TROON, Scotland – Possibly it was all too new – the clutchness, the reduction, the trophy. However minutes after profitable the PGA Championship in Might, Xander Schauffele wanted no assist placing his achievement within the correct perspective.
“All of us are climbing this huge mountain,” he mentioned, “and on the high of the mountain is Scottie Scheffler. I received this at the moment, however I’m nonetheless not that near Scottie Scheffler within the massive scheme of issues.
“I’ve acquired one good hook up there within the mountain up on that cliff, and I’m nonetheless climbing. I might need a beer up there on that aspect of the hill and revel in this, but it surely’s not that arduous to chase when somebody is to this point forward of you.”
Two months later, and the vantage level has modified.
Along with his emphatic victory Sunday at Royal Troon, Schauffele simply planted one other hook and elevated even greater. Look once more – to some, he’s now eye-to-eye with Scheffler.
No, the highest of the world rankings nonetheless isn’t shut; the hole between Scheffler and Schauffele is about 6.8 factors, or the distinction between Nos. 3 and 49 on the earth. That math may take months, if not years, to reshape. However on the finish of this main season, there’s now at the least a compelling argument to be made that it’s Schauffele – not Scheffler – who’s the participant of the yr for 2024.
That discourse would have appeared preposterous on the finish of April or Might or June. However not anymore.
Sure, Scheffler is the primary participant since Arnold Palmer in 1962 to win six instances earlier than the calendar turned to July. Sure, within the first 15 occasions of the yr, he in contrast favorably to Tiger Woods’ 2000 season by way of wins, runners-up, top-10s, rounds within the 60s – and that legendary season is supposedly the gold normal for excellence within the fashionable period. However now, improbably, it’s an open debate whose yr has truly been higher.
On Sunday, Schauffele joined Woods and Jordan Spieth as the one gamers since 1980 to complete within the high 8 in all 4 majors, together with a number of wins. Schauffele posted – by 15! – the very best cumulative rating within the majors, which is important as a result of, on this fractured panorama, they’re the one 4 occasions a yr when all the greatest gamers are collectively.
“Clearly Scottie has six wins and a serious, however what Xander has performed this yr, the consistency he performs with, he’s taken his sport to a different stage,” mentioned Billy Horschel, who tied for second at Troon. “He deserves to carry that claret jug proper now.”
There’s now a logjam as these tweeners (ages 26-32) attempt to stake their declare as the very best participant of the following era. Of this crop, Spieth is the present chief with three main titles, however he’s been caught on that quantity since 2017 and hasn’t been a constant pressure within the sport’s largest occasions for years. Schauffele’s triumphs in fast succession at Valhalla and Troon have vaulted him into the two-major membership, together with (on this age division, at the least) Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Scheffler.
Now that he has caught up, Schauffele arguably boasts probably the most spectacular and well-rounded main report of the group. Getting into the yr, he had 11 main top-10s; his 15 complete now are as many as Thomas and DeChambeau mixed.
Abruptly, for the 30-year-old, the profession Grand Slam is a risk.
“Earlier than I had any majors, it’s one thing I’ve at all times needed,” he mentioned. “I’m one step nearer and nonetheless have a protracted strategy to go. However when you don’t see your self doing it, you’re by no means going to do it.”
For years whereas assuming the undesirable title of greatest participant but to win a serious, Schauffele appeared the one one who remained affected person about his main near-misses. Working in his favor was that he by no means really kicked away a serious down the stretch and collected scar tissue; he merely didn’t rise to the second. However Schauffele preached course of and now has two main titles as proof, every after a final-round 65 – a feat that solely Jack Nicklaus may beforehand declare.
“He’s clearly now studying that the profitable is simple,” mentioned Justin Rose, who was paired with Schauffele within the remaining spherical. “He has a variety of horsepower. He’s good with a wedge, he’s nice with a putter, he hits the ball a good distance, clearly his iron play is robust – so he’s acquired a variety of weapons on the market.
“Considered one of his most unappreciated ones is his mentality. He’s such a relaxed man on the market. I don’t know what he’s feeling, however he definitely makes it look very straightforward. He performs with a freedom, which tells you as a competitor that he’s most likely not feeling a ton of unhealthy stuff. He’s acquired a variety of runaway forward and a variety of thrilling stuff forward.”
It’s a quiet confidence, solid over the previous few years, that now underpins the top quality of Schauffele’s sport. He’s the one participant on Tour who ranks within the high 40 in each main statistical class (driving, method, across the inexperienced, placing). That completeness was on show at Royal Troon, significantly on the weekend, when he gutted out a 69 Saturday within the worst of the climate after which carded a 6-under finale that he referred to as the very best he’d ever performed. For the week, he was even higher than his season averages, rating inside the highest 20 within the area in each side.
“That form of all-around actually good will get it performed within the largest occasions,” Adam Scott mentioned. “The greats of the sport did that, particularly Tiger.”
Scheffler possesses an analogous aggressive make-up as Schauffele however with totally different bodily attributes. He’s shorter however straighter off the tee. He’s peerless along with his irons. He’s tidier across the greens. However he’s streakier – a lot streakier – on the greens. At The Open, Scheffler ranked 136th in placing, his three-putt from 8 ft on the ninth inexperienced Sunday denying him an opportunity to stamp this as a yr for the ages. After double-bogeying his remaining gap to drop right into a tie for seventh, Scheffler declined all post-round media, leaving everybody else to place into context his dramatic main season.
Scheffler claimed his second inexperienced jacket and, if not for an early-morning run-in with Louisville police outdoors the Valhalla gates, could very have gone back-to-back on the PGA. As a substitute, he tied for eighth, after which he was by no means snug off the tee at Pinehurst, tying for 41st.
In a vacuum, it’s one other profitable main marketing campaign. And mixed along with his dazzling Tour report this season – a come-from-behind Gamers title (over Schauffele); 4 different signature-event wins in opposition to the very best Tour fields on its most exacting programs; a litany of top-10s; and strokes-gained numbers we haven’t seen since Woods’ prime – it’s undoubtedly among the best seasons in latest reminiscence.
It simply won’t be the very best this yr, a state of affairs that appeared unimaginable simply two months in the past.
In fact, Participant of the Yr voting doesn’t start at the moment. It doesn’t even begin after the Tour Championship. The ballots exit in December, permitting the Tour membership to think about these two stars’ complete physique of labor in 2024. That may embrace the Olympic competitors, although it’s not an official Tour occasion. It’ll most definitely issue of their respective playoff efficiency. And it could even – recency-bias alert – consider a participant’s output in a workforce occasion just like the Presidents Cup in late September.
It guarantees to be an enchanting vote, a referendum on how at the moment’s execs view main glory versus weekly dominance.
Following the summer time of his life, Schauffele would possibly quickly sit on that mountaintop, in any case.
