Souhan: Masters champion Scheffler takes his shot at being golf's Next Big Thing

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Scottie Scheffler raised two questions as he raised the Masters trophy on Sunday:

There are so many talented golfers in the world that it's unrealistic to expect anyone to break Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major titles or for anyone to dominate the golf world the way Tiger Woods did from 1999-2008.

Many have tried. Many have failed.

Rory McIlroy looked like the Next Big Thing when he won four majors from 2011 to 2014. He hasn't won one since.

Jordan Spieth won three from 2015 to 2017. He hasn't won one since.

Brooks Koepka won four majors from 2017 to 2019, and once said he expected to catch Woods in major titles. Woods has 15. Koepka still has four.

Jon Rahm, as the top-ranked player in the world to start the year, seemed to open his own window of dominance when he won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines last year. He finished third at the British Open and tied for 27th at this year's Masters — quality outings but not what he was hoping for and not performances that elevate his profile.

Scheffler, 25, appears to have a chance to be the best of the Next Big Things, even if he doesn't challenge Jack and Tiger.

He was a prolific winner as a junior, demonstrating that he can handle his nerves and think and perform under pressure.

In golf speak, he "owns" his swing, meaning he's not constantly tweaking his mechanics, that he has grooved his idiosyncrasies and can rely on his swing under pressure.

His stock shot is a powerful fade — same as Nicklaus, Woods at his best, Lee Trevino, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead. Fades tend to hit fairways and land softly on slick, championship greens. He can also work the ball, as he demonstrated with his power-draw 5-iron into the 15th green Sunday, and he is comfortable adjusting his trajectory depending on wind.

Scheffler has a large, loyal family behind him — a support system that bodes well for him as he navigates sudden stardom.

He already has made history, becoming the first player since Arnold Palmer in 1960 to win three tour events before winning the Masters in one season. He's also the only player other than Woods to win four events in a season, with the wins including a World Golf Championship event and a Masters.

He handled the pressure of entering a major as the top-ranked player in the world, and playing to preserve a lead on Saturday and Sunday. He laughed frequently on the course and during interviews this week, even though he revealed Sunday night that he felt anxious when away from the course.

Scheffler's short game will play anywhere. He has exceptional touch with his wedges, and, with the exception of his nervous and irrelevant four-putt on the 72nd hole, his putter.

Winning even one major is a remarkable accomplishment. Think of all the players who didn't or haven't: Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood, Tony Finau, Paul Casey, Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler, and Patrick Cantlay.

Early this week, someone called Scheffler "Xander" and he laughed. Schauffele is a wonderful player, yet there is no guarantee he will ever win a major.

There also is a long list of players who won one major and never repeated, including Jason Day, Tom Lehman, Justin Leonard, David Duval, Paul Azinger, Tom Kite and Fred Couples.

This week, Scheffler was challenged by Charl Schwartzel, who won the Masters in 2011. Since then, he has finished in the top 10 of five majors — including his 10th-place finish on Sunday — but has also gone through horrific slumps that even he doesn't understand.

Golf is hard.

To become the new Next Big Thing, Scheffler will find himself dueling with a lot of former Next Big Things every time he plays in a major.