Bubba Watson riles up golf world with bold Scottie Scheffler take

The quote spread like wildfire throughout golf social media with not many of the chatter in agreement with Watson. The intention seemed much more of a compliment of Scheffler rather than an indictment on Woods. Watson’s point focused more on the competition Scheffler was up against compared to who Tiger battled in 2000. But looking at what Tiger accomplished that year, it seems any golfer no matter when they were born could compete.

No one came close

Tiger Woods’ 2000 season is often hailed as one of the greatest in golf history. Woods secured nine PGA Tour victories, including three major championships: the U.S. Open, The Open Championshi, and the PGA Championship. He didn’t do terribly in the Masters either coming in fifth. He also won the Memorial Tournament and the WGC-NEC Invitational, among others.

Throughout the season, Woods demonstrated unparalleled consistency, finishing no worse than 23rd in any event and setting or tying several records. His dominance was further highlighted by a streak of consecutive victories and top finishes in nearly every tournament he entered.

It wasn’t just how many Tiger won that year but in the way he won which has regarded his season as one of the all-time greatest. His historic U.S. Open victory at Pebble Beach saw him win by a mind-boggling 15 strokes. His Open win at St. Andrews saw him decimate the field by 8 strokes. While Scheffler was head and shoulders above his competition, Tiger was playing a different sport. It truly was man against boys.

Can Scheffler catch Tiger?

Scheffler’s 2024 season was the first time in a long time that the question of whether someone can get close to Tiger was asked. His 2024 was the best year anyone has had since Tiger left his prime. When you look at the sheer numbers, it’s Mt. Everest-esq what Scheffler would need to do to catch Tiger.

Woods secured eight major championships by the age of 27, including a period where he held all four major titles simultaneously. At age 28, Scheffler has two Masters victories as his lone major wins. Scheffler would also need about 70 PGA Tour victories just to catch Tiger. Scheffler has currently been the number 1 player in the world for an astonishing 97 weeks. But he would have to almost triple that number to get to Tiger’s 281-week record.

While catching Tiger’s numbers is almost impossible, catching Tiger culturally is no doubt impossible. Tiger’s’ influence extended beyond tournament victories; he transformed the sport’s popularity worldwide. Virtually every current pro’s answer about who their golf idol growing up is him. His popularity within the golf and sports world cannot be replicated maybe ever again.

While Scottie Scheffler’s 2024 season was undeniably remarkable and invites comparisons to Tiger Woods’ 2000 campaign, equating the two requires careful consideration of longevity, major championships, and transformative impact on the sport. Scheffler’s trajectory suggests the potential for greatness, but matching Woods’ unparalleled legacy remains a formidable challenge.