[Photo: Getty]
I was en route to Augusta National for the Masters last month when a friend of mine in the golf industry said, “Did you see those awesome pics of ‘Scotty’ and his mum playing Augusta? They posted on Instagram!”
RELATED: Scottie Scheffler wins a third career major
I whipped open my phone, given this was catnip for online Australian golf content. On the Sunday before the Masters, past champions are allowed to take a guest out for a game. The 2013 green jacket winner, Scott, had previously taken his dad to play the hallowed turf, but his mum? This would be a tap-in for our digital Masters coverage.
A quick scan of the Masters’ official Instagram revealed “Scotty” was in fact a certain Texan, Scottie Scheffler, who took his mother out to Augusta National. A nice moment. But it was annoying to say the least, especially given the message was relayed to an Australian. That was the moment I realised Scott was no longer “Scotty” in the golf world.
Indeed, two Masters, two Players Championship wins and an Olympic gold medal for the 28-year-old American Scheffler took care of his naming rights in golf. But at the PGA Championship on Sunday (Monday AEST) at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, the original Scotty showed he’s still part of the conversation.
PGA Championship: Jon Rahm was eloquent explaining his shocking collapse at Quail Hollow
In his 95th consecutive major championship start, Scott gave viewers back in his homeland at least one reason to watch the final to the second major of the year after several high-profile Australians missed the cut –including our two winners on the PGA Tour this year, Min Woo Lee and Karl Vilips, as well as major winners Cameron Smith and Jason Day. Not that we were able to see much of that, with the CBS broadcast only showing 17 shots of Scott’s on Monday morning (in fairness, other stars such as Matt Fitzpatrick, Keegan Bradley and Viktor Hovland were shown even less). But Scott at least gave us a ray of hope for a first Australian victory at the PGA since Day’s triumph at Whistling Straits 10 years ago.
Only 10 months after being in genuine Sunday contention at the Open Championship – admittedly early on during the final day at Royal Troon (where he eventually finished T-10) – Scott came within four shots of Scheffler’s lead at Quail Hollow. The 44-year-old Australian reached six-under-par through 10 holes in Charlotte courtesy of birdies at the par-3 fourth, par-5 seventh and the par-5 10th, with just one bogey thrown in there. Given the wheels were coming off Scheffler’s bus (he turned two-over) and he had the treacherous Green Mile (Quail Hollow’s finishing trio of holes) to come, anything was possible. Not least to put pressure on Scheffler.
Scott’s dreams of a fairytale finish at the PGA came undone on the back nine. When the former world No.1 Scott made a bogey at 14, his run was all but over given anything worse than birdie at the driveable par-4 meant significant ground was lost on the field. He later made bogey at the 17th before a disastrous double-bogey at Quail Hollow’s difficult 18th. He tumbled from in the hunt to shooting 73 for a T-19 at two-under-par alongside fellow Australian Cam Davis.
Scheffler won by five shots over Bryson DeChambeau, Harris English and Davis Riley.
RELATED: Family man Adam Scott says intensity saved for the majors, but it’s there
Still, it was admirable stuff from the Queenslander. Sharing 19th does not reflect how much Scott was actually in the mix with nine holes to play.
Scott is the ultimate competitor and would have been furious at his last five holes, and certainly wouldn’t want any celebration of another top-20 result at a major. But the bloke is turning 45 in two months and is still must-watch TV during the major championships for Australian fans. He debuted in the majors via final qualifying into the 2000 Open Championship at St Andrews, where he played a practice round with eventual winner Tiger Woods. He’s teed up in every major championship since. Among that quarter-century of longevity, there has been plenty of worthy performances including his Masters win, and his heartbreaking runner-up at the Open at Royal Lytham.
Scott is guaranteed to reach 98 consecutive majors given he progressed to the 2024 season ending Tour Championship on the PGA Tour, which locked up starts in all four majors for 2025. The 2025 US Open and Open get him to 97 straight while his 2013 Augusta victory came with a lifetime invitation to the April major. There’s 98 by the 2026 Masters.
He may not be Scotty anymore, but he’s lived through every era of great champions from Woods, Mickelson and Els to Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and now the other Scottie.
Some on that list either weren’t in the field at Quail Hollow, or they weren’t there on the weekend or they weren’t remotely in contention.
But the original Scotty was.
