t had his challenges along the way, or circumstances have been a little bit different for him. But yeah, I mean, the word that I describe it as is “relentless.” It seems like every time he shows up, he is the guy to beat, and deservedly so.”

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The adulation didn’t stop there either. Poor Xander Schauffle, fresh off the back of his maiden major triumph at Valhalla only got four questions deep before the media were pining over Scottie again, asking if chasing down the World No.1 was even possible.

“I obviously believe I can, but Scottie is doing incredible things. Every week we play, he seems to build a bigger lead, and somehow make the mountain even taller for all of us to climb. That’s all he’s been doing, and hats off to him for being so consistent and playing at such a high level for such a long time. I believe I can do it, but it’s going to take some time,” conceded Schauffele.

They all had it. DeChambeau, Hovland, Rahm – singing Scottie’s praises seemingly doesn’t even get annoying for his greatest rivals. Only Jon Rahm failed to sound overly enthusiastic, although we all now know why.

It’s the weight of expectation that has been the metaphorical downfall of many a number one’s reign at the top of the game. They’re here today, gone tomorrow. But in Scottie’s case, it feels different. Hair today, gone tomorrow is more accurate, but he’s far too grounded in his processes to let anything other than living in the present be his sole focus.

“I try not to think about the past. I try not to think about the future. I try to live in the present. That’s how I’ve always been. I try to be present where I am. When I’m home, I try to be the best husband and father I can be, and when I’m out here, I try to be the best golfer I can be, said Scheffler.

“I try to give my best to each and everything that I do, whether that’s working out in the gym, practicing out here getting ready for a tournament, practicing at home, or spending time at home with my friends and family. I try not to overthink things, I try to live one moment at a time and soak it all up because you never know how long it’s going to last. Just try and soak up the good times when you can and fight through the bad.”

There’ll be no first US Open title for Scheffler this week at Pinehurst, but who will bet against him bouncing back with a vengeance at next week’s Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour? It’s what Tiger would have done, and there is very little evidence to suggest the two are worlds apart.

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About the author

Ross Tugwood

Senior Digital Writer

Ross Tugwood is a Senior Digital Writer for todays-golfer.com, specializing in data, analytics, science, and innovation.

Ross is passionate about optimizing sports performance and has a decade of experience working with professional athletes and coaches for British Athletics, the UK Sports Institute, and Team GB.

He is an NCTJ-accredited journalist with post-graduate degrees in Performance Analysis and Sports Journalism, enabling him to critically analyze and review the latest golf equipment and technology to help you make better-informed buying decisions.