Scottie Scheffler a ‘virtuoso’ in defending The Players title | Live From the Players | Golf Channel

Golf Central reacts to Scottie Scheffler’s “virtuoso performance” to become the first golfer to win The Players in consecutive years and showing no signs of slowing down. #GolfChannel #LiveFromThePlayers #ScottieScheffler
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Scottie Scheffler a ‘virtuoso’ in defending The Players title | Live From the Players | Golf Channel
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IT BACK TO YOU. >> NICE, WELL DONE. CONGRATULATIONS AS SCO SCOTTIE DOESN’T OOZE SOCIAL MEDIA ENERGY. BUT HE COULD ABSOLUTELY BE A NEEDLE MOVER FOR THE WAY HE PLAYS THIS GAME. HE IS RELENTLESS. A LEVEL OF TEE TO GREEN MASTERY WE HAVE NOT SEEN IN SOME TIME.

AND MAKING PUTTS AND MAKING HISTORY FIRST IN THE 50 YEARS OF THE PLAYERS TO WIN IT BACK TOE BACK. THE LOW FINAL ROUND EVER BY A MATCHING CHAMPION. FREDDIE IN ’06, BRANDEL, WE WERE TREATED TO SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL. >> I WOULD SAY THIS

WAS VIRTUOSO PERFORMANCE, BUT WE’RE GETTING USED TO WHAT HE IS DOING OFF THE TEE INTO THE GREENS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN HIS CAREER THAT HE HAS EVER LED THE FIELD IN DRIVING ACCURACY. WHEN YOU START TO LOOK AT HOW MANY FAIRWAYS

HE HIT THIS WEEK, 45 OF THEM TO FIND A SOLID CORE GOLF BALL ERA WHERE GUYS STARTED HITTING IT CROOKED, THE ONLY PLAYERS THAT HAVE HIT MORE FAIRWAYS IN ROUTE TO WINS, FRED FUNK, WEBB SIMPSON. WEBB SIMPSON WAS DEAD LAST IN DISTANCE DRIVING THAT WEEK.

FUNK WAS NEXT TO LAST. SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER ONE OF THE LONGEST IN THE FIELD. SO COMBINING THAT SORT OF ACCURACY WITH THAT SORT OF DISTANCE AND THE WAY HE WORKED HIS WAY AROUND THIS BACK COURSE WAS JUST HEAD-SPINNING GREAT GOLF. >> IT WAS.

I MEAN, IT’S NOT JUST TODAY AS WELL. THE FACT THAT HE BATTLED AND GETS AN INJURY OVER THE LAST TWO DAY, BRANDEL, WHEN HE CARRIED QUITE A SERIOUS INJURY THAT RESTRICTED HIM A LOT AND STILL SHOT THE SCORES HE DID TO

REMAIN SOMEWHERE IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR OF THE LEADERS TO GIVE HIMSELF THAT OPPORTUNITY TODAY, I THINK A LOT OF CREDIT TO HIM. WE TALKED THE START OF THE WEEK ABOUT HIS QUIET COMPETITIVE SPIRIT THAT YOU DON’T REALLY APPRECIATE BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT

RAH-RAH AND FIST-PUMPING LIKE YOU WOULD NORMALLY EXPECT WHAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY TERM SOMEBODY WHO HAS A COMPETITIVE SPIRIT. BUT HE HAS A HEART ON FIRE. HE LOVES THE GRIND OF GOLF, THE BATTLE OF GOLF. AND BOY, OH, BOY CAN HE PLAY IT WELL.

WITH HIS STATISTICS, 12 OUT OF 14 FAIRWAYS AGAIN TODAY SET IT UP. BUT HIS COURSE MANAGEMENT IS ABSOLUTELY SUPREME. HE IS NEVER ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE FLAG. AND WITH GREAT CHIPPING, HE’S ALWAYS GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET UP AND DOWN.

