Tour Confidential: Did Scottie Scheffler just start another epic run?

Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we break down Scottie Scheffler’s epic win, Bryson DeChambeau’s performance in Korea and the recent caddie movement on Tour.

Scottie Scheffler dominated the CJ Cup Bryson Nelson, closing with a third round of 63 or better to win by eight over Erik Van Rooyen. It was Scheffler’s first win in 2025, following his epic 2024 season of nine wins. So… what took so long?!

Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): First, a tragic ravioli-making incident that sidelined him for a spell. Then a run-in with the reality that winning is hard and often comes with the tiniest margins. Scheffler now has nine starts this year and this to show for it: a win, a runner up, five top 10s and not a single missed cut. What a slacker.

Sean Zak, senior writer (@sean_zak): Other people got in the way. Rory McIlroy, for one. Justin Thomas being another. Scheffler was probably 85% as good this year as he was last year — and that 15% is just enough to let one or two other guys have their best week. It’s just a numbers game, but the numbers he put up this week should scare the rest of the field, McIlroy included. 

Josh Schrock, news editor (@Schrock_And_Awe): A little bit of rust and good play from Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and others kept Scheffler out of the winner’s circle. Before the Masters, Scheffler admitted that the ravioli injury set him back a little and that while he was pain-free, his hand still needed to be strengthened, which led to un-Scheffler-like ball-striking. It was only a matter of time.

The win is Scheffler’s first in nine starts this season; he had four in 10 starts at this point last year, on his way to seven. What side of the fence are you on: that this is the first step of another scorching Scheffler summer? Or is last year’s total too unrealistic to match?

Sens: I think we can fairly expect a scorching summer from Scheffler. But yeah, last year’s total was so outlandish, I don’t see him matching it, which doesn’t mean he might not also win Player of the Year for the third season in a row. Lots of golf left.

Zak: Yes, I think this pops the top off. I think he wins three more times this summer, at least one of those in a major. Last year’s total is too unrealistic to match, but who cares? 

Schrock: Is he going to win six more times this year? Probably not. But I fully expect him to knock off a few more and win the first non-Masters major of his career. Put him down for Oakmont, a title defense at the Travelers and at least one playoff event.

Also victorious this week was Bryson DeChambeau, who won LIV Golf Korea for his first of the year. With the PGA Championship just two weeks away, who needed this first victory more, Bryson or Scottie?

Sens: Hard to say that either really “needed” a win. But I’d give the nod to Scheffler. He had some close calls and uncharacteristic stumbles — to the point where he showed some very outward signs of frustration, and even borderline snippy-ness in some of his exchanges with the press. For a guy as at peace with himself as Scheffler, I guess you could say that the dry spell had begun to eat at him a bit.

Zak: I think it’s Bryson. He had let wins slip a few times recently on LIV. And he kinda let the Masters slip, too. So starting the day with a lead and shutting the door was good to see. You can bet he thinks his best is still better than Scheffler’s. 

Schrock: It’s definitely Bryson. He held the 36-hole lead in Miami and got run down by Marc Leishman. He scored well through three rounds at Augusta and somehow held an early Sunday lead before iron play nuked his chances to win. He held the 36-hole lead last week in Mexico but lost to Joaquin Niemann. If he had lost to Richard Bland or Charles Howell III, I think the confidence would have taken a hit heading into Quail Hollow. Scottie could have finished T10 this week, and my opinion of him wouldn’t have changed. Had Bryson blown a four-stroke lead in Korea, I’d be down on his chances in two weeks. As it stands, I think he’s the best [only?] chance at a person not named Scottie or Rory winning at Quail. 

News

Brandt Snedeker (USA) and Geoff Ogilvy (International) were announced as Presidents Cup captains for the September 2026 event at Medinah Country Club outside of Chicago. Like the picks? And why might Ogilvy be the guy to end the International squad’s drought?

Sens: Sure. Both likable players who have been around long enough to earn their peers’ respect on and off the course. Could Ogilvy be the guy? Maybe. He’s got a great match-play record, including two wins at the WGC Championship. But ultimately, I think the influence of captains gets overstated in these events. The captains don’t hit shots or stroke putts. Pep talks and strategic pairings only go so far. In the end, it comes down to the players. And no matter how you shuffle things, the U.S. still has the stronger team.

Zak: I think we are seeing the result of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson both not being available to captain right now. This era of teams was supposed to be led by them, and neither are anywhere near assuming that position. So, we get Keegan at the Ryder Cup — which his own play may negate — and a non-major-winner but overall “good guy” in Snedeker. Is that enough? Does it matter? I’m not sure it does. But something tells me Ogilvy will do a good job (in defeat) and then retain the position for the next Prez Cup, in his homeland, at Kingston Heath. 

Schrock: I like the picks. I’m not sure how much they matter. If the U.S. is going to continue to trot out six of the top 10 players in the world every two years, the International side probably doesn’t have much of a chance. I don’t think Ogilvy leads them to victory in 2026, but perhaps in 2028 when they play in Australia.

World No. 4 Collin Morikawa has replaced long-time caddie J.J. Jakovac for Joe Greiner, who used to be with Max Homa and who recently won as a fill-in with Justin Thomas at the RBC Heritage. Morikawa has played well lately but is still winless since the fall of 2023. How much influence can a new caddie have? A little or a lot?

Sens: A lot, especially in the short run. Sometimes, it’s just the psychological shift that comes with making a change. I don’t mean to dehumanize the player-caddie relationship, but I think there’s an analogy to be made with the seeming magic of swapping out a putter and suddenly draining every putt you look at. You start feeling better, the confidence builds and a positive feedback loop kicks in. For the benefits to endure long term, though, there’s got to be more to the dynamic than just that sudden sugar rush.

Zak: A new caddie can have a ton of influence … in either direction. That’s why there are so few changes! Because bringing a new person into that walking, walking and gawking is a vibe-shift that players will notice. From the way Morikawa explained it, it sounds like that’s what he was seeking — a vibe-shift. Possibly during contention the most. 

Schrock: The vibe-shift might help Morikawa get over the hump if he immediately puts himself back in contention. He hasn’t been playing bad, but when things feel off, it’s time to change things up. If getting Greiner on the bag helps give him a different Sunday feel when he’s in contention, then the move was worth it, but in the end it’s on Morikawa to execute the shots down the stretch when he’s under pressure.