‘Can We Stop Comparing Him to Tiger Now?’: Scottie Scheffler Faces Golf Fans’ Backlash Over Royal Troon Meltdown

Scottie Scheffler’s stellar season came to a stunning halt in the final round of the fourth major, The Open! The World No. 1 golfer faced a shocking meltdown on the field that left the golf world in disbelief. Scheffler’s usually steadfast game had inexplicably gone off the rails, plagued by a string of uncharacteristic mistakes. He left fans wondering: what just happened to the world’s number-one golfer?

NoLayingUp on their X handle shared a post, captioning, “Scottie 3 putted from here.” Scottie Scheffler’s title hopes at The Open Championship evaporated on the par-4 9th hole, where a disastrous double bogey sent his chances crashing down. The World No. 1 golfer’s usually reliable short game abandoned him when it mattered most, as he failed to convert a makeable 2-foot 8-inch putt for par.

Despite landing his second shot a foot off the green, his putting woes cost him dearly, plummeting him from a promising 4-under position to a frustrating fade from contention. Just moments earlier, he was poised to pounce on leaders Justin Rose and Thriston Lawrence, trailing by only two shots. But the World No. 1’s Claret Jug dream now lies in shreds, a victim of his own meltdown. It was Xander Schauffele who came on to clinch his second major of the season.

This came after Scheffler took a break from PGA Tour tournaments, following his thrilling playoff victory over Tom Kim at the Travelers Championship just a month ago. However, the 28-year-old arrived in Scotland early and practiced at Turnberry Golf Course with golfer Sam Burns. Despite this preparation, the rust from his time off seemed to show in his crucial moment of need, and fans could not believe it.

Fans were left stunned and bewildered, their jaws dropped as they struggled to comprehend how the world’s number one golfer could miss such a chance. Let’s see how the golf world reacted to Scheffler’s self-destruction.

Fans are not happy with Scottie Scheffler’s putting game

“Can we stop comparing him to Tiger now?” One fan commented, drawing a stark contrast between Scheffler and Tiger Woods. In his prime, Woods was unbeatable, particularly with his putting. In his prime, Woods was unbeatable, particularly with his putting. His peak putting stats, such as his 1.725 putts per green in regulation during the 2000 season, highlighted his dominance. Scheffler’s recent performance falls far short of these legendary benchmarks.

“Number 1 player in the world ejected themselves at a major on Sunday in playing through siiiiick,” noted one observer, drawing parallels to Brooks Koepka’s struggles at Portrush in 2019. Koepka, then the World No. 1, had won four of the last nine majors but had to settle for a final-round 74, including four bogeys in the first four holes, leaving him tied for fourth.

Sarcastic trolls chimed in with comments like “One of us,” “Yo Soly that’s my brand and not Scottie’s brand…,” and “He’s just like us! He’s just like us!” These comments reflect the fans’ disbelief that a top-tier golfer could perform so poorly, likening Scheffler’s play to that of an average amateur.

“Never seen a player this good be this bad at putting. It’s astonishing,” one fan pointed out. Scheffler’s strokes gained putting statistic at The Open was -2.61, ranking him 126th out of 157 who teed off. These metrics indicate that his putting performance was significantly below average. This is similar to Rory McIlroy’s title miss at the 2024 US Open, where he missed a crucial three-foot putt, leading to Bryson DeChambeau’s victory. Another fan added, “Bad putting strokes get exposed on slow greens,” underscoring the particular challenges of the Open’s conditions.

“Scheffler cannot putt…it’s kinda painful,” echoed another disappointed fan. This sentiment reflects the frustration of watching a usually reliable player falter. The connection to McIlroy’s missed opportunity at the US Open further illustrates how even the best golfers can have off days with their putting.

“I had to rewind because I thought maybe I was seeing things….Jesus!!!! He just 4 putted out the chip,” exclaimed a fan who was stunned by Scheffler’s uncharacteristic meltdown. This critical remark highlights how shocking it was for viewers to see such a skilled golfer struggle so profoundly with his putting. 

“Yeah pretty much missed that because NBC had ads to sell us,” another fan remarked, frustrated with the TV broadcast’s coverage. The sentiment was echoed by comments like “And NBC of course shows it all in playing thru FML” and “At least it was during Playing Through…” Fans expressed their annoyance that crucial moments were overshadowed by commercials, reminding of similar complaints during past major tournaments.