Will the real Scottie Scheffler please stand up? Because the one who is playing on the course recently is not the 2024 PGA Tour Player of the Year. Yes, Scheffler did return from the miraculous Christmas Day injury, but he is not the same as he used to be. Mr. Inevitable was a major threat in every tournament he played. But, in the sport of golf which is known to be unpredictable until the last moment, who can blame him? His peers were always busy focusing on keeping him out of contention more than anything else. Everyone feared that he would suddenly rise up the table in the last couple of rounds and win the title. But, that has not been the case.

The Scottie Scheffler of 2025 lacks the final touch that helped him win 7 titles last year. He looks more frustrated than ever. In fact, he was also caught throwing tantrums on the course after a series of disappointing strokes. On paper, it might seem like Mr. Inevitable performed exceptionally well with a T9 and T3 finish in Signature events. But in reality, he would have easily won both tournaments if it was at his peak of last year. It’s safe to say that Scheffler is no longer the same golfer he was in the 2024 Masters Tournament. But that doesn’t mean he has lost his passion.

The drama slayer has participated in three consecutive PGA Tour events looking for his first win. Scheffler opted out of the trip to VidantaWorld to participate in the 2025 Mexico Open. He is not a part of the field in the upcoming Cognizant Classic tournament as well. So when is he planning to play next?

The next time fans might see Scottie Scheffler grace the field will be to defend the Arnold Palmer Invitational title. Yes, Scheffler has committed to participating in the 2025 edition of the signature event. If the 28-year-old doesn’t suffer from an injury or have any emergency, then he will be at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge from March 6-9, 2025. He might be eager to win his 3rd title of the event.

Now that we know Scottie Scheffler’s next tentative appearance, let’s see how he won the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Scottie Scheffler’s performance in the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Scottie Scheffler is going in as the defending champion in the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational. But, in last year’s edition did he struggle to secure the title till the very last hole? Competing for the top spot against Shane Lowry and Wyndham Clark, Scheffler managed to kick off round four with a birdie to grab a 2-stroke lead. He went on to have a flawless final round scoring 5 more birdies to end up with 15-under par 273. Scheffler completed the 72 holes with 5 fewer strokes than the entire field. Hopefully, he can achieve similar results without throwing any tantrums.

But defending the Arnold Palmer Invitational title is no easy feat. The last time someone achieved it was 11 years ago. Shockingly, it was Matt Every, who has only won 2 titles in his career. And those were the Arnold Palmer Invitational trophies in 2014 and 2015. Other than him, Tiger Woods has also been able to successfully retain the title on multiple occasions. He has won the tournament two years in a row twice in 2008/2009 and 2012/2013. However, the GOAT’s best run in the tournament was from 2000-2003, when he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational 4 consecutive times. As Scheffler has often been compared to Woods, will he be looking to match this feat of the 82x PGAT winner as well? Only time will tell.

Do you think he is ready to take home the title of the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational? Share your views in the comments section.