Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler (Image via Getty).
Scottie Scheffler won nine tournaments worldwide in 2024, including seven on the PGA Tour, a feat not seen in male professional golf for more than 15 years. Many fans and experts have compared Scheffler’s current level to that of Tiger Woods in his prime, and now Woods himself has weighed in.
The PGA Tour has produced a documentary on Scottie Scheffler’s extraordinary season, which will be released on the Tour’s YouTube channel on December 23. Woods, who was interviewed for the documentary, gave his opinion on how Scheffler’s game is similar to his own.
Tiger Woods said (via PGA Tour),
“We see shots into the green very similar, how we miss golf balls in the correct spots. It’s not always pretty, but it’s not about the here and now. It’s playing the long game. It’s over 72 holes, it’s not a sprint. This is over a marathon. I think that’s the similarity between how we play the game” [0:08 – 0:25].
Woods also pointed out one particular difference in their game, saying,
“I did it differently. My game was very violent at times. We played differently. He slid on it, I snapped on it” [0:41 – 0:51].
The 15-time major champion also discussed one of the reasons Scottie Scheffler’s game is so effective despite his unconventional swing:
“Forget all the footwork stuff. If you just sat behind him, and you only look at the golf ball and how tight it is, he doesn’t move the ball very much either way.” [1:09 – 1:18]
He added,
“If you understand the fact that he hits in these tight windows and he shapes in varying degrees, you can understand why he’s able to control distance into the greens as well as he does” [1:27 – 1:38].
Comparing Tiger Woods’ 2007 Season to Scottie Scheffler’s 2024 Season
Since Tiger Woods won seven tournaments in 2007, no other player had won that many events in a single PGA Tour season until Scottie Scheffler did it in 2024.
Woods played just 16 tournaments in 2007 and had 12 top-10 finishes, including his seven wins, including one major, and three runner-up finishes. Scheffler, meanwhile, played 19 tournaments in 2024 and finished with 16 top-10 finishes, including his seven wins, including one major, and two runner-up finishes.
Here is how Woods played the 2007 PGA Tour season, including the unofficial Target World Challenge:
- Buick Invitational 1
- World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship T9
- Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard T22
- World Golf Championships-CA Championship 1
- Masters Tournament T2
- Wachovia Championship 1
- THE PLAYERS Championship T37
- the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley T15
- U.S. Open Championship T2
- AT&T National T6
- The Open Championship T12
- World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational 1
- PGA Championship 1
- Deutsche Bank Championship T2
- BMW Championship 1
- THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola 1
- Target World Challenge 1
This is how Scottie Scheffler played the 2024 season, including the Paris Olympics and the unofficial Hero World Challenge:The Sentry T5
- The American Express T17
- AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am T6
- WM Phoenix Open T3
- The Genesis Invitational T10
- Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard 1
- THE PLAYERS Championship 1
- Texas Children’s Houston Open T2
- Masters Tournament 1
- RBC Heritage 1
- PGA Championship T8
- Charles Schwab Challenge T2
- the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday 1
- U.S. Open T41
- Travelers Championship P1
- The Open Championship T7
- Men’s Olympic Golf Competition 1
- FedEx St. Jude Championship 4
- BMW Championship T33
- TOUR Championship 1
- Hero World Challenge 1
This is Scheffler’s first season with five or more wins. Woods has recorded 10 career seasons with five or more PGA Tour tournament victories, with his personal best being nine wins in the 2000 season.
