It took some time but the first win in 2025 for world-ranked number one Scottie Scheffler was a seismic shaker.
With all the recent attention quite rightly being placed on Rory McIlroy, the 28-year-old Texan displayed a knockout performance in winning in his backyard neighborhood of Dallas with a commanding eight-stroke win and a record-tying PGA Tour score of 253.
The victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson was Scheffler’s 14th triumph on the PGA Tour and first since claiming last year’s Tour Championship.
While some may have speculated a new world order in professional golf—make no mistake about it—the Sheriff of professional golf remains Scheffler.
The win nearly produced the all-time 72-hole scoring record, but Scheffler closed out the final round with a bogey at the par-3 17th and failed to make an eight-foot birdie putt at the 18th. The only serious blemish in his total dominance was making bogey on the penultimate hole each day.
The victory was most rewarding on a number of levels. Scheffler did not play in the event in 2024 because of the pending birth of his son Bennett. The memories of the event are forever etched with Scheffler who when a six-year-old had his picture taken with the legendary namesake of the tournament—Byron Nelson. The event also marked Scheffler’s debut as a pro-golfer 11 years ago as a high school senior.
Scheffler’s previous best Nelson finish was a tie for fifth in his most recent appearance two years ago. He’s the first wire-to-wire Nelson winner since Tom Watson 45 years ago.
The eight-shot winning margin was the second largest at the Nelson behind Sam Snead’s 10-shot win in 1957, when it was known as the Dallas Open Invitational.
The 2025 started slowly for Scheffler, who underwent surgery to remove glass particles lodged in his hand when preparing Christmas dinner.
Scheffler’s final motivation came at the Masters when, as defending champion, he had to place the green jacket on the shoulders of the new champion—McIlroy.
The golf season is now producing a clear battle for supremacy with McIlroy looking to add to his success at Augusta and Scheffler equally determined to show his nine wins in 2024 was anything but a one-time occurrence.
The wherewithal for Scheffler to dominate was front and center right from the start with a tournament-low 61 in the opening round. After two rounds of play, he was already at 18-under-par and leaving everyone else in his rear-view mirror.
Each of the next three months will feature a major event, with the PGA Championship coming up in two weeks in Charlotte, North Carolina. McIlroy has won at the host venue Quail Hollow four times and could well be the prohibitive favorite given his track record there.
Scheffler’s command at the top of the world rankings stretches back 101 consecutive weeks to May 23, 2023. He has been at the top of golf’s pecking order for a total of 135 weeks. Only Tiger Woods and Greg Norman have a greater cumulative time as golf’s number one players.
What is clear is that whenever Scheffler is on his game—as he was at the Nelson event—the wherewithal to be as dominant as Woods was at his peak is clear to see.
The pushback from McIlroy has now given Scheffler added motivation to remove any doubt that his run as the Sheriff of professional golf is in danger of being overtaken.
Confidence in golf can ebb and flow. Sometimes as quickly as the execution of a given shot. However, when possessed on either side of the spectrum, the momentum or lack thereof, can put in motion a belief that can provide a galvanizing outcome.
Professional golf has been searching for a tussle at the top of the world rankings for quite some time. McIlroy’s lack of a major championship title stretched back to 2014, and his proponents have stated that his Augusta win could well be his springboard for future major titles. We shall soon see on that front this year.
Scheffler’s composure remains his greatest asset. In tandem with his caddie Ted Scott the duo is the perfect combination. The focus is ever resolute; the belief in doing whatever it takes ironclad.
When Scheffler dominated professional golf in 2024 with nine global wins, the question was whether another golfer could push him to even greater heights. McIlroy’s Masters victory certainly served notice that he was not going to sit back and go unnoticed.
Scheffler’s home town win was satisfying on a number of levels. Although born in New Jersey, he has become an adopted Texan in all senses.
Major championship titles remain the ultimate barometer for lasting golf greatness. No one knows that better than Scheffler and McIlroy. Like the old Hollywood westerns, the meeting on the main street face-to-face between the two combatants was the quintessential test of nerve and superiority.
Sheriff Scheffler served notice in Texas that he’s not planning on taking a backseat to anyone.
Both men know full well the pathway for greatness provides only one lane.
The fireworks on the golf course are just getting started.
