Which past Open Championship winner sees Nikola Jokic in Scottie Scheffler?

The 153rd Open Championship belonged to Scottie Scheffler at Royal Portrush. At just 29 years old, the Texan has four major titles and is on the doorstep of the career Grand Slam. A fellow Texan, Jordan Spieth, fell short again this week, not having won a major since the 2017 Open. After the round, Speith compared Scheffler to Nikola Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP, for his dominance and demeanor. 

“Nikola Jokic is the only guy I can think of that’s a superstar that’s equally unassuming in any sport in the modern era, and I’m happy if anybody else can find another example, but it’s very rare,” Spieth said, per Underdog Golf.

Scheffler and Jokic may not look like the traditional superstars in their sport. Unlike Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, Scheffler is not a gym rat with bulging muscles. The same goes for Jokic when compared to LeBron James. But that does not take away from either of their greatness.

Justin Ray of TwentyFirst Group compared Scheffler to Tim Duncan, according to a recent X post. The Big Fundamental would be a great nickname for Scheffler, who is a sensational iron player and a great chipper. Sidney Crosby of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins is another great comparison. He does not have the sizzling speed of Connor McDavid or the size and shot of Alexander Ovechkin, but he’s beside them in the record books.

Whoever the athlete you compare Scheffler to, that person should be one of the sport’s great champions. That is what Scheffler has become, as he joined an elite crew of four-time major champions. With one more, he would tie Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka for the most among his peers. Phil Mickelson is next at six. And he could become the seventh Grand Slam winner in history. No matter who the comparison is, it’s historic stuff for Scheffler.