Analyst compares Scottie Scheffler's mentality to Tiger Woods and $3.5B NBA royalty's: "He uses it as fuel"

Following Scottie Scheffler's incredible win at the 2025 PGA Championship last week, the golf community has been left in awe with the World No. 1 golfer's abilities. The Golf Channel's Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner analysed his mentality in a recent episode of their podcast, Golf Podcast with Rex and Lav.

The golf analysts noted that Scottie Scheffler appeared to be intrigued and motivated by all the questions he received from the media, even the critics. They compared the Texas native's mentality to that of golfing legend Tiger Woods and NBA star Michael Jordan, who is worth a whopping $3.5 billion according to Forbes.

Here's a look at what the Golf Channel analysts had to say about Scottie Scheffler (via YouTube 3:00 - 4:00):

"I would equate him — at least in terms of mentality — to an athlete like Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods, where you use the tiniest of slights, dig through that, and make sure you can use it to fire yourself up to do the next thing."

Scottie Scheffler created a legacy for himself by capturing 7 wins during the PGA Tour's 2024 season. He then took a break from competitive play following a kitchen accident that necessitated hand surgery and extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation.

After he returned to play in 2025, many fans and analysts alike questioned his performance. The Golf Channel Podcast stated that Scheffler uses his critique from media as "fuel".

Rex and Lav said (via YouTube 3:00 - 4:00):

"I guess the part that shocks me is: he takes it to heart. He uses it as fuel."

Here's a look at the podcast clip (via YouTube 3:00 - 4:00):

Scheffler posted 16 top-20 finishes in 2024 but remained without a victory in his first 8 starts this year. He struggled with his driving accuracy and approximity to the hole as a result of his hand injury. However, after months of hard work on and off the course, he won his first title of the year at the 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson and went on to win the PGA Championship a week later.

Scottie Scheffler calls PGA Championship victory a "team effort"

Scottie Scheffler won his third Major championship title at the PGA Championship on Sunday, May 18. The American golfer posted rounds of 69, 68, 65, and 71 to win by a five stroke margin.

During the post tournament press conference, he expressed his gratitude to his team and emphasized their key role in his victory. Here's a look at what Scottie Scheffler had to say (via ASAP Sports):

"I'm just really proud of the way I fought this week. I was battling my swing the first couple days. I didn't have as good a prep week as I wanted to. It was a battle out there. Teddy did a good job of keeping me in it, and Randy helped me figure out things on my swing. Morris helped get my body right. It was a real team effort this week. I'm proud of the whole squad. Looking forward to celebrating this one."

Scheffler thanked his caddie, Ted Scott, and his coach Randy Smith, who has been by his side since the time he was seven years old.

About the author

Lathika is one of the newer additions to Sportskeeda’s budding golf journalism team and has brought plenty of in-game experience to the role. Having been a golfer for over 12 years now, some of her crowning achievements include winning titles on the Indian Golf Union Ladies tour and Junior Girls Amateur tour.

She currently competes in Division 1 golf in New York, and hopes to play in the U.S. Open and Chevron Championship one day. She is set to cover the 2025 Ryder Cup as well. She is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management, and holds a Sports Marketing certification from Northwestern University, which helped her learn to draft press releases and ultimately transition into journalism.

Lathika has thus developed a knowledge base that allows her to view golf from both player, spectator and media lenses, enabling her to bring statistics, insights and an understanding of fan emotion together in her copies. She only uses verified information from reliable sources like the PGA TOUR.

Her favorite golfers are Nelly Korda and Tiger Woods, both for their playing style as well as their mental strength. Much of her time away from work is spent playing golf, but she also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and learning new hobbies or upskilling.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma