Breakfast Ball #71: Scottie Continues his Ascension to Greatness

In This Week’s Newsletter:

From Jailbreak to Joy: Scottie Scheffler bounces back to win the PGA Championship

When you study individuals who’ve achieved extraordinary things, one truth becomes clear: there’s no single formula for greatness. Each person brings a unique set of traits and behaviors. Steve Jobs was a relentless perfectionist with a vision for the future few could grasp. Marie Curie overcame enormous barriers in a male-dominated field to build a groundbreaking scientific legacy. Lionel Messi, quiet and unassuming, inspires awe with moments of genius few can explain.

And yet, despite their differences, they all share one essential trait: resilience.

Call it grit, perseverance, or mental toughness — no one reaches the highest level of achievement without it. Resilience is the common thread that turns talent into legacy.

Most golfers on the PGA Tour have more than enough talent to win. But like many pursuits in life, golf presents moments that push you to your mental limits. It's in those pressure-filled situations that true greatness reveals itself.

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of people whose accomplishments carry far more weight than a person hitting a small white ball into a hole in fewer strokes than everyone else. However, there is a reason Scottie Scheffler is the number one golfer in the world. He is resilience personified.

The first two days at the 107th PGA Championship, Scheffler was fighting his swing. Four birdies and an eagle during his opening round were overshadowed by bogeys on the third and eleventh holes, as well as a double bogey on the 16th. Every time it seemed like he had made some progress, he faced a new challenge. In those moments, it is easy to get frustrated and play aggressively, chasing down dangerous pins and turning easy pars into double bogeys.

“I always try to lean as much as I can on my mind. I think that's probably my greatest strength,” he said. “This week I did such a good job of staying patient when I wasn't swinging it my best but I hit the shots when I needed to.”

The defining stretch of the tournament was late in the day on Saturday. Coming off a bogey on the 13th, Scheffler was one shot behind Bryson DeChambeau. Again, he gathered himself, and hit a remarkable shot on the 304-yard par-4 14th to two feet, which he converted for eagle. After a birdie on the par-5 15th, Scheffler approached the final three holes known as the “Green Mile”, which played more than 500-over for the week. That didn’t faze him. He completely flipped the script with birdies on 16 and 18 to take a three-shot lead into Sunday.

But Quail Hollow wasn’t done testing Scottie’s resolve. A two-over front nine in the final round, combined with a charge from Jon Rahm, erased the cushion, leaving the tournament tied with nine holes to play. But, as he had all week, and throughout much of his professional career, Scheffler never wavered. Birdies on the 10th, 14th, and 15th holes propelled him back into the lead, and when Rahm stumbled through the notorious Green Mile, Scottie pulled away with ease, cruising to a five-shot victory.

When the pressure peaks on the back nine of a major Sunday, most players tighten up and fade. But that simply doesn’t happen with Scottie Scheffler. Give him a chance to hang around and he’ll rise to the moment, delivering when it matters most.

While others faltered at Quail Hollow this weekend, Scheffler rose above it all and claimed the Wanamaker trophy. In a game that tests not just skill but spirit, Scottie Scheffler reminded us that true greatness isn’t about avoiding adversity. It’s about rising every time it appears.

European Results: Rahm, Fitzpatrick, and Noren fall short, but display signs of progress

Alex Noren produced an incredible performance over the first three rounds, earning himself a tee time alongside Scheffler in the final group. It was the first time Noren had been in that situation, and while a final round 76 was not what he hoped for, it will serve him well in the future. This was the Swede’s second event back after a hamstring tear that kept him out of action for over 6 months. Noren had a great 2024, and can now look to push on and make a more big statements over the next couple of months.

It was a tough finish for Jon Rahm, who was bogey-free through 15 holes on the final day. Tied for the lead with Scheffler, he approached the drivable 14th hole and hit what looked like a fantastic 3-wood off the tee. However, it took an unfortunate bounce into the green side bunker and he was unable to get up and down for birdie. That clearly had an effect on him, and after a par on the 15th, he played the last three holes in five over, with double bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes. “The last three holes, it's a tough pill to swallow right now,” he said. “It's not the end of the world. It's not like I'm a doctor or a first responder, where if they have a bad day, truly bad things happen. I'll get over it. I'll move on.”

The past 18 months have been exceptionally challenging for Matt Fitzpatrick. In January 2024, he was ranked 8th in the world; by last week, he had plummeted to 85th. However, we saw signs of the Fitzy of old this weekend, as he got his first top 10 finish since last July and his first top 10 in a major since the 2023 Masters. Despite losing strokes off the tee, he was 4th in the field in strokes gained: approach, an area he has struggled with recently. He will need a few more performances like this to make Luke Donald’s team in September.

• Rory McIlroy finished in a tie for 47th after a difficult week in Quail Hollow. His driver was tested by the USGA on Wednesday and he was forced to change driver heads before the start of the tournament. Repeated ball-striking can cause a club to cross the testing threshold without a player’s knowledge, as the face of the driver gets thin, giving a distance advantage.

• Luke Donald led the tournament at one point on Thursday after an opening round 67, but was unable to capitalize on that with subsequent rounds of 74, 73, and 76

• Englishmen Aaron Rai, Harry Hall, and Matt Wallace all posted top 20 results

• Viktor Hovland continues to show signs of improvement, finishing in a tie for 28th

• Tommy Fleetwood, Bob MacIntyre, the Højgaard twins, Matthieu Pavon, and Tom McKibbin all made the cut but did not break into the top 40

• Ludvig Åberg, Sepp Straka, Thomas Detry, and Justin Rose were among the Europeans that missed the cut

The 2025 PGA Championship in Numbers

252

Length in yards of Si Woo Kim’s hole in one, the longest in major championship history. A very worthy winner of my shot of the week!

+1

The score needed to make the cut at Quail Hollow. Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele made the cut on the number.

0

The number of post-round interviews conducted by Rory McIlroy this week. I am a big Rory fan (if that wasn’t clear already), but he should have spoken to the media about his performance this week, as well as the driver testing issue. Just strange.

8

Scottie Scheffler has converted his last 8 54-hole leads into wins. It is extremely difficult to win golf tournaments. This man just does it better than most.

25

The number of days until the start of the US Open. Oakmont awaits.

Coming up this week on Tour

• The PGA Tour goes to Texas for the Charles Schwab Challenge

• The DP World Tour continues its European swing at the Soudal Open in Belgium

• Final Qualifying for the US Open begins on Monday, with players such as Sergio Garcia, Francesco Molinari, and Edoardo Molinari all fighting for a spot in Oakmont

  • 13 sites will host one day, 36-hole events on May 19th and June 2nd to determine the qualifiers

If you have any feedback for the newsletter or would like to get in touch, I would love to hear from you! Email [email protected] or message us on Twitter/X at @BlueHorizonGolf. Thank you for reading!