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Scottie Scheffler set for 2025 debut after freak injury

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Written by Sean Martin @PGATOURSMartin

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Scottie Scheffler is known as a man whose missteps are few. Their rarity may be his most impressive trait, at least in the opinion of Rory McIlroy, who believes that Scheffler’s ability to avoid miscues is unprecedented.

“I've never – this is anyone, this is Tiger, this is in the history of golf – I don't think I've ever seen a golfer play as many bogey-free rounds as Scottie,” McIlroy said on Tuesday. “He just doesn't make mistakes. It's so impressive.”

You could say this trait even extends beyond the course, as Scheffler is the sort who likes to keep a low profile when he isn’t competing, living a quiet existence at home in Dallas. His home course, his gym, church and favorite Chipotle are all within a few miles of each other. He prefers a simple life, which helps him prepare to play in a way that makes a difficult game seem less

He’s known for having exquisite control of his golf ball – something that all the advanced analytics confirm – and avoiding the costly misses that are prone to pop up at inopportune times.

“He plays the right shot at the right time over and over and over again,” McIlroy added. “You obviously need the technical ability to be able to do that, but he doesn't make mistakes. And when you don't make mistakes on the golf course, the game can become pretty easy. … If he continues to do that, he's going to be the dominant force that he was last year and the year before that.”


Rory McIlroy on impressive play of Scottie Scheffler
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      Rory McIlroy on impressive play of Scottie Scheffler


      Whether Scheffler can continue the dominance he exhibited in 2024 is one of the big questions entering his 2025 debut, however. Meeting the standard he set would be hard for any human. He won nine times worldwide, including the Masters, THE PLAYERS Championship, an Olympic gold medal and the FedExCup. One of those rare mistakes adds to the intrigue around his opening start of the year, though. Scheffler is in the field at this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after a rare miscue in the kitchen.

      It was Christmas Day when Scheffler injured his right hand while making ravioli for dinner. He suffered a puncture wound in his right palm, one that required surgery to remove shards of broken glass. Being away from home, and without his usual tools, he was using a wine glass to roll the dough, something that he immediately recognized in hindsight as a mistake. The glass broke and the stem punctured his palm. He considered himself fortunate, however, because a friend who suffered a similar injury had the stem of the glass go entirely through his hand.

      “It's one of those deals where immediately after it happened I was mad at myself because I was like gosh, that's so stupid, but you just don't think about it when you're in the moment,” Scheffler said Tuesday. “It really wasn't like terrible, but I knew I kind of messed something up just because the way my hand wasn't really moving much and if I did, it hurt pretty bad. So I kind of knew something was up.”

      While the injury could lead to understandable questions about Scheffler’s status – especially considering the important role the hands play in the golf swing – Scheffler insists that the impact from the injury will be minimal.

      After missing scheduled starts at The Sentry and The American Express, Scheffler said last week that he was uncertain if he would return this week. He didn’t want to rush his return, he said, or risk returning too early. He put himself through the paces at home, though, hitting an increasing number of balls to see if the injury would flare up under the increased workload.

      “Everything had healed properly and I was in a good spot and got some freedom from the doctor,” he said.

      Scheffler said last week that the surgery was a success and that he was “feeling good.” The surgery led to forced inactivity for a couple of weeks because he could not grip a golf club or gym equipment. It did give him an opportunity to watch highlights from his 2024 season, reminding himself what it felt like to win.

      It’s a feeling that he had often in 2024. Scheffler capped 2024 with a victory in his final start, at the Hero World Challenge. That was his first individual stroke play event since the TOUR Championship, and his six-shot win after a three-month break proved that he had no intention of slowing down.

      Only a wine glass could stop him. But he’s back now.

      Sean Martin is a senior editor for the PGA TOUR. He is a 2004 graduate of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. Attending a small school gave him a heart for the underdog, which is why he enjoys telling stories of golf's lesser-known players. Follow Sean Martin on Twitter.

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