Some might hesitate to say it, but Ernie Els isn’t.
Scottie Scheffler’s dominance over the past 13 months has drawn comparisons to Tiger Woods. With his emphatic victory at the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club, Scheffler joined Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only players since World War II to secure 15 wins and three majors before turning 29. Woods, Scheffler, and Nicklaus are also the only three players to have multiple Masters wins, multiple Players Championship wins, and a PGA Championship title.
Woods’ presence on major championship leaderboards exerted immense pressure on his rivals. It forced them to play near-perfect golf to defeat him, knowing he wouldn’t falter. Scheffler has a similar effect, as evidenced last week at Quail Hollow.
To Els, who won four major championships during the Woods era, this is a fitting starting point for the comparisons.
“I see the similarities now with Scheffler [and Woods],” Els said ahead of the Senior PGA Championship at Congressional. “It seems he plays his best golf under the most intense pressure, and that’s a hallmark of a champion. The more confidence he gains from winning these tournaments, the harder it will be for others to adopt the mindset he’s in. I think Tiger brought that intensity.
“You had your work cut out for you. I won four majors in his era, and many others won majors then, but we never reached six, seven, or eight. Mickelson eventually did; he got to six majors. But Woods had a hold over us. You knew you were in for a tough tournament when he was around, and I think that’s happening now with Scheffler.”
On Sunday at Quail Hollow, Scheffler entered the final round with a three-shot lead over Alex Noren. He held a five-shot advantage over Jon Rahm and a six-shot edge over Bryson DeChambeau. With Scheffler leading, the major champions behind him felt compelled to execute flawlessly to have any chance of catching him.
“There were times when I felt I pressed too hard,” DeChambeau said after a T2 finish. “The Green Mile got to me on Saturday and did so again today, and that’s golf. I need to be more precise and address what I can to become more consistent and compete with what Scottie is doing right now.”
That’s the kind of pressure Scheffler exerts on a tournament. Woods had a similar, but amplified, effect.
“I was always a scoreboard watcher, especially after [the 1994 U.S. Open],” Els said. “If I saw his name on the leaderboard, he was obviously playing well, and he wasn’t going away. So you knew you were in for a long haul.”
Scheffler’s leaderboard presence may feel akin to Woods’, but the 15-time major champion highlighted another connection: the methodical approach both take to tournaments.
Even Tiger Woods can’t deny Scottie Scheffler’s elite ball-striking 👏 pic.twitter.com/FJo6FQz0Fu
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 19, 2025
“We visualise shots into the greens very similarly, how we miss shots in the right places,” Woods said of Scheffler in a video released by the PGA Tour. “It’s not always pretty, but it’s not about the moment. It’s about the long game, over 72 holes. It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon. I think that’s the similarity in how we play the game.”
Comparing anyone to Woods feels audacious, given the sheer volume of achievements in his legendary career. Perhaps Scheffler will sustain this remarkable run and eventually establish himself in that rarefied air.
There’s no doubt that Scheffler has towered over men’s professional golf for over a year, showing no signs of slowing down. His presence will continue to loom large at major championships until he’s no longer the one to beat.
Given what we witnessed at Quail Hollow, that might not happen for quite some time.
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