Every great athlete has a moment that shapes their legacy, and for Scottie Scheffler, that moment came on November 15, 2020 — a day that subtly changed the course of golf history.
On that day, Scheffler shared the course with Tiger Woods at the Masters tournament. It was the first — and so far, only — time the two played together. Woods, the defending champion, was no longer in contention on the final day, but the pairing carried a deeper significance than most realized.
The 2020 Masters was unlike any other:
held in November due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with empty galleries and strict social distancing rules replacing the usual roaring crowds.
Yet, in the stillness of Augusta, many believe the moment symbolized a passing of the torch — from Tiger Woods, the face of American golf for decades, to Scottie Scheffler, the rising star poised to carry the game into a new era.
Scottie Scheffler credits one unforgettable round of golf with Tiger Woods for transforming his entire career.
The memorable day came on Sunday, November 2020, at the Masters, where Scheffler and Woods were paired alongside Ireland’s Shane Lowry for an early 8:12 AM tee time. At that point, Scheffler was still 15 months away from his first professional victory — far from the golf superstar now mentioned alongside the 15-time major champion.
Scheffler clearly recalls the unmatched intensity Tiger displayed from the very first green.“We were sitting in 20th place, just playing along, but his focus was unreal. I was shocked — I thought, ‘Holy smokes, this guy is locked in as if he’s about to win the Masters!’”
Both players parred the opening hole,
but what really stood out was Woods’ approach on the second. “He approached that chip shot as if the entire tournament was on the line,” Scheffler recalled.. “I had never seen that level of commitment before in my life.”
Today, Scottie Scheffler stands as a four-time major champion and an Olympic gold medalist with 18 PGA Tour victories — a number climbing so quickly it may be outdated by the time you read this.
Since May 2023, he has held the world No. 1 ranking and became the first golfer since Tiger Woods in 2007 to capture at least five tournament wins in back-to-back seasons.
Yet, on that day in 2020,
none of those achievements had happened. Scheffler was still searching for his first professional victory despite the hype around his talent. “The question everyone kept asking was, ‘Why hasn’t he won yet?’” Scheffler recalled.
Scottie Scheffler admits the reason he hadn’t secured a win earlier in his career was simple: he hadn’t given himself enough opportunities.
Everything shifted after that unforgettable round with Tiger Woods. “The most important lesson I took from Tiger was his incredible intensity,” Scheffler said “Every shot he hit, he treated like it was the last one of his life.”
but their paths quickly diverged.
By the time they reached the 11th green, Woods had dropped three strokes, while Scheffler, despite two early bogeys, managed to bounce back with a birdie. What happened next would stick in Scheffler’s mind forever — he witnessed Tiger Woods play the worst hole of his PGA Tour career.
On the iconic 12th hole at Augusta, Tiger Woods watched his tee shot splash into Rae’s Creek, picking up a penalty stroke. His next attempt suffered the same fate, landing in the water again. On his fifth shot, Woods cleared the creek at last but pushed the ball too far, landing it in the bunker behind the green..
Things quickly unraveled. Now playing his eighth shot from the bunker,
Woods finally reached the green, but a two-putt sealed his fate — a double-digit score of 10 on a par-three hole. It was a septuple bogey, the worst single-hole score of his PGA Tour career, ending any remaining hopes of a sixth green jacket.
But what stood out to Scottie Scheffler wasn’t the collapse — it was what happened next.
Instead of folding, Woods responded like a champion, draining a birdie on the 13th and going on to record five birdies over his final six holes. With a front-row seat to this remarkable comeback, Scheffler absorbed a lesson in resilience he would never forget.
Scottie Scheffler remembers thinking,
“Why is he still grinding like this?” as Tiger Woods pushed through the final holes at Augusta. into every shot — it’s a mindset I’ve tried to bring into my own game,” Scheffler said.
Known for his precision with irons, Scheffler has also transformed his putting in recent years. But his true strength lies in his mental toughness — the ability to bounce back immediately after mistakes.
This season,
Scheffler has recorded fewer bogeys than any other golfer on the tour.. At The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, he slipped on just four holes, often erasing the
His recovery stats speak volumes: a 50% bounce-back rate at The Open and an incredible 60% at the PGA Championship — both events he went on to win.
Sports psychologist Dr.
Phil Hopley told CNN Sports that Scheffler’s ability to make the toughest mental challenges look effortless is what sets him apart.
He has an incredible ability to stay locked into the present,” Dr. Phil Hopley explained. “Scottie doesn’t dwell on mistakes. He understands that the longer you focus on what went wrong, the more likely you are to feel anxious, tense, or negative — all of which can impact performance,
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Hopley added that even minor physical reactions can be costly under pressure.
“If you’re still frustrated, a small spike in muscle tension — maybe in your forearms from excess cortisol or adrenaline — can completely throw off your swing and execution,” he said.
Scottie Scheffler saw firsthand how Tiger Woods handled pressure — and that lesson became the cornerstone of his own rise to dominance.
. Even fellow competitors admit he’s become nearly unstoppable.
“The things I do on the golf course, other players are capable of too,” Scheffler explained. “I’m not the longest hitter out here. What sets me apart is the consistency and focus I bring to every single round. I don’t take shots off, I don’t take tournaments off — every swing has a purpose.”
“I’m not interested in being compared to anyone,”
he said. “Tiger completely changed the game. He holds a unique place in golf history and always will.
Scheffler isn’t trying to be the next Tiger Woods. But as any Marvel fan knows, there’s always room in the universe for more than one superhero.
