Scottie Scheffler outlasted Tom Kim in the Travelers Championship playoff. But could he have done it when he was of Kim’s age? The South Korean is 22 and has three PGA Tour victories under his belt. What was Scheffler doing at that age?

A shocking comparison has surfaced after the Travelers thriller. Scheffler won his Tour card in 2020, at 23 years of age. Kim managed the same at 20 and already has three victories on the Tour. Noting that Daniel Rappaport of No Laying Up podcast tweeted, “Something we were talking about on the pod today…Scottie Schdeffler (sic) didn’t get his PGA Tour card until age 23. Had Tom Kim won the playoff yesterday he’d have had 4 PGA Tour wins at the age of 22.”

Kim, notably, also matched a Tiger Woods feat last year. South Korean International became the first player since Woods to win thrice before 22. Moreover, he was the first player since Byron Nelson to defend his title in a single season. He also was the youngest player to defend a title since John McDermott in 1912, per stats guru, Justin Ray. 

Scheffler has broken many records this season alone. But compared to Kim, he is a late bloomer. The golf community was already aware of Kim’s brilliance. And, the comparison between world no. 1 and world no. 16 put things into perspective. 

Scottie Scheffler gets pushed to the sidelines 

Kim hailed Scheffler for his brilliance on the greens. After the round, the South Korean wrote on his Instagram handle, “Man we tried.. we gave it everything but just wasn’t quite enough. Congrats @scottie.scheffler (Scottie Scheffler) you deserve everything youve (sic) accomplished, you are a true champion but even a greater friend.” Not everyone is sold on Scottie Scheffler, like his on-and-off-course friend.

One user wrote, “Scottie Sheffler is boring for golf, no personality, the tour needs personality.” Another concurred, drawing a comparison with peak Tiger Woods; they wrote, “Big Tiger guy, Schdeffler (sic) ain’t s**t.” Speaking of Woods, the veteran golfer hailed Kim’s talent previously. The 82-time PGA Tour winner said, “It’s incredible to see, to beat the fields he’s beaten that early and to have the confidence he has.” Kim, notably, is also a part of Woods’s Jupiter Links GC in TGL. 

Some fans on the Internet also looked at Kim’s record in the global arena. He has seven International victories across the continent. One fan simply dubbed it “insane.” Another user, reminding everyone of his Shriners title defense, commented, “Tom Kim has 3 wins, and 2 of them are here in Vegas at the Shriners. So I’m assuming he’s coming back this year.”

A few, however, are more cautious about Tom Kim. They believe that winning early puts a burden on expectation, and more often than not, players get crushed under that. “Picking early can put monkey on your back,” one of them wrote. 

The comparison is unlikely to put a dent in their friendship. In fact, Scheffler’s parents were tagging Kim at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Coincidentally, they share the same birthday, June 21. Last year, the duo celebrated together first in a pizza joint and then at home. This year, both were busy minding their business at TPC River Highlands.