“I don’t allow other players to have ‘the throne,’” said the two-time U.S. Open winner’s swing coach, more particularly about Scottie Scheffler. Now, the hot and honest confession of Bryson DeChambeau’s coach was not because Scheffler was his student’s rival. The statements have a far deeper meaning.

In an episode of the Fore Play podcast, Dana Dahlquist explained the theory behind giving somebody the “throne” in the golf world, which now sits on the head of Scheffler. The 28-year-old first claimed the No. 1 spot on the OWGR back on March 27, 2022, although he did not warm the throne consistently. As of June 2024, Scheffler has held the spot of World No. 1 for over 90 weeks.

“Right now, everyone’s elected Scottie Scheffler [to the throne].” Although Dahlquist explained that the World No. 1 is “a great human being,” and together with his coach, Randy Smith, they make a nice unit, he still doesn’t allow a few things at his center. He said, “I wouldn’t allow any of my students to like Scottie, to be like, ‘He’s the guy.’” But what is the reason?

Considering the golfer’s impressive performance in the 2024 season so far, up until the Travelers Championship, where he won against Tom Kim in a nail-biting play-off, the 12-time PGA Tour winner has bagged 6 wins already, including the first major of this year. The prominent golf coach chose to take Tiger Woods as an example, emphasizing how, from the very early days, the 82-time PGA Tour winner exuded confidence, which initially caught many off guard. “In golf, we elected Tiger Woods. And he verbally would say it to everybody. That was built into him at a young age.”

He specifically highlighted the Strange-Woods 1996 interview, where the then-young Tiger Woods was about to debut on the PGA Tour through the Greater Milwaukee Open. 20-year-old Woods candidly said, “Second sucks and third is even worse.” Taken aback by his candid confession, Curtis Strange had only a few words for the young Woods, “You’ll learn.” Did Tiger Woods win his debut event on the Tour? Well, he did! “What’s interesting is that Tiger rose to that occasion and was able to drop the hammer on everybody,” Dahlquist explained.

“Right now, that’s the same with Scottie Scheffler. People around him built that in, and when he was able to win, they perpetuated it. Now he’s here, and people are elevating him for it.” Both Woods and Scheffler were taught from a young age to believe in themselves, which is reflected in their gameplay on the greens.

Additionally, Dahlquist described that even the media elects these players as the best golfers and helps to perpetuate the idea further. But giving his students the same concept might work against them, so he doesn’t believe in placing a particular player on the “throne,” even if they’re Scottie Scheffler or Tiger Woods. However, he does tell them something else to keep up their morale.

What is Dana Dahlquist’s advice for his students?

Dahlquist is the No.1-ranked swing coach in California and has taught some of the best golfers around the globe. He wants each of his students to believe they can be the next best thing in golf and, hence, cannot tell them to follow an established golfer’s path. But he advised them to make their own way to be unique, like Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler.

Talking about his concept of teaching, Dahlquist explained, “At least with my students, [I encourage them to say things] like, ‘Hey, I’m the best person at this golf course.’ If you speak it into existence, if you have the mindset, that’s a really important factor.” Per him, that’s what has helped Bryson DeChambeau, too! The swing coach has played a crucial role in DeChambeau’s career, especially in recent years.

His analytical feedback and mentoring have propelled the Scientist to new heights, evident in DeChambeau’s iconic win at the 2024 U.S. Open. Ahead of the third major, Golf Digest shared a glimpse of how Dahlquist monitors his mentee, giving a detailed breakdown of the data collected on DeChambeau’s skills and techniques. One of the takeaways the coach shared was about the pro’s swing: “The center of Bryson’s pelvis moves about an inch more towards the target on those swings. That creates more side bend, which prevents his ability to release his hands.”

Do you agree with Dana Dahlquist? Is Scottie Scheffler “the guy” or not? Let us know in the comments below.