Why Brandel Chamblee sees Tiger Woods miles ahead of Scottie Scheffler after 2000 insight

Chamblee reflected on the 2000 US Open, recalling his realization that victory was unattainable despite his initial confidence in his game.

“So I was on the range and Butch Harmon is there and he’s working with Tiger, and I was just oblivious at this stage, working on my game..

“But my friend Jack was watching Tiger, not me. And Butch kept looking at him like ‘can you believe what we are watching’ and Jack came over and said ‘hey, if you don’t stop what you’re doing right now you’re going to miss the greatest show on earth’.

“Jack and I just sat there, and Butch wasn’t saying a word he was just looking at us. But every single shot he hit was absolutely flush, murdered, every single one flew through the same window. He had this real, like slow back swing, then gathered at the top and the biggest violence at impact but he’d finish so gracefully but what would happen between his backswing and impact was pure violence.”

Chamblee then explained that a practice round from Woods left his playing partners convinced that they were simply playing for second place before it even began.

“So he’d played a practice round with I think Mark O’Meara and John Cook and shot 64. And they came in the locker room and said nobody in this field had a chance, it is over. We’re all playing for second. Jack and I sat that night and were like have you ever seen anything like it. He shot 65 the first round, but it was over before it had even begun.”

Chamblee concluded his remarks by comparing the 2000 version of Tiger Woods to current world number one Scottie Scheffler, suggesting there remains a huge gap between them.

“It’s the greatest golf the game’s ever seen. We talk about what Scottie Scheffler is doing right now and it’s the closest thing to Tiger. But there’s as much difference now between what Scottie is doing right now and Tiger at his best, as there is between what Scottie is doing right now and everybody else. That’s how much better Tiger was, at his best, in 2000 and 2007 to Scottie Scheffler.”

Tiger Woods’ four rounds at the 2000 US Open were unforgettable

We are never going to see anything like Tiger Woods in 2000 again.

Chamblee’s account says plenty, but what happened at Pebble Beach that week went beyond even what words can fully capture.

The conditions were tough, yet Woods did not just handle them – he dominated. His opening 65 set the tone, but it was how he pulled away from there that really stood out.

A second-round 69 put him six shots ahead of Thomas Bjorn, and from there, nobody got close.

Even a third-round 71 widened the gap further, as Ernie Els found himself ten shots back heading into Sunday.

Woods closed with a final-round 67 to finish at -12, an incredible 15 shots clear of Els and Miguel Ángel Jiménez. It was not just a win – it was total control from start to finish.

This is something we are not likely to see again. And for those who witnessed it, it is a memory that will not fade anytime soon.