Xander Schauffele’s words about Scottie Scheffler say it all after Olympics success

Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler: The Rivalry of 2024 and Their Quest for Golfing Greatness

Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler have firmly established themselves as two of the most in-form golfers in 2024. Yet, despite Schauffele’s impressive achievements this year, including victories at the PGA Championship and The Open, he remains convinced that Scheffler holds the upper hand—a sentiment that has only been reinforced by Scheffler’s recent triumph at the Paris Olympics.

The rivalry between these two American golfers reached a new peak in Paris, where Scheffler clinched the Olympic gold medal, adding to his 2024 successes that include winning the Masters. Schauffele, who was among the favorites alongside Scheffler, ultimately finished seven strokes behind, with Scheffler narrowly edging out Team GB’s Tommy Fleetwood by a single stroke to secure the top prize.

Scheffler’s victory wasn’t entirely surprising, especially to Schauffele, who had already acknowledged his compatriot’s dominance going into the tournament. When questioned about whether his own major victories had shifted the narrative around Scheffler’s recent supremacy, the 30-year-old Schauffele was quick to downplay any notion of a rivalry. “I always say this, but Scottie is on top of this mountain, and he is way ahead of us climbing up on the side,” he told the *Daily Mail*.

Despite Scheffler’s recent successes, Schauffele remains focused on achieving his own historic milestone: the career grand slam, a feat accomplished by only five golfers—Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. With his victories at the PGA Championship and The Open, Schauffele is halfway there, needing only wins at the Masters and the US Open to join this elite group.

“The career slam has always been written down as something I’ve wanted,” Schauffele admitted. “Getting to two [major wins] after not having one for such a long time is something that feels really good. Expectations can be a mean thing, and I think all people in sport have a certain amount of cortisol in the body. You stress, you get anxious, have hard times. I have. So to get to two is great, and it makes me remember writing this stuff down with my dad at 13 or 14—number one player in the world, majors, all these things.”

Tiger Woods, a five-time career grand slam winner, also weighed in on the discussion, though he believes Rory McIlroy, rather than Schauffele, is the likeliest candidate to join the exclusive club. McIlroy, who needs only a Masters victory to complete his own career grand slam, has been on the cusp of this achievement for years.

“No question, he’ll do it at some point. Rory’s too talented, too good,” Woods said. “He’s going to be playing this event for a very long time. He’ll get it done. It’s just a matter of when.”

Woods expressed confidence in McIlroy’s future success, even suggesting that 2024 could be the year McIlroy finally dons the green jacket. “I think Rory will be a great Masters champion one day, and it could be this week. You never know. I just think that the talent he has, the way he plays the game, and how the golf course fits his eye, it’s just a matter of time.”

As Schauffele and Scheffler continue to push each other to new heights, the golfing world eagerly watches to see who will emerge as the defining player of this generation. Whether it’s Schauffele completing the career grand slam or Scheffler maintaining his dominance, one thing is certain: 2024 has already been a year to remember in the world of golf.