WE TALKED AT THE START OF THE WEEK ONE OF THE KEYS TO WINNING WAS NOT JUST GOING FORWARD. IT WAS THE ABILITY WHEN OUT OF POSITION TO GET IT UP AND DOWN. THE LOWEST BOGEY COUNT OF THE WEEK AT 4 WAS UNDERPINNED EVERYTHING

HE DID IN TERMS OF WINNING THIS TOURNAMENT. >> YEAH, LOOK, I MEAN, IN THE LAST 21 TIMES HE’S PLAYED A TOUR EVENT, HE HAS LED THE TOUR EVENT STROKES TEE TO GREEN TEN TIMES. IT’S WORTH JUST A COUPLE OF SHOTS. WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT

THE FOURTH HOLE TODAY. THIS IS WHEN HE LIT THE PLACE UP. I WOULDN’T HAVE THOUGHT, HE PROBABLY WOULDN’T HAVE THOUGHT HE LIKELY HAD A CHANCE TODAY UNLESS THERE WAS SOMETHING MAGICAL THAT HAPPENS. JUST HANG AROUND AND HOPE FOR MAGIC TO TOUCH YOU ON THE SHOULDER.

>> IT DIDN’T TOUCH HIM ON THE SHOULDER HERE. IT LITERALLY SENT A LIGHTNING BOLT THROUGH THE EVENT, NO DOUBT THROUGH HIM THERE HE IS AT THE 4. BEAUTIFUL IRON SHOT. AND OF COURSE GET HIM UP ON THE 12th. THE SHOT HE HIT AT 8,

9, 10, ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE BACK NINE, 326 YARDS TO THIS HOLE LOCATION. 326. YOU KNOW HOW FAR THIS TEE SHOT WENT? 326. RIGHT ON THE BUTTON. GAVE HIM A 20-FOOTER LOOK FOR EAGLE. COMING DOWN THE STRETCH ON THE BACK NINE, AS GOOD AS GOLF

YOU WILL EVER SEE. THE BALL STRIKING WE KNOW ABOUT. BUT THE VIRTUOSO PERFORMANCE I’M TALKING ABOUT IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AROUND HERE, AND IT’S SO HARD TO DO. YOU HAVE TO WORK IT BOTH DIRECTIONS. SO THE BULLET FADE OFF OF NINE AS PRETTY A

SHOT AS YOU’LL EVER SEEN. RIGHT DOWN THE LEFT CENTER WITH A SMALL LITTLE CUT. ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. WE KNOW HE PREDOMINANTLY PLAYS A FADE. BUT THE FACT IS HE CAN WORK IT ANY DIRECTION. VERY TIGER WOODS-LIKE. 270 YARDS WITH AN IRON. HE HAS TO HOOK IT

AROUND THE CORNER. HE IS UP TO THE TASK. DOESN’T HAVE THE TAKE ON THE TREES. HE CAN MITIGATE THE RISK BY SHAPING THE SHOT. THIS ONE WOULD FINISH ON THE BACK OF THE GREEN. IT WAS A NERVY LITTLE TWO-PUTT. BUT IT WAS A BIRDIE NONETHELESS.

TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN STUFF. BACK TO THE CUT THAT HE NEEDED. OFF OF 11, OFF OF 14. YOU WANT TO DRIVE RIGHT RIGHT CENTER AT 11. GORGEOUS. ABSOLUTELY THE WAY HE WOULD HAVE DRAWN IT UP. BEAUTIFUL. >> AND HIS SECOND SHOT BY THE WAY WAS RIGHT

AT IT. THINK OF ALL THE SHOTS THAT ARE RIGHT AT IT. 8, 10, 11, JUST BUILDING ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER SHOT AFTER SHOT AFTER SHOT. 14. TOUGHEST DRIVE ON THE GOLF COURSE OUTSIDE OF 18 I WOULD SAY BECAUSE THERE IS A RIDGE RUNNING RIGHT DOWN THE

MIDDLE OF THE FAIRWAY. GET IT GOING TOO FAR TO THE RIGHT, IT WILL KICK INTO THE ROUGH. TOO FAR THE LEFT IN THE BUNKER. SOFT FADE. HE HAD IT. NOW YOU GET TO 18. BEEN HITTING ALL THESE FADES, BUT YOU HAVE GOT SWITCH GEARS,

BEFORE HE WINDS UP THERE. THIS REMINDS ME OF TIGER WOODS 2013. TYING WERE AN IRON. PERFECT DRAW DOWN THE RIGHT CENTER. JUST TO SHAKE UP THE HOLE, EXACTLY LIKE THIS, WHICH OF COURSE SET HIM UP FOR A BEAUTIFUL IRON SHOT, WHICH HE THOUGHT WAS

