A four shot win, nine birdies on Sunday, eight of them converted from inside five feet. It was an ominous Scottie Scheffler performance as he etched his name into the history books with Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
It was Scheffler’s 20th PGA Tour title and few will have come as easy as his cakewalk to the American Express title. It was also his 14th PGA Tour victory in his last 35 starts giving him a staggering win rate of 40%.
The world number one became just the third golfer of the modern era to amass 20 victories before the age of 30, following only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. Scheffler also became the third-fastest player to reach 20 victories, his 151 starts trailing Woods (95) and Nicklaus (127).
Jon Rahm, a former champion of the event, famously labelled it a putting contest and he is right to an extent. When the last five winning scores have been -27, -25, -29, -27 and -23 there is a Mickey Mouse element to the tournament but it is hard to deny the ominous form of Scheffler. There is an intimidation factor to seeing his name near the top of the leaderboard and it’s telling that on a birdie-fest golf course that plenty wilted.
With all due respect to the field, when a golf course is set up to be absolutely destroyed in benign conditions, essentially becoming a shootout, the best player should win right? There are no levellers, on a defenceless golf course devoid of punishment, Scheffler took it apart.
The start of the PGA Tour season is one I do not enjoy. I hate the Hawaiian events – thankfully there was no 30-under pitch and putt golf at the Sentry this year – but the AMEX is just as bad. The Farmers Insurance Open (weather depending) begins a run where scoring should be more reasonable up as far as the Players Championship in March.
For me, the DP World Tour’s desert swing is a much better test of golf. Who will be more disappointed: Justin Rose for missing the 54-hole cut at the AMEX, or Rory McIlroy finishing 33rd in the Dubai Desert Classic, his worst finish at an event he has won four times.
The Masters in April may seem like a long way away but in reality it isn’t. Players are already looking forward to the drive along Magnolia Lane and will be eager to sharpen up with some big events to come.
McIlroy is already looking to step up his game in preparation for the Masters and after two weeks of at home practice he will be attacking his Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Players Championship title defences either side of starts at the Genesis and Arnold Palmer Invitational to get himself primed.
“See where the game is. I have two weeks off now before playing Pebble and then Riv. So do a little bit more practice. Obviously, play those two,” he told the Scotsman in Dubai.
“Still trying to obviously build up to the Masters. Last year was really good for me with the win at Pebble and the win at The Players.
“If I can keep progressing a little bit and get to a level that I want to be, then hopefully I can contend in one of the tournaments in California, at least, and then do the same thing in Florida heading into Augusta.”
McIlroy will arrive at Augusta National on Masters week as the defending champion but if you take each tournament on its merits, Scheffler looks the man to beat. The Holywood man will need to get a tune out of his new equipment and golf ball sooner rather than later as you don’t want to go to the Masters searching for your game.
Things fell McIlroy’s way in that Scheffler wasn’t 100% at last year’s Masters and still ended the year with six victories including two majors. He looks hungry for more and of course he has the small matter of his own grand slam aspirations at the US Open.
It’s a good thing for Scottie that he let Meredith carve the turkey last Christmas, worrying for everyone else though.
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