SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER
Residence: Dallas, Texas
Age: 27
World Ranking: 1
Ryder Cup ranking: 1
Ryder Cup appearances: 1 (2020)
U.S. Ryder Cup record: 2-0-1 (1-0-1 in four-ball, 1-0 in singles)
Through two days of the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, Jon Rahm could not be stopped.
Carrying Team Europe on his back for four sessions, Rahm played a part in three-and-a-half of the Europeans’ five total points entering Sunday.
That’s when Scottie Scheffler got the text.
He was back at the team hotel, the American Club in nearby Kohler, Saturday evening when his phone buzzed. U.S. Captain Steve Stricker had finalized the singles pairings and distributed the matchups to the team’s group chat. Scheffler remembers teammate Dustin Johnson reading the message first, seeing that the then-25-year-old Ryder Cup rookie from Dallas would be facing off against Rahm in the third match out, and then looking over from across the room at Scheffler with a wide grin.
“He was very excited for me that I got that pairing,” Scheffler recalled. “I think everybody on our team wanted to play Jon in singles.”
Yet, it was Scheffler who got the call – and he delivered. He took each of the first four holes from the previously unstoppable Spaniard, birdieing five of his first six, before eventually closing out Rahm with a resounding 4-and-3 victory, one of the many highlights in the Americans’ 19-9 romp of the visiting side.
“I've always perceived that if I was put into a position at a Ryder Cup or a major championship that I would perform well,” Scheffler told reporters a few weeks later in Las Vegas. “I've always kind of had that faith and confidence in myself as a player. So, [my win over Rahm] may have changed y’all’s perception of me, but for me, it doesn't change too much.”
Two years after Scheffler’s Ryder Cup debut, however, a lot has changed.
Scheffler is no longer the winless-on-Tour rookie who was very much on the bubble before receiving the nod from Stricker as one of six captain’s picks (a phone call that reduced Scheffler, who admitted that the wait was stressful, to “tears of joy”).
He is now the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, enjoying a torrid stretch of play dating to last summer, and the first of what will be 12 U.S. players led by American Captain Zach Johnson to punch his ticket for Rome.
I'm ready to do whatever it takes to ... bring the Ryder Cup back home to the United States.”
“The experience I had at the Ryder Cup two years ago in Wisconsin is something I will never forget and something I can't wait to replicate in September,” said Scheffler, who on Wednesday morning was officially announced as an automatic qualifier for the Sept. 29-Oct. 1 matches at Marco Simone Golf Club. “Zach’s an amazing leader and I'm ready to do whatever it takes to help him, and our team bring the Ryder Cup back home to the United States.”
The announcement was merely a formality for Scheffler, who was always going to be on this team after orchestrating one of the more dominant performances in recent history this season. Before his T-23 at The Open Championship, Scheffler had rolled off seven straight top-5 finishes and hadn’t finished worse than T-12 since the CJ Cup last October, a span of 19 tournaments that also included wins at the WM Phoenix Open and The Players Championship. Oh, and he’s also gaining nearly three full shots tee to green, a pace that would rank behind only Tiger Woods’ 2006 season (3.22) since ShotLink data became available in 2004, and leads the PGA Tour in both strokes gained off the tee and approach.
“What can I say about Scottie that hasn't already been said,” Johnson said. “He's an amazing talent on the golf course, and someone that I know will do whatever is asked of him at the Ryder Cup with a smile on his face. He's incredibly passionate about the Ryder Cup, and it's nice to have the World No. 1 on the U.S. Team this year.”
What Scheffler Brings to the Team
An extraordinary talent whose ball-striking has allowed him to enjoy a mind-boggling consistent stretch that dates to last summer. He’s mature beyond his years and will already be a leader on this American squad. He also possesses the uncanny ability to know when to stay level-headed and when to let his competitiveness show.
Potential Partnerships
Two years ago, Scheffler stepped up as the four-ball partner for Bryson DeChambeau, and the pair went 1-0-1 in the format, capping their work together with a 3-and-1 win over Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland.
However, Scheffler will likely be searching for a new partner this year as he figures to factor in all five sessions. As the first player locked on the U.S. Team, it’s hard to predict who will team with the current World No. 1, but it’s accurate to say that Scheffler can play with anyone.
Career Ryder Cup Highlight
Taking down World No. 1 Jon Rahm in singles, 4 and 3, at the 2021 Ryder Cup. In the immediate aftermath, the modest Scheffler downplayed the significance of the win, saying, “I played very solid today. Definitely some confidence going forward.” But in the years since, it’s clear that his victory over Rahm was a seminal moment in the superstar’s evolution into the world’s best player.
