Scheffler and Stark evoke memories of legends

BBC News

5 days ago

Big wins for Scottie Scheffler and Maja Stark are evoking memories of legends of the sport with the quality of the performances and their historical resonance.Stark's triumph in the Women's US Open was the first by a European in the female game's most prestigious tournament since Annika Sorenstam won it for the third time in 2006.Scheffler's successful defence of the Memorial event in Ohio came under the watchful eye of the legendary Jack Nicklaus, with the world number one's burgeoning body of work also continuing to earn parallels with another great, Tiger Woods.This was the 28-year-old's 16th PGA Tour victory, coming hot on the heels of his third major at last month's US PGA at Quail Hollow. It has taken Scheffler only three years and three months to go from one to 16 wins.Nicklaus took two months fewer to reach the same milestone and the gap between Woods' first tour win and his 16th was three years, three months and three days. Sam Snead was the quickest, taking just two-and-a-half years.These are titans of golf that Scheffler's form rates alongside. "He's a great player," Nicklaus said last Sunday after his tournament was won by the Texan by four shots."Look at the record that he has had the last few years. It's unbelievable."
Scheffler playing better than I played - Nicklaus
Having converted nine straight 54-hole leads into trophies, Scheffler is the first to win consecutive Memorial titles since Woods won three in a row at the turn of the century.And do not forget he won nine times last season, including the Masters and the Paris Olympics. The Texan's start to 2025 was disrupted by a freak hand injury after he sustained a nasty cut while preparing a Christmas meal.But, since returning to top form he has won the Byron Nelson by eight shots, commandingly claimed the Wanamaker Trophy in North Carolina and now this trophy defence at Jack's place - Muirfield Village, which tests every aspect of a golfer's game."He reminds me so much of the way I liked to play," said Nicklaus, the winner of a record 18 major titles. "I don't think I played nearly as well as he played."He's playing better than I played, and more consistent. He's just been playing fantastic, and I love watching him play. Any time he's playing, I want to watch."According to Data Golf, which crunches the numbers across all tours, Scheffler gains strokes in every aspect of the game and particularly excels with unerring approach play.While the official golf rankings do not recognise the breakaway LIV tour, Data Golf includes performances in that 54-hole format. Behind Scheffler and Masters winner Rory McIlroy, on Data Golf's rankings sit LIV stars Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.And that is the only caveat to Scheffler's PGA Tour supremacy, because we can only see him pit his skills against those two leading performers at the majors.That said, he left reigning US Open champion DeChambeau and Spaniard Rahm disappearing in his wing mirrors at last month's US PGA.Nicklaus made a telling analysis of the players who trailed in Scheffler's wake last week. "Ben Griffin's a nice player, Sepp Straka is a nice player, Nick Taylor is a nice player," the 85-year-old said."Those were all the guys that were there basically coming down the stretch. But he [Scheffler] knows that those guys are not in his league. He has the ability to bring his level to whatever level it needs to be."
Stark celebrates first major
Stark, meanwhile, was celebrating her breakthrough major triumph and her first title on American soil thanks to her composed two-shot win over Nelly Korda and Rio Takeda at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.The 25-year-old Swede gave European golf a huge fillip on Sunday by winning America's national championship, resisting the chasing pack on a tense final day."I wasn't as nervous as I thought that I would be," Stark revealed. "It felt like I had somewhat control of my game and I kind of know what's going on."With the pressure, your mistakes get bigger but it felt like I could just like control anything that was thrown at me."Stark's short-range putting withstood intense pressure to add to her six Ladies European Tour wins and join fellow Swedes Sorenstam and Liselotte Neumann as a US Open winner."It's so cool," said the new champion. "They texted me and just kind of said, 'bring it home'."That was already cool to just get those texts. Just looking at all the names on the trophy. I love the US Open. I'm so happy that it's mine now."Erin Hills - particularly at the weekend, when the greens played significantly firmer and faster - was a formidable and typical US Open test, more so than when Brooks Koepka won the men's title there in 2017.Like St Andrews, the home of last year's AIG Women's Open, the course was played as intended because the golfers were having to hit longer clubs to small targets with unforgiving run-off areas.But on the downside, the course is remote and wide open, which made the galleries appear unflatteringly sparse. This was not a good look for the women's game and the players deserve better showcasing.The final pair of Stark and rookie Julia Lopez Ramirez lost a hole on the group in front which highlighted the problem of glacial pace of play and again detracted from the spectacle.Nevertheless, Stark can celebrate a hugely significant victory which might inspire European Solheim Cup team-mates such as compatriot Linn Grant and Britain's Charley Hull in the three remaining majors of the year.Looking further ahead, England's Lottie Woad reaffirmed her huge potential by comfortably making the cut and taking the amateur honours, finishing in a share of 31st.