This time last year, Scottie Scheffler was already on a roll, having neatly packed away four top-10 finishes and two consecutive wins. And well, the rest of course was history: one of the best seasons in his career with seven wins, including a gold medal at the National Olympics. But this year, the picture looks vastly different. To blame is none other than some Christmas ravioli. Scheffler later revealed that he underwent surgery to remove glass fragments from his right palm, and wouldn’t compete in The Sentry. That pullout persisted into the new year, and His wrist injury stopped him from starting early, where he missed two events.

When he did return, Scheffler failed to pick up where he left off. He has played only five events so far with only one top-5 finish so far – not what you would expect from someone who had delivered such exceptional performances a few short months ago, right? Well, Alan Shipnuck too believes that. He recently appeared on an episode of ‘Dan on Golf’ and was asked to grade the top players according to their form before they move into Augusta next month. When asked about Scottie Scheffler, he straight away graded him with an F.

“The guy, I’m looking at his results right now: T9, T25 at Phoenix, and he shot a gazillion on the back nine. He was up there on Sunday, T3 at Genesis, T11 at Arnold Palmer, and T20 at The Players. Yeah, I mean, for a journeyman, that’s a pretty nice start. You’re talking about a guy coming off one of the greatest seasons in golf history. He’s been on a three-year heater. He is the best player since Tiger Woods. Uh, he’s been basically a non-factor,” Shipnuck rated. Harsh as it sounds, where’s the lie?

Dan Rappaport, on the other hand, stated that he would have rated the American professional a B-minus despite agreeing with Alan Shipnuck’s words. The 28 YO had been in the No. 1 position for 130 weeks straight and has had a total of 13 PGA Tour wins in his career. To expect anything less than stellar would be a disservice to his skillset. With just two weeks left for the Masters, Scottie Scheffler is trying his best to get back into form – stating hopefully, in fact, that he has finally figured out what’s been pulling him down all this while.

Scottie Scheffler sends out warning to competitors

Scottie Scheffler has issued a clear warning to his competitors—he’s found the key to turning things around after what he considers a slower-than-expected start to the season. The World No. 1 admitted that a right-hand injury had set him back, forcing him to take time off and adjust his game. “I think it would be silly to say that it didn’t set me back a little bit because I had to take a good amount of time off,” Scheffler said, acknowledging the puncture wound on his palm. Given that he’s a right-handed player, the injury, along with the surgical procedure, naturally affected his swing.

However, he’s optimistic about his progress. “Each day, my hand continues to improve, my body is getting back to where it needs to be, and I think my swing is coming around as well. So I’m definitely excited about the improvements that I’m making.” Despite his own frustrations at times, Scheffler’s season has not really been outright horrible in the truest sense—he’s posted two top-10 finishes in five starts, with his worst result being a respectable 25th place. Still, he believes he’s on the verge of something much bigger.

“I feel like I’m really close to playing some really nice golf again,” he said. “I’ve got another good week of prep here at home, and I felt like we learned a lot last week at Sawgrass. I’m definitely excited about the things that we kind of figured out when we were in Jacksonville.” said Scheffler.

As he prepares to defend his Masters title next month, Scheffler also shared details about his Champions’ Dinner menu. Sticking to what he loves, the meal will feature familiar favorites. “My dad’s meatballs made the menu—that was always my favorite thing growing up. Then my coach Randy makes the best chili, so I think they are trying to use his recipe. I think we’re doing ribeye again, some redfish, and tequila and bourbon this time.” With his game trending in the right direction and his Masters menu locked in, Scheffler seems more than ready to make another statement at Augusta. Will he successfully defend his title and solidify his dominance? Stay tuned as the Masters approaches.