Scottie Scheffler revealed that playing alongside Tiger Woods in the final round of the 2020 Masters changed how he viewed the game and gave him a new sense of belonging at the top of golf. Speaking ahead of the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta, the World No. 1 revealed that Woods’ intensity was one of his biggest takeaways from playing with the legend.
Scheffler Amazed By Woods’ Intensity
Scheffler is the first player since Tiger Woods to win at least five PGA Tour events in back-to-back years. However, both players have only shared one round as professionals due to Woods battling several injuries in recent years. That came in the final round of the 2020 Masters, held in November after being rescheduled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scheffler was struck by Woods’ calm and steady routine during the rare fall edition of the Masters.
“I only played one round of tournament golf with Tiger Woods, and it completely changed the way I look at how I play tournaments…My biggest takeaway from playing with Tiger was the amount of intensity that he took to every shot, and that’s something I’ve talked to a lot of guys about,” Scheffler said.
Woods began the final round of the 2020 Masters at 5 under, sitting 11 shots behind leader and eventual winner Dustin Johnson. His day at Augusta National got off to a rough start as he turned in 1 over, then bogeyed the 10th to slip to 2 over. Woods hit three balls into Rae’s Creek at the par-3 12th, carding a 10 — the highest single-hole score of his PGA Tour career. That dropped him to 9 over on the day, and for a moment it looked like he might not break 80, until he dug deep and found a late surge only he was capable of producing.
How Woods’ Comeback Inspired Scheffler
Woods bounced back with a birdie on the par-5 13th to finish Amen Corner, then steadied himself with a par on the 14th before closing with four straight birdies. He played the back nine in 37 strokes (not 39) and signed for a final-round 76, ending the week tied for 38th.
“We’re in 20th place or whatever going into Sunday at the Masters, Tiger has won five Masters, he’s got no chance of winning the tournament,” Scheffler said. “Then we showed up on the first hole and I was watching him read his putt, and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this guy is in it right now.’”
Scheffler has since gone from a rising talent on the PGA Tour to World No. 1. The 29-year-old has recorded 18 PGA Tour victories since the start of 2022, including four majors and two Players Championships. On top of that, he has also won twice at Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge and an Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games.
Main Photo Credit: © Brett Davis-Imagn Images
