logo
Open champion Scottie Scheffler does dominance his way

Open champion Scottie Scheffler does dominance his way

Your correspondent's general mood was not helped by an ailing laptop that had been showing signs of giving up the ghost.
Over the weekend, for example, the R and the T buttons on the keyboard were only working intermittently.
That, as you can imagine, caused a bit of an issue for a spell as we started feverishly typing away like Angela Lansbury during the opening credits of an episode of Murder She Wrote.
Scottie Scheffler would often appear on my word document as Scoie Scheffle, Portrush came out as Poush and Robert MacIntyre was diminished to obe MacInye.
To be fair, it probably made more sense than the cobblers I usually type but the computer caper became a right old pain in the a***. And even that came out as ase.
We got there in the end, though. Another Open is done and dusted. Perhaps I should've just flung the laptop on the media centre pyre too?
Scheffler was a brilliant champion at a brilliant venue. I also thought he dealt brilliantly with the inevitable and wearisome comparisons to Tiger Woods too.
'I think they're a bit silly,' he said about the prospects of emulating the 15 major titles that Woods racked up.
In this game, we are never done with premature anointments and coronations as we seek a new golfing hero for the ages.
Rory McIlroy, for instance, was tagged with that burdensome 'next Tiger' label when he won a quartet of major championships between 2011 and 2014.
We all know what happened after that. He didn't win another until this year's Masters during a prolonged drought that just about led to a hose pipe ban.
Jordan Spieth had the Tiger sticker slapped on his back when he won three majors between 2015 and 2017 while Brooks Koepka had it pinned on him for a spell when he reeled off four in a two-year blitz.
The magnitude of Woods' accomplishments, of course, continue to dwarf all that the new generation have achieved.
In an era of relative parity in the men's game, Scheffler, who became the 12th successive first-time winner of The Open, has emerged as its dominant force but it's important to enjoy the present and savour watching him pen his own success story instead of obsessing about him re-writing Tiger's tale.
Establishing a Tiger-like tyranny on the global game would require Scheffler to continue his sustained excellence over a ridiculous period of time.
While all and sundry work themselves into a fankle about the prospect of Scheffler doing this, that and the other in the weeks, months and years to come, the man himself retains a wonderful sense of reason.
Never too up, never too down, just serene, level-headed middle ground. He seems to be at total peace with himself.
As men's professional golf in its upper echelons descended into a civil war over the past couple of years with the emergence of the LIV rebellion, it's perhaps no coincidence that the calmest man in the room has prevailed and prospered.
In this fractured time, when egos, greed and entitlement have grabbed much of the attention, the grounded Scheffler is just the right man to be on top of the golfing world.
He is largely unaffected by fame and fortune, and all the talk of greatness tends to be greeted with a nonchalant shrug.
'I don't identify myself by winning tournaments, chasing trophies, being famous or whatever it is,' he said.
'There are two Chipotles (a restaurant chain) that I eat at when I'm home. If I was to go to the one near to where I grew up and try to eat nowadays, it would be very difficult for me.
'But there's another one in a different part of town and if I go there, nobody recognises me ever.'
In the post-Tiger age, Scheffler's relative anonymity can highlight golf's place in the wider scheme of global sports.
With the exception of Woods and McIlroy, golf's stars can't really hold a candle to the shining lights in other pursuits
Have a meander into the remote jungles of Sarawak and you'll probably stumble upon a village elder wearing a Lionel Messi football shirt, a Ronaldo top or a Steph Curry basketball vest.
I'm being slightly outlandish here, but you get the idea. These sportsmen, and these sports, have a reach across cultures and continents.
Scheffler, on the other hand, could walk down just about any high street, or into a Chipotle diner, and most folk wouldn't bat an eyelid.
That's not Scheffler's fault, of course. In these hark-at-me-times, he'd probably have a higher profile if he was prone to headline-grabbing comments or lively antics on or off the course.
But that ain't Scheffler. And that's absolutely fine. His talent and achievements alone should be enough to attract acclaim.
Many, though, still view his persona as more day at the office than box office. Undervalued? Perhaps. But unrivalled? There's no doubt.
The magnificent Scheffler will continue to do his dominance his way.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Harrington wins Senior Open to join exclusive club
Harrington wins Senior Open to join exclusive club

BBC News

time11 hours ago

  • BBC News

Harrington wins Senior Open to join exclusive club

Ireland's Padraig Harrington has become only the fifth player to win the Open and Senior Open after a three-stroke victory at 53-year-old beat Justin Leonard and Thomas Bjorn as his final round of 67 took him to 16 under for the joins Darren Clarke, Tom Watson, Gary Player and Bob Charles as the only men to win both editions of the won the Open in back-to-back years in 2007 and is a third Senior major for Harrington, who also won the US Open in 2022 and in June this also finished tied for second at the Senior PGA Championship after missing out to Angel Cabrera by one Ireland's Clarke finished tied for 51st after he finished two over for the tournament.

