Scottie Scheffler is the dominant player in golf. The Cups have been another matter

MEDINAH, Ill. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler is the undisputed No. 1 player in the world, a winner of 25 tournament worldwide and three legs of the career Grand Slam, all within the last five years.

It just doesn't look that way when it comes to team competition.

His record in the two Presidents Cups he has played is 3-5-1. Scheffler avoided a complete shutout in the Ryder Cup last year by beating Rory McIlroy in singles to go 1-4-0 for the week at Bethpage Black, lowering his record in those matches to 3-6-3.

This is of little concern to Scheffler, or to U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker.

“Scottie Scheffler being Scottie Scheffler is the most important thing for us as a team,” Snedeker said Tuesday after another cool, cloudy day of practice at rain-softened Medinah. “We can't ask him to do more than he can do. He can only deliver five points at his best if he goes out and plays unbelievable. We just want Scottie to go out there and be comfortable."

Snedeker was at Medinah in 2012 for the Ryder Cup when Tiger Woods didn't win any of his four matches as Europe rallied to win.

That was always the most curious part of Woods' incomparable career — a world beater except in the Ryder Cup, where he had a career mark of 13-21-3. He fared much better in the Presidents Cup (27-15-1), a product of being on so many winning teams.

Being the best in golf often comes with a target on the back, that extra level of motivation for the player — or players in team formats — trying to beat him.

Scheffler made his Ryder Cup debut in 2021 before he had won on the PGA Tour. Most memorable that week was starting with four straight birdies to go 4 up in four holes and beating Jon Rahm, 4 and 3. Scheffler, a captain's pick, was unbeaten in three matches at Whistling Straits.

Remarkably, he went eight consecutive matches in both cups without winning (three matches were halved) until he and Russell Henley won the opening match at the 2024 Presidents Cup.

Some of it Scheffler attributes to the fickle nature of match play over 18 holes. He has played well and lost, played mediocre and won. That happens with everyone. There's another part of him, however, that wonders if the effort is in overdrive.

“When you look at this format — and maybe my record hasn’t matched up to what I think that it should be — could it be trying too hard? I think that’s definitely a factor, for sure,” Scheffler said. "For me, it’s different in the sense that you also have a partner with you and you’re playing for somebody outside yourself, and that’s a lot different as well.

“Striking the balance between how much do you care, I think that’s something I’m always trying to figure out,” he said. “Definitely for me, I think just trying less would be really important. It’s just one of those things that’s a lot easier said than done.”

Scheffler has been playing practice rounds this week with Sam Burns, his best friend on the PGA Tour. They have yet to win a match as partners (0-3-1) in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup.

“Do I think we have unfinished business? I don’t know if I would call it that,” Burns said. “It’s been frustrating the times we have played together, and we feel like we’ve played really well and ultimately not won. This week we’re going to go out and compete as hard as we can and try to get as many points for the U.S. team as possible.”

That hasn't been a problem for the American team, heavy favorites on paper and in history. They have won 10 in a row dating to 2005, though Burns was quick to point out a message Snedeker is trying to hammer home that “this team hasn't done anything.”

Scheffler had another dominant year, even if the trophies didn't pile up. He won his season opener in the California desert in January. He didn't win again until August. In between he had three straight runner-up finishes, including at the Masters.

He ended the season by taking two of the three postseason events. The one he didn't win, the BMW Championship, he played with hand, foot and mouth disease that caused blisters on his hands and his feet. It's tough to play golf that way. He tied for 12th.

“When you think about expectations and all that stuff, all I can control is what I can control, and that's going out and trying to execute,” he said. "A successful week for me is not necessarily winning all five matches. It’s showing up and controlling what I can control and going out there and doing my best."

He's the key player on the American team — it's been that way the last four years. Snedeker served up a reminder that Scheffler is not the only player.

“Scottie Scheffler is not going to be the reason we win or lose,” Snedeker said. “It’s going to have to be 12 people pitching in and doing their job.”

___

See AP’s full golf coverage here