Former Masters Champ Makes Risky Bet With Phil Mickelson Over Scottie Scheffler’s Career: ‘Keep the Receipt’

A good season calls for a great celebration. And well, that’s what Scottie Scheffler did last year, in his own way. After adding several feathers to his hat, he celebrated the time off with his family. However, during a Christmas dinner, he injured his wrist, for which he had to undergo surgery. Now, this ended up delaying his 2025 season. He started late in February with the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. However, his comeback has not been ideal, definitely not as per his standards.

In four events so far,  he has managed to land in the top 5 only at The Genesis Invitational. While there has been an ongoing debate about his form in the golf world already, pros like Phil Mickelson are also sharing their stances on it, bringing Ryder Cup into the mix. 

We all know this is the year when European and American squads will battle it out at the Bethpage. Europe will return as the defending champion, but under the captaincy of Keegan Bradley, Team USA will be high on energy, too. Scheffler will obviously be part of the team. Fans obviously want the US to take home the victory. So, according to Lefty, Scheffler might not win any event this year before the Ryder Cup.

Umm.. that’s a bold take. There are over six months left for the Ryder Cup to commence, and well, Scottie Scheffler has a lot of chances to put forward his best. Because, let’s not forget, even last year, his winning streak did not start until the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. On the other hand, the former South African golfer and the 2008 Masters winner, Trevor Immelman, has a completely different take.

Defending Scheffler and going against Phil Mickelson, Immelman wrote, “Phil…this is not just hot, it’s scalding! I do think Scottie wins before the RC. Let’s all keep the receipt on this and revisit it throughout the season….”

In 2024, too, before commencing his winning saga, Scheffler had just appeared in five events and had just two top 5 finishes. Pretty much a similar pattern, right? And this is what makes Trevor Immelman believe that Scheffler is surely going to win before the Ryder Cup. 

We believe that Trevor Immelman is not exactly wrong here. Let’s not forget that Scottie Scheffler is the king of comebacks, and he has demonstrated that time and again.

 Scottie Scheffler turns around the final round at the Olympics

In a thrilling final round at the Olympics on Sunday, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler pulled off an incredible comeback to clinch the gold medal. Starting the day four shots behind leaders Xander Schauffele and Jon Rahm at Le Golf National, Scheffler lit up the back nine with six birdies, finishing with a nine-under 62 to claim the victory.

For most of Sunday’s round, Scheffler had remained in the background, trailing the leaders as others appeared ready to claim the podium. But as the day wore on, Scheffler’s patience paid off, and when Rahm began to slip, Scheffler seized the opportunity. At par-5 14th, Scheffler caught fire with three consecutive birdies, tying Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood for the lead at 18 under. The final pairing, however, struggled on the par-5 14th. Rahm mishit his second shot, finding the deep rough left of the green, while Fleetwood’s second shot found the collar of a bunker, leaving him with a difficult stance. Fleetwood salvaged a par with a clutch 5-footer, keeping him tied with Scheffler.

On the tricky 17th hole, Scheffler faced a tough lie in the deep rough after his tee shot veered left. But with a spectacular shot, he managed to reach the green in regulation and lined up a 17-footer for a birdie. The putt was pure, and with a fist pump, Scheffler moved into sole possession of the lead at 19 under. Fleetwood, however, was not ready to concede. On the par-3 16th, the Englishman drilled his tee shot and sunk a 9-footer for a birdie to pull even with Scheffler at the top of the leaderboard with just two holes to play. With one hole remaining, Scheffler faced thick rough beside a fairway bunker on the 18th.

Undeterred, he expertly reached the green with his second shot, setting up a challenging birdie putt that curved downhill. After running the putt a few feet past the hole, Scheffler calmly sank the comeback putt to finish with a 62 and a 19-under total.

“I was trying to stay aggressive, and I was doing my best to stay patient and wait for my putter to get hot,” Scheffler shared of his game at the time. “I hit some really nice shots on the back nine, made some nice putts, and just tried to do everything I could to make birdies. I was fortunate to get it done.” 

Who do you agree with? Mickelson, or Immelman? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!