GOING TO KICK LEFT OF THE HOLE, KICK TO THE RIGHT, MADE THE PAR. BUT IT WAS, AGAIN, JUST HIS ABILITY TO WORK THE BALL EVERY SINGLE DIRECTION, AND HIS CONSISTENCY OVER TIME. >> SO WE TALKED ABOUT IT ALL WEEK LONG. EVERY TIME WE COME

HERE, NO ONE HAS SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED. BEST PERFORMANCES VIED FOR FIFTH. NICKLAUS, ’77, KITE IN ’90, SUTTON IN 2001. TIED FOR 28th. THIS GUY’S BREAKING SOME NEW GROUND AND SHOWS NO SIGNS OF LETTING UP. >> YEAH, I MEAN, WE HAVE SEEN BALL-STRIKING IN THE

LAST COUPLE OF SEASONS. THAT HAS ONLY BEEN MATCH AND PARALLELED BY THE HIGH STANDARDS OF TIGER WOODS. GOING THROUGH WHAT KEVIN CASEY THIS WEEK WE DELVED INTO THE STATS IN A LOT OF DETAIL. AND THE BEST YEAR TIGER EVER HAD IN

TERMS OF BALL STRIKING WAS 2006. SO IF YOU PUT THAT ONE OUT AS THE MARKER, AS THAT THE BENCHMARK AS THE BEST EVER BALL STRIKING IN THE STROKES GAINED ERA, AND LAST YEAR SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER WAS SECOND TO THAT. SO HE MATCHED AND BEAT

A LOT OF OTHER YEARS WHERE TIGER WOODS WAS AT HIS PRIME, WHERE ONLY ONE LEVEL WAS ABOVE HIM AFTER THAT. HE’S CARRIED ON AGAIN THIS YEAR, AND HE HAS ACTUALLY SURPASSED WHAT HE WAS IN BALL STRIKE. THIS GUY CAN HIT THE

BALL, WE KNOW THAT. BUT IT TAKES A LOT MORE TO GO INTO THE COCKTAIL OF SUCCESS THAN JUST THE ABILITY TO HIT A GOLF BALL. WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IT IS OKAY, WE CAN TALK ABOUT HIS PUTTING ALL DAY LONG, AND THERE

HAS CERTAINLY BEEN AN IMPROVEMENT ON THAT, I THINK HE SHOULD BE BUYING RORY McILROY A BIG LARGE BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE SINCE HE GOT THE PUTTER SINCE RORY REFERENCED THAT A FEW WEEKS AGO, JUST AFTER GOING BACK-TO-BACK WINS. BUT WHAT I LOVE AND

WHAT HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING ABOUT HIM IS IN REVERSE. WHEN YOU GET OUT OF POSITION. IF YOU DO GET OUT OF POSITION, WHY DID HE GET OUT OF POSITION? HIS COURSE MANAGEMENT, HIS BALL CONTROL. THIS GUY IGNITED SINCE TED SCOTT STARTED CADDIEING FOR HIM.

BEFORE THAT HE WAS DOING WELL. BUT ALL OF THE SUDDEN HE BECAME A SERIAL WINNER AND SERIAL PLAYER WHEN TED CAME ON THE BAG AND HE GRADUATED TO BE A RYDER CUP PLAYER THAT YEAR. THE LAST SEVEN YEARS SEVEN PGA TOUR EVENTS

WHICH IS MOTHER THAN RAHM AND MORE THAN McILROY. HE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL. AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT HE IS BRILLIANT IN TERMS OF COURSE MANAGEMENT. I LOVE THE FACT THAT HE NEVER MISSES IT ON THE WRONG SIDE. HE ALWAYS GIVES HIMSELF AN OPPORTUNITY

TO GET UP AND DOWN. AND THERE IS A REASON WHY HE HAS LED THE LAST TWO SEASONS THE LAST YEAR, THE BOGEY COUNTS. THE LEAST NUMBER OF BIRDIES. McILROY MADE PLENTY THIS WEEK. SO DID FITZPATRICK, BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS THE LOW LEVEL OF BIRDIES.

THAT’S WHERE HE EXCELS, WEEK AFTER WEEK, YEAR AFTER YEAR. >> ATTITUDE, TOUGHNESS, SKILL THAT IS WHY HE LIVES IN CONTENTION. THAT IS AN EIGHTH VICTORY, TWO PLAYERS TITLES IN BACK-TO-BACK IN THE MASTERS. SO NOT OUTLANDISH TO THINK IF HE STAYS

HEALTHY THAT SOME DAY HE MIGHT MOVE INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE SOME