$400M-worth Golf legend says Scottie Scheffler ‘doesn’t need killer instinct’ – “It's unbelievable”

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler recently received praise from golf legend Jack Nicklaus. He said this during a press conference at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, ahead of the Memorial Tournament.

Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1, was asked to rate his killer instinct on a scale of 1 to 10 during this joint press conference with Jack Nicklaus. Before Scheffler could answer, Nicklaus interrupted and delivered a strong defence of Scheffler's competitive style (via ASAP Sports):

"He didn't need any. No, seriously, he doesn't. I mean, he's enough -- I'll answer for you. You're enough of a competitor and you're a good competitor that he'll compete to what he has to do. I mean, he doesn't want to tell you -- he doesn't want to brag about what he does. But he has the ability to bring his level to whatever level it needs to be. That's what good players do. And, you know, he's not a good players. He's a great player. I mean, look at the record that he has had the last few years. It's unbelievable."

Scheffler simply answered:

"I mean, I have no idea."

Nicklaus's comments align with Scheffler's remarkable achievements. In 2024, Scheffler secured victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, THE PLAYERS Championship, the Masters, the RBC Heritage, the Memorial Tournament, and the Travellers Championship. He also carded a T2 finish at the PGA Championship, despite facing an arrest hours before his second round in Louisville. As of June 2025, Scheffler is at the top of both the official world golf rankings and the FedEx Cup standings.

Nicklaus has designed over 30 golf courses in 36 countries through his firm Nicklaus Design. With that, let's look at Scottie Scheffler's earnings for the 2025 season.

Scottie Scheffler crosses the $14.5 million mark in 2025 PGA Tour earnings with three wins in 12 starts

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch - Source: Imagn

Scottie Scheffler's dominance on the 2025 PGA Tour not only reflects in his victories but also in his massive earnings. For the 12 events he appeared in so far this season, Sceffler has secured nine top-10 finishes, including three titles. It brings his total prize money to a whopping $ 14.5 million.

Here's the breakdown of his payouts so far this season:

• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (T9) – $535,000.00
• WM Phoenix Open (T25) – $69,197.14
• The Genesis Invitational (T3) – $1,200,000.00
• Arnold Palmer Invitational (T11) – $451,250.00
• THE PLAYERS Championship (T20) – $240,250.00
• Texas Children's Houston Open (T2) – $845,500.00
• Masters Tournament (4) – $1,008,000.00
• RBC Heritage (T8) – $580,000.00
• THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson (1) – $1,782,000.00
• PGA Championship (1) – $3,420,000.00
• Charles Schwab Challenge (T4) – $427,500.00
• The Memorial Tournament (1) – $4,000,000.00