Scheffler’s Sunday approach to the treacherous ninth green for birdie was perfect, as was the delicious wedge on the 14th that effectively sealed the title. In the meantime, he birdied 10 and negotiated Amen Corner without disaster, as you’re supposed to do.
“It’s not just the fact that he won it, it’s the way he won it,” 5 Live summarizer Trish Johnson told me. “He gave everyone a chance and everyone tried, but every time he was tested he prevailed.
“There’s something very special about Scottie Scheffler and I’m not sure I realized how special he was until this week.”
Johnson, the reigning US Seniors Open champion and veteran of eight Solheim Cups, is a highly respected observer of the match. She points to Scheffler’s faith and sense of perspective as factors that set him apart.
“He’s so cool and the thing is, he doesn’t think golf is the most important thing in his life,” Johnson observed.
“Technically, he’s unusual. And if you look at his swing without slowing it down, you wonder how he made so many shots with that swing.
“But when you slow down and see that impact position, the position of his right foot has no relation to what’s happening in the rest of the swing. So technically he’s very solid even if it looks a little weird in full movement.
“But I think his biggest asset is his mind. Like he says, golf isn’t the most important thing. Of course it’s extremely important, but he plays like it’s not. .
“The last day of the Masters was something pretty special because he was struggling a little bit and then he kicked it into high gear. You have players that other people see and think oh no, I can’t do that. beat, like Tiger in his prime.”
Johnson believes Scheffler has now built such a formidable reputation that his name appearing in future rankings will scare off his rivals.
“They know he’s not backing down,” said the 58-year-old Englishwoman. “And then you feel this aura about someone and you see their name at the top of the leaderboard and you think, ah, here we go again.”