David Duval believes Scottie Scheffler playing golf not seen since Tiger Woods
The 29-year-old was majestic two weeks ago, weathering all that Royal Portrush had to throw at him on his way to a classy four-shot victory and first Open Championship title
By Phil Campbell
David Duval believes Scottie Scheffler is playing golf in a way not seen since Tiger Woods’ dominated during the late 90s and early 2000s.
The 29-year-old was majestic two weeks ago, weathering all that Royal Portrush had to throw at him on his way to a classy four-shot victory and first Open Championship title.
The win was Scheffler’s fourth major of his career, after wins at both the 2022 and 2024 Masters and this year’s PGA Championship in June.
It also saw the 2024 Olympic champion become the first reigning world number one to lift the Claret Jug since 15-time major winner Woods in 2006.
But while former world number one and Open champion Duval – who won by three shots at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2001 - stopped short of comparing Scheffler to Woods, he did admit the former is going into events as strong a favourite as the latter was during his pomp.
“Anybody who wins an Open, or any of those types of events, you have to be in command of your mental facilities, your physical facilities and emotional [facilities], but [Scheffler] just seems to have all that.
It's second nature to him right now and that hasn't really happened since Tiger,” said Duval, speaking at the launch of Ernie Els’ new golf club, Els Club Vilamoura.
“I'm not comparing him to Tiger, let's not get ahead of ourselves here, but he's put himself in a place where you might argue you would take Scottie and give somebody else the field if you were betting. And that's kind of how it was with Tiger.
“Obviously, you'd always take the field in a bet, but that's the level he's playing at, and it's impressive.”
Such is the grip Scheffer has on golf right now, conversations about himself and Woods were always likely to take place.
Ominously, both men took 1197 days to win their fourth major from the date of their first triumph, while they are two of only four players – the others being Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player – to win the Masters, The Open and PGA Championship before the age of 30.
By converting his four-shot lead after 54 holes into a victory by the same margin on the Antrim coast, Scheffler has now won all four of his majors having led after 54-holes, a trait Woods was famously known for too, winning 14 of his 15 majors when either leading or in a tie for the lead after the third round.
And according to Duval, the 17-time PGA Tour winner is on course to re-write the record books should he continue in his current vein of form and already sits among the greatest to have played the sport.
He continued: “He is one of the greats, without question.
“His ability to control the ball and how he hits it, and if you look at it, he's almost perfectly pin high so much, the game gets easy then. And he certainly is making it look easy.
“He's a remarkable talent, and it'll be interesting to see what happens over the course of the next five, seven, ten years with him. That'll put him into his mid to upper 30s, and in that time, you could be talking about some historical records [that he’s broken or set].”
Duval played a nine-hole exhibition to open the Els Club Vilamoura alongside four-time major winner Els and Scottish legend Colin Montgomerie.
The Algarve course is a championship-standard 18-hole golf course that features a luxury clubhouse and signature amenities such as the 261 Bar, and was built on the redesigned Victoria course, which hosted the Portugal Masters from 2007 to 2022.
It will host the new PGA Champions Tour event, the Portugal Invitational, after signing a five-year deal.
The first edition of the event is set to be held between 31 July to 2 August 2026.
Els said: “Golf is in the pretty sweet spot at the moment and [creating this course] has been a really nice venture. We want the conditions to be absolutely perfect and for people to have a great experience and good food.”
Montgomerie added: “The golf course is superb, and the clubhouse is fantastic. It’s not just a course for the present; it’s a course for the future as well.”
PGA TOUR Champions announces the Portugal Invitational to be held at The Els Club Vilamoura on course designed by Ernie Els. PGA TOUR Champions, Arrow Global Group, Turismo de Portugal, and Turismo de Algarve will deliver a five-year partnership and will debut the week of July 27, 2026, and will feature a field of 78 players. For more information visit https://www.portugalinvitational.com/