FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Scottie Scheffler has been the standard everyone is chasing for the last 856 days. Thatâ€s how long he has been No. 1 in the world, the longest stretch in golf for anyone since Tiger Woods.
Now he is one of 12 at the Ryder Cup. His matches at Bethpage Black count no more than anyone else, whether itâ€s Patrick Cantlay or Harris English or Bryson DeChambeau.
“At the end of the day, itâ€s just all about going and winning your point,†Justin Thomas said Tuesday. “All of us are very happy that heâ€s on our team this week so we donâ€t have to try to figure out how to beat him in an individual tournament. Itâ€s nice that heâ€s on our side.
“No, heâ€s just viewed as one of the 12. And weâ€re all one and the same, Iâ€d say.â€
It was like that for Scheffler when he was world No. 1 at Marco Simone two years ago, and he failed to win a match by going 0-2-2. That included being on the losing end with Brooks Koepka in the shortest match in Ryder Cup history. Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland won in 11 holes.
Americans at No. 1 in the Ryder Cup
There isnâ€t a great history for No. 1 players in the Ryder Cup, at least on the American side. Dustin Johnson was at the top of his game when he went 1-4-0 in Paris.
As for Woods, he didnâ€t have a winning record until his fifth Ryder Cup, in 2006 at The K Club in Ireland, when he went 3-2-0 as the Americans lost by nine points.
None of this matters to Scheffler. Very little does when it comes to golf. His credo has been to show up at the first tee — Bethpage Black, Royal Portrush, Muirfield Village — knowing he has done everything possible to be ready. And then go compete.
“Should the expectations of me be different than any other player? I donâ€t really think about that kind of stuff,†Scheffler said. “I truly donâ€t think about expectations or anything like that. Thatâ€s wasted space in my brain.â€
But there always seemed to be a burden for Woods, a different cat. He never really was one of 12 because he was Tiger Woods. He was THE one of 12.
A European win over Woods counted as one point. Motivationally, it felt like two.
With inclement weather in the forecast for Thursday the PGA of America moved the Ryder Cup opening ceremony to Wednesday at Bethpage.
Finding the right partner
There also was the issue of finding Woods a good partner for foursomes and fourballs. He played with 10 players in his first four Ryder Cup appearances.
Scheffler has had six partners — three each for the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup — though he and Russell Henley appeared to be a good fit last year at Royal Montreal in the Presidents Cup and are likely to be together at Bethpage Black.
“I think we have 12 guys that are all equal. I donâ€t think one player is more important than another. I think that is something that is through our team room,†Scheffler said. “Iâ€d like to think that Iâ€m not difficult to pair with people. Iâ€d like to think of myself as someone thatâ€s a nice guy and easy to get along with.
“Iâ€ve had different partners over the years and have had some success. I would definitely not put myself in that category.â€
Schefflerâ€s rookie year on the PGA Tour was the last time Woods competed in team matches, so itâ€s a subject on which he has limited knowledge.
“It could just be the aura that was Tiger Woods,†he said.
European success from top players
Europe has had its share of No. 1 players with a different result.
Jon Rahm was 3-1-1 when he was at No. 1 for the 2021 matches at Whistling Straits. His one loss was to Scheffler, who birdied the opening four holes for a comfortable win.
Rory McIlroy went 3-2-0 at No. 1 in the world when Europe won at Medinah in 2012, and he was 2-1-2 as the top-ranked player at Gleneagles in Scotland in 2024.
Nick Faldo was 2-1-2 when he played as the world No. 1 at the Belfry in 1993. The only No. 1 player from Europe with a losing record was Ian Woosnam (1-3-0) in 1991.
“Rory has talked about this many times — he loves what the Ryder Cup represents,†European captain Luke Donald said. “You can see the emotion both ways.â€
There were tears from McIlroy when Europe lost big at Whistling Straits. There was that dispute with Patrick Cantlayâ€s caddie on the 18th green at Marco Simone two years ago, that resulted in McIlroy having to be restrained later that evening in the parking lot.
He used that as motivation for Europe on Sunday to finish the job by smoking the Americans.
“He sees himself as a leader, but also just one of the 12,†Donald said. “We try and talk about that a lot. We all have an opportunity to contribute to the team. To have someone of his caliber, though, what heâ€s achieved in the game is tremendous.â€
Is it something? Is it nothing? U.S. players being paid a stipend to compete in the Ryder Cup has drawn plenty of questions this week, but does concern have any merit?
American inexperience
Scheffler is a leader of the U.S. team by his sheer stature in the game, even if he doesnâ€t see it that way. This is only his third Ryder Cup. Then again, Thomas is the most experienced American and this is only his fourth appearance.
Itâ€s a young U.S. team by experience — the 12 players have combined to play in 15 Ryder Cups. Scheffler is among six players on the last team in Rome.
“I donâ€t think it can be understated how difficult of a week Rome was for us. I think we could have done better, for sure,†he said. “That wasnâ€t how I expected the week to go. I think we learned from it, and weâ€re as prepared as ever this time.â€
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