Padraig Harrington achieves rare Claret Jug double with Sunningdale success
Padraig Harrington achieves rare Claret Jug double with Sunningdale success

Scotsman

time12 hours ago

  • Scotsman

Padraig Harrington achieves rare Claret Jug double with Sunningdale success

Irishman becomes just fifth player to win both The Open and Senior Open Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Padraig Harrington became just the fifth player to win both The Open and the ISPS Handa Open as the Irishman claimed the over-50s' Claret Jug at Sunningdale. The Irishman, a two-time Open champion in 2007 and 2008, signed off with a three-under-par 67 at the Berkshire venue to win by three shots as he finished on 16 under. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Harrington, who also won last month's US Open, joined Bob Charles, Gary Player, Tom Watson and Darren Clarke as the only players to do the double. Padraig Harrington shows off the trophy after winning the ISPS HANDA Senior Open at Sunningdale | Getty Images 'You know, right now I'm just thrilled to have won the tournament and gone out there and played well,' said Harrington. 'But there's only five players (to achieve this feat), so you want to be in that category. I'm thrilled, euphoric that I've gotten it done.' With Rory McIlroy, who recently moved to nearby Wentworth, taking in the last-day action, Harrington got off to the perfect start as he eagled the first. He then added birdies at the sixth, ninth and 14th while his card also included dropped shots at the eighth and 17th. Gleneag;es Hotel will host 2026 ISPS HANDA Senior Open Dane Thomas Bjorn (67) and American Justin Leonard (68) finished in tie for second, with Australian Scott Hend a further shot back after a joint-best-of-the-day 65. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Signing off with a bogey-free 67, Stephen Gallacher finished as the top Scot, tying for 12th on seven under, one ahead of Paul Lawrie after he also closed with a three-under effort. Meanwhile, Gleneagles Hotel will host the 2026 edition - the second time the over-50s' major will be held at the Perthshire venue.

Lottie Woad fires final-round 68 to claim victory on her professional debut
Lottie Woad fires final-round 68 to claim victory on her professional debut

Glasgow Times

time14 hours ago

  • Glasgow Times

Lottie Woad fires final-round 68 to claim victory on her professional debut

The 21-year-old former world number one amateur from Surrey finished with a final round score of 68 after four days of competition at Dundonald Links. It was Woad's first victory since turning professional earlier in July. She entered the final round with a two-stroke lead and made birdies on the second, third, 13th and 14th before hitting a bogey on the 16th. Lottie Woad wins the @Womens_Scottish on her professional debut 🏆#WSO25 — Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) July 27, 2025 Woad made par on the 17th before a pinpoint approach set up a birdie on the 18th to wrap up the title. She becomes the first player to win on their professional Ladies European Tour debut since Singapore's Shannon Tan at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open in February 2024. Woad said on Sky Sports: 'It's a pretty good outcome, I guess! Definitely wasn't expecting to win my first event, but I knew I was playing well so I was kind of hoping to contend. 'I played really solid today. It was pretty nice in the end, could lay up on the par five. 'Links golf is really fun, don't get to play it too often. This is my first time playing links golf since the Open last year. I wasn't exactly sure how it would go, but it went fine!' Woad won the Women's Scottish Open on her professional debut (Steve Welsh/PA) Woad finished three shots ahead of second-placed Kim Hyo-joo, who fired seven birdies and three bogeys in a mixed fourth round. Julia Lopez Ramirez and Kim Sei-young shared third on 14 under, with world number one Nelly Korda a shot back in fifth. English duo Alice Hewson and Charley Hull finished tied for 10th and 21st, respectively. Attention now turns to the AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl, which begins on Thursday. Looking ahead to that tournament, Woad added: 'Even if I hadn't won this week, I'd still be trying to win it and just trying to be up there really is all you can ask for going into the final day.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store