A closer look at the hot streak of world number one Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler’s recent dominance in golf reached new heights as he secured his fourth win in five events at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head. This impressive streak includes a second Masters title, further solidifying his position as the world number one and widening the gap between himself and Rory McIlroy in the rankings.

Scheffler’s recent victories span some of the most prestigious events on the PGA Tour, including the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players Championship, and the RBC Heritage, which featured a particularly strong field after being upgraded to a Signature Event this season. Notably, his win at Sawgrass marked him as the first player ever to secure back-to-back Players titles, a remarkable achievement in itself. While Scheffler’s performance has been stellar, his only “blemish” was a tie for second in the Houston Open.

Comparisons to golf legends like Tiger Woods are inevitable, and Scheffler finds himself in elite company. He becomes the first player since Woods in 2007-2008 to win four times in five starts on the PGA Tour. Additionally, he joins Woods and Vijay Singh as the only players in the last three decades to win or finish runner-up in five consecutive starts. Scheffler’s ability to maintain his momentum, even after winning a major, is highlighted by his victory at a PGA Tour event the week following his Masters triumph, a feat not achieved since Bernhard Langer in 1985.

The financial rewards of Scheffler’s success are substantial, with his earnings from his last five events totaling an impressive £13.14 million. This places him on the brink of breaking his own single-season earnings record of £17 million set in the previous year. In comparison, Woods’ dominance in 2000, where he won nine times on the PGA Tour, resulted in prize money totaling £7.4 million.

Scheffler’s dominance is further reflected in his world ranking, where he now boasts more than double the total and average points of McIlroy. The gap between Scheffler and McIlroy is significant, exceeding even the average points gap between McIlroy and players ranked much lower in the standings.

Despite Scheffler’s remarkable achievements, he faces competition from fellow American Nelly Korda on the LPGA Tour. Korda’s recent streak of five consecutive wins, including her second major title in the Chevron Championship, matches historic achievements by Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam. While Scheffler’s earnings are impressive, Korda’s consecutive victories emphasize the depth of talent in professional golf.