Scottie Scheffler’s 2024 season was nothing to scoff at. The World No. 1 won the Players Championship, the Masters, the Tour Championship and an Olympic gold medal. He became the first player since Tiger Woods to be named the PGA Tour Player of the Year three years in a row and helped lead the U.S. to a Presidents Cup victory this fall. Despite all that, Justin Thomas still found himself chuckling at TPC Sawgrass back in March when Scheffler unveiled the most twisted swing in his expansive catalog of contortions.
The Scheffler Shuffle is evolving.
(He found the fairway.) pic.twitter.com/QjtmuTi1Yf
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 15, 2024
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In an upcoming documentary on Scottie Scheffler’s 2024 season, ‘Scottie 24,’ Thomas, who was in Scheffler’s group at the time of that unforgettable leg kick, admits that he “audibly laughed out loud” as he watched it happen live.
“I had to back off again,” Thomas says. “Because I was like ‘that’s the most ridiculous follow-through I’ve ever seen.”
Overcoming a neck injury to defend his @THEPLAYERS title.
A deeper look into one of Scheffler's incredible wins in an exclusive scene from "Scottie 24."
The film will be released next Monday, Dec. 23 on PGA TOUR YouTube. pic.twitter.com/9IJBXGG3Ol
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 18, 2024
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Moments later, however, JT realized the reason for Scheffler’s exaggerated footwork was not a slip or some cutting-edge swing innovation, but injury.
“I didn’t know his neck was hurt,” Thomas explains. “So I kind of felt bad after I found that out.”
Not that Scheffler minded too much.
“I mean, it was pretty funny,” Scheffler admits. “My swing was wild, my feet made a huge noise, I grunted because my neck was killing me. And he was laughing and I kind of like stood there on the tee and was like ‘oh my gosh, I don’t know how I’m going to play golf today.’”
Ben Jared
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Of course, we know how this story turned out. Scheffler received treatment throughout his second round and ground his way to a three-under 69. As the weekend progressed, his neck gradually improved, and Scheffler responded by going supernova on Sunday, firing a bogey-free eight-under 64 to catch and pass Wyndham Clark for the win.
The victory was historic, as Scheffler became the first player in PGA Tour history to win back-to-back Players Championships, It also jumpstarted one of the single greatest seasons in golf history, and by the time the dust settled on Scheffler’s seventh and final win of 2024 at the Hero World Championship, no one—not even JT—was laughing.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
