Scottie Scheffler brings a Grand Slam back into view with PGA Championship win

In both cases, he didn't miss a shot. Not one.

“I hit the important shots well this week, and that's why I'm walking away with the trophy,” Scheffler said. “When I needed to, I feel like I hit the shots.”

This was the epitome of execution, enough to wonder if he can win the U.S. Open and British Open over the next two months, the two majors he doesn’t already have.

Scheffler, with two Masters green jackets and the Wanamaker Trophy, now is halfway home to the career Grand Slam. He's been No. 1 in the world for the last two years, and really golf's best since 2022. He has been No. 1 for 89% of the time since he first got to the top of the ranking.

Scheffler talked about the career Grand Slam a few days after Rory McIlroy won the Masters for the final leg. As usual, he delivered a dose of perspective.

“I've only won one,” he said, his two majors coming from Augusta National. "That's the other side of the coin. It's not easy to get on the cusp, but it's a lot easier to get on the cusp than to actually pull it off. I've been playing some pretty good golf and I’m not even close.”

He is a step closer now, and the way he played at Quail Hollow might make it look closer than it appears. This wasn't his best golf over four days, or even three days.

It took him a while to get going in his round the opening two days. His lifelong coach, Randy Smith, was with him on the range Friday evening, placing his hands on Scheffler's hips and crouched over to avoid being hit by the club, all to make sure his hips were clearing.

But oh, those two stretches.

His 3-wood into the 304-yard 14th hole was the shot of the tournament, settling just under 3 feet away that set off his eagle-birdie-par-birdie-birdie finish for a three-shot lead. The only par was a 7-iron off a slightly sidehill lie to a right pin that was awkward. He hit it to 12 feet and called it his best shot of the day. Scheffler doesn't often rank shots. This was special.

That was to build a lead. Tougher still was having to hold it on Sunday with Bryson DeChambeau briefly leading and Jon Rahm charging, two daunting sights in a major.

Scheffler was struggling, at least by his standards. On eight of nine holes on the front nine, from either the tee or the approach, the miss was to the left. He went from a five-shot lead to a tie with Rahm. His caddie, Ted Scott, doesn't get overly worried about much and suggested to him, “Maybe you're aimed over there. Just try and hit a little further right.”

Genius.

Scheffler hit every fairway — the bunker on the reachable 14th, which should count given the ideal position — and was in the right spot on every green.

“I knew I needed nine really good holes,” he said.

To hear him explain it was brilliant in its sheer simplicity.

“I hit a good shot on 10, good approach shot, and I executed. From there, fairway on 11, really good iron shot. Fairway on 12, really good iron shot. Good iron shot on 13. Good tee ball on 14, good birdie there. Two great shots on 15," he said.

Rinse and repeat.

“From 10 to 15, I felt like I executed as good as I had almost all week,” Scheffler said. “That was a very important time in the tournament.”

And then it was over before it was really over, just like his other two major titles. He wears everyone down with near flawless execution, the hallmark of his game.

Scheffler looked over from the 15th hole to see Rahm on his way to making bogey. DeChambeau had faded by then. Scheffler started the back nine in a tie. He was up by six shots toward the end.

He became the first player since Tiger Woods in 2007 to win by at least five shots in consecutive PGA Tour starts in the middle of the season. He won in Dallas by eight, the PGA Championship by five, and now goes to Colonial with expectations higher than ever.

Getting on the cusp of the career Grand Slam indeed is hard, and Scheffler is not there yet. But as many comparisons as there are with Woods, it's not too much to think Scheffler can win at Oakmont next month and at Royal Portrush in July.

He's not thinking that far ahead. Scheffler doesn't set goals, he only appreciates winning. Getting from the first hole Thursday to the 72nd hold on Sunday is what he enjoys.

A performance like that — by a player like that — makes it easy to forget McIlroy won at Pebble Beach, The Players Championship and the Masters. It was a weird week for McIlroy at Quail Hollow, mainly the Masters champion feeling above any obligation to speak to the media for four days, even the Irish who have documented him his entire career.

The last anyone heard from McIlroy was the day before the PGA Championship started. The career Grand Slam achieved, he said anything else he accomplished in golf would be a bonus. He still competes. He just no longer chases.

The chase now falls to Scheffler. And all he cares about his competing.

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On The Fringe analyzes the biggest topics in golf during the season. AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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