Follow us on Google Discover Scottie Scheffler has been the best golfer on the planet for 174 consecutive weeks now.
Scheffler has won 22 times on the PGA Tour since February 2022, including four major championships.
Perhaps the best example of the 30-year-old’s dominance is the fact that the gap between him and world number two Rory McIlroy in the world rankings is greater than the one between the Northern Irishman and the lowest ranked professional golfer on the planet.
Scottie Scheffler‘s remarkable consistency has seen comparisons drawn with Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
It’s too early to suggest that the 22-time PGA Tour winner will even get close to matching the records of the two greatest golfers of all-time.
It must be said that Scheffler is currently on the right trajectory to do so, but there is one specific area where the Texan cannot be compared to Woods and Nicklaus.
The rule change golf must make that would impact Scottie Scheffler
The comparisons between Scheffler and Woods stop when it comes down to the current world number one’s schedule.
He plays the vast majority of his golf in the United States, with the Open Championship and the Scottish Open being the only two official events where he ventured outside of his homeland.
Scheffler suggested it is challenging for him to play outside of the United States with two young children at home.
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Obviously golfers are independent contractors, so he is under no obligation whatsoever to play more of a global schedule.
However, the rules should be slightly different for whichever player is the world number one golfer. It is a privilege to hold that position and as such, they should be judged by slightly different standards.
Global golf fans are owed the chance to see the best players in the world compete more outside of the United States.
And that’s why there should be an obligation attached to being the world number one golfer. Being the best player in the world is a privilege, one that Scheffler would have given anything for as a young golfer.
Now it’s time for the American to give back. In fairness to him, he has a young family and obviously wants to spend as much time as possible with them.
Would playing a couple of events around the world really hurt Scheffler, though?
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
A new rule should come into play for world number one golfers where they are obliged to play at least twice globally outside of the majors and any events played abroad which are governed by the tour they are members of.
For example, the Scottish Open would not count as one of the two events for Scheffler as it is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour.
Just think how many times Nicklaus visited Australia to play, or the number of times Woods traveled to Asia to help grow the game globally.
Both Nicklaus and Woods played regularly in Europe because they knew that being the best golfer on the planet meant that it was their responsibility to help grow the game.
And now it’s Scheffler’s turn to do the same thing.
What Scottie Scheffler has said about playing more global events
Scheffler is actually open to playing more golf outside of the United States.
However, he highlighted back in July why it’s hard for him to do that at this stage of his career.
“It definitely interests me. I’d like to see how it shapes out the next couple of years. There’s a lot of places I think I’d like to play,“ Scheffler admitted.
“There’s always just, you know, the time and the place for me. I’m at a time in my life where I have a young family at home and young kids. Those are times — the fall is a special time for our family. It’s where we can really check out and be together, and I get to spend a lot of time with my kids. So I hold those moments pretty sacred.
“But at the same time I love golf and I would love to be able to play more internationally. Like Australia; New Zealand is a place we would love to be able to go to. My wife has always wanted to go to New Zealand.
“But like I said, I love this style of golf, and I feel like it’s pretty unique to here. But going to play the Sandbelt in Australia would be pretty special as well. Hopefully I can find the time. It’s definitely an intriguing part of the schedule and yeah, it definitely interests me, as well.”
It seems like Scheffler may decide to play more global events when his children grow up.
An appearance in Australia or New Zealand seems nailed on at some point for Scottie Scheffler, but we may have to wait a while to see him spread his wings and travel more outside of mainland United States.
There has to come a time when the world number one gives something back to the game that has provided so much for him.
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