This time last year, Scottie Scheffler was in the midst of an impressive run, having secured four top-10 finishes and achieved two consecutive victories. The remainder of that season became one of the most remarkable in his career, culminating in seven wins, including a gold medal at the National Olympics. However, this year has presented a stark contrast. The cause of his struggles? A mishap involving some Christmas ravioli. Scheffler later disclosed that he underwent surgery to remove glass fragments from his right palm, which resulted in him sitting out The Sentry tournament. This injury carried over into the new year, causing him to miss two events due to wrist complications.
Upon his return, Scheffler was unable to regain his previous momentum. He has participated in just five events so far, managing only one top-5 finish, which is far from what fans expected from someone who had excelled just months earlier. Alan Shipnuck echoed this sentiment in a recent episode of ‘Dan on Golf.’ When asked about Scheffler, he promptly assigned him a grade of F.
“The guy, I’m looking at his results right now: T9, T25 at Phoenix, and he shot a gazillion on the back nine. He was up there on Sunday, T3 at Genesis, T11 at Arnold Palmer, and T20 at The Players. For a journeyman, that’s a decent start. But you’re looking at someone coming off one of the greatest seasons in golf history. He’s been on a three-year heater. He is the best player since Tiger Woods. Uh, he’s been basically a non-factor,” Shipnuck remarked. While this assessment may seem harsh, it might hold some truth.
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Conversely, Dan Rappaport expressed a more optimistic view, suggesting he would rate Scheffler a B-minus, while still acknowledging Shipnuck’s perspective. The 28-year-old has held the No. 1 ranking for a remarkable 130 consecutive weeks and boasts 13 career PGA Tour wins. To expect anything less than exceptional from him would be an injustice to his talent. With the Masters just two weeks away, Scheffler is dedicated to regaining his form, expressing optimism about finally understanding what has hindered him.
Scottie Scheffler Sends Warning to Competitors
Scottie Scheffler has communicated a clear message to his rivals—he’s discovered the solution to turning his season around following a slower start than anticipated. The World No. 1 acknowledged that a right-hand injury had impacted his performance, requiring him to take time off and modify his approach.
“I think it would be silly to say that it didn’t set me back a little bit because I had to take a good amount of time off,” Scheffler admitted, referencing the injury to his palm. As a right-handed player, this setback, coupled with surgery, understandably affected his swing.
Nevertheless, he remains optimistic about his recovery. “Each day, my hand continues to improve, my body is getting back to where it needs to be, and I think my swing is coming around as well. I’m definitely excited about the improvements that I’m making,” he shared. Although his season hasn’t been disastrous, with two top-10 finishes in five starts and his poorest result being a respectable 25th, Scheffler feels he is on the brink of achieving something much greater.
“I feel like I’m really close to playing some really nice golf again,” he said. “I’ve got another good week of prep here at home, and I felt like we learned a lot last week at Sawgrass. I’m definitely excited about the things that we kind of figured out when we were in Jacksonville,” Scheffler added.
As he gears up to defend his Masters title next month, Scheffler revealed details about the menu for his Champions’ Dinner. Staying true to his favorites, he plans to include dishes that hold special meaning for him. “My dad’s meatballs made the menu—that was always my favorite thing growing up. Then my coach Randy makes the best chili, so I think they are trying to use his recipe. I think we’re doing ribeye again, some redfish, and tequila and bourbon this time,” he stated. With his game on the upswing and his Masters menu set, Scheffler appears ready to make a significant impact at Augusta. Can he defend his title and affirm his dominance? We’ll have to wait and see as the Masters approaches.
