Scottie Scheffler has been the No. 1 golfer in the world for the better part of the last three years, and for good reason. Scheffler has been truly dominant on the PGA Tour, winning multiple major championships and threatening for the lead seemingly every single week.
Scheffler has been the model of consistency in 2025, finishing in the top ten at each of the last 13 tournaments he’s competed in. Scheffler’s incredible run of form has drawn inevitable comparisons to one of the all-time greats in Tiger Woods.
Woods was once on top of the golf world like Scheffler, a young talent in the prime of his career setting out to win each and every week. In the early 2000s, it often felt like Woods was only competing against himself, and some have given similar praise to Scheffler.
In a recent interview, Scheffler explained that he still has a lot to learn from the all-time great, as he was mesmerized by Woods during their round together at the 2020 Masters.
What Was Scottie’s Biggest Takeaway from Tiger?
Scheffler said that the quality that impressed him about Woods was his “intensity.”
“My biggest takeaway from playing with Tiger was the amount of intensity that he took to every shot, and that’s something I’ve talked to a lot of guys about,” the World No. 1 said, according to CBS Sports.
“Tiger was just different in the sense of the way he approached each shot, it was like the last shot he was ever going to hit. I played with him in the 2020 COVID Masters, and I think he made a 10 on the 12th hole, and he birdied, I think, five of the last six, and it was like, ‘what’s this guy still playing for? He’s won the Masters four or five times. Best finish he’s going to have is like 20th place at this point.'”
How Has Tiger Helped Scottie in 2025?
Scheffler said that he tries to emulate the best qualities Woods showed on the course in his prime.
“If I’m going to take time to come out here each week — like it’s not an easy thing to play a golf tournament,” said the Olympic gold medalist. “If I’m going to take a week off, I might as well just stay home. If I’m playing in a tournament, I’m going to give it my all. That’s really all it boils down to.”
Scheffler won two major titles this year – the PGA Championship and Open Championship – to reach a career total of four. It’s an impressive number, but it pales in comparison to the 15 that Woods has won in his career.
Woods last won a major tournament at the 2019 Masters, completing one of the most incredible comeback arcs in sports history. Health and age have taken a toll on Woods in recent years, and it seems unlikely that he’ll add any more to that number.
Still, Scheffler feels that he’s still got a long way to go before he’s in Woods’ stratosphere, even in the middle of one of the greatest years in golf history.
“I think in the simplest form, it’s very silly to be compared to Tiger Woods,” he said.
“I think Tiger is a guy that stands alone in the game of golf, and I think he always will.”
