July 21,2025
He came, he saw, he conquered!
"He came, he saw, he conquered". When you're clearly the best player in the world, you are expected to dominate and win against a world class field and a challenging golf course like Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. With those expectations, only a great player could match those expectations and make it look easy.
Winning the Open Championship takes precise ball striking, imagination, excellent ball control, well thought out strategy, and mental toughness. British Open golf courses do not always reward good golf shots. Unpredictable bounces, fickle wind changes, penal bunkers, and knee-high rough can play havoc with a player's confidence and attitude. One shot, only slightly off-line, can result in disaster and a lost tournament. Scottie Scheffler put on a clinic, just like Ben Hogan did in 1953 at Carnoustie and Tiger Woods in 2000 at St. Andrews. They played at a different level then everyone else.
Jim "Bones" Mckay, the NBC on course commentator and longtime Phil Michelson caddy, stated that he never expected to see another player of Tiger Woods caliber in his lifetime, but Scottie Scheffler is that person. I have been fortunate to see Tiger Woods play about 40 rounds of golf in person. He always plays with the top players. When I watched, even when playing with an Ernie Els or equal, it was an unfair fight. Tiger was far better. Today that honor now belongs to Scottie Scheffler. I haven't seen Scottie play more than a few holes in person, but from what Bones says, the other players marvel about how good he is. Rory McIlroy said in an interview this week that Scottie is the standard that all are trying to attain.
Starting the last round with a four shot lead and no serious great player within striking distance, the last round was anti-climactic. But for a golf purest, watching Scottie Scheffler show everyone how it is done was a joy to see. Greatness is consistent excellence and that was what we were fortunate to see at this year's Open Championship.
