The golf arc of Scottie Scheffler picked up quickly in 2026 where it left off in 2025 with a solid win in his first appearance in the new year. The victory at The American Express event marked the 29-year-old’s 20th victory on the PGA Tour in 151 starts.
Scheffler secured the 3rd slot among a trio of golfers who since 1950 secured 20 wins on the PGA Tour before the age of 30.
The 29-year-old surpassed Arnold Palmer who needed 178 starts before doing so. Nicklaus needed 127 and Woods remarkably accomplished the feat in just 95 starts.
The world’s number one player only solidified his grip as the best player on the planet. The week of January 25 marks the 176th time he has placed himself atop the pecking order of men’s golf.
Interestingly, Scheffler chose the California desert for the start of his 2026 season. The combination of courses used for The American Express event usually requires a barrage of birdies and players are well-advised that each round requires the wherewithal to keep pace or risk being passed.
Scheffler’s opening round 63 was just one shot off the lead. A 64 followed in round two and he then kept the pedal to the medal with scores of 68 and 66 culminating in a four-shot triumph via a 261 score ( -27).
The Scheffler surge started with his first PGA Tour title at the Waste Management event in February 2022. Since 2024 he has won a total of 14 times on the PGA Tour. The next closest to him is Rory McIlroy with five wins.
Amazingly, the key word for Scheffler’s play is the word consistent. In his last 17 starts on the PGA Tour he has finished in the top ten in all of them. In that run of events he has finished in the top five a total of 13 times.
This run of superior golf is not lost on those Scheffler competes against. Whatever openings Scheffler provides are few and his competitors realize that nothing less than letter perfect golf will be good enough and even then it may not be sufficient to push Scottie away from the winners circle.
Interestingly, Scheffler achieved the lowest individual scoring average for each of the four rounds in 2025. The last player to do that was Tiger Woods in his epic 2000 season.
Scheffler won two majors in 2026, bringing his total to four. The most impressive came when winning The Open Championship at Royal Portrush. Winning in the States is one thing but doing so on the international stage is not a new matter for him.
In 2024 at the Summer Olympics, Scheffler came from behind with a tour de force final round 62 — aided by a closing nine-hole score of 29 which included birdies on five of the last six holes — to snare the gold medal in Paris.
After cutting his finger during a Christmas celebration in 2023, Scheffler had to sit out starting his campaign in 2025. Even when McIlroy was getting much of the attention with three early wins in 2025 including securing the green jacket at The Masters it was Scheffler who flipped the script and dominated the rest of the year.
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Interestingly, Scheffler achieved the lowest individual scoring average for each of the
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What happens for the remainder of 2026?
Should Scheffler win the US Open in June at Shinnecock Hills he will become the 7th member of the career Grand Slam club. McIlroy joined that elite grouping when winning the ’25 Masters.
In today’s pro golf world where the fields are deeper than ever before in the sport’s history the separation by Scheffler is nothing less than unfathomable to put into mere words.
It used to be said that the only thing that could stop Tiger Woods was injury and a bad marriage. Both of those situations happened to the 15-time major winner.
Scheffler is fine on the marriage side with wife Meredith and young son Bennett. The remaining unknown deals with any future injury and whether his zest for winning remains unquenchable.
Separating himself from all others is beyond amazing given the level of professional golf is much deeper than when Woods was actively competing.
Scheffler’s game had early issues with the putter but his prowess with the flatstick has measurably improved.
Winning breeds more winning and Scheffler’s greatest attribute is his penchant for not making silly mistakes. His temperament is also even-keeled. Looking at him when competing, whether after hitting a superlative shot or chunking one, he stays in his own cocoon.
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Separating himself from all others is beyond amazing given the level of professional golf is much deeper than when Woods was actively competing.. |
After the era of Tiger Woods concluded it was believed at the highest level of pro golf there would be various golfers vying for the top position in the sport. Scheffler’s surge is akin to a massive tsunami — anyone not sufficiently bolted to the ground will be washed away.
Scheffler’s legacy will now be forged in what he accomplishes in the four major championships. His rocket is accelerating to even greater heights.
Like the famed song from Sonny & Cher —
The beat goes on.
