Scottie Scheffler was supposed to be the savior for the Americans last week at the Ryder Cup. Instead, he received the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The World No. 1 arrived at Bethpage Black riding a wave of dominance, with two majors under his belt this season, six wins, and a streak of top-8 finishes stretching back to March. But his performance at Bethpage has now earned him an unfortunate comparison — the same puzzling Ryder Cup legacy that once shadowed Tiger Woods.
In a candid appearance on TalkSport’s YouTube channel, Ryder Cup legend Colin Montgomerie didn’t sugarcoat his assessment of Scheffler’s performance over the weekend. When asked whether Scheffler might be falling into the same Ryder Cup trap that famously ensnared Tiger Woods, Montgomerie didn’t hesitate to make the comparison. “We’ve been saying for a long time that our three top players this year—McIlroy, Fleetwood, and Rahm—they’ve all performed. And that’s why we’re doing as well as we are,” Montgomerie mentioned on the TalkSport’s Youtube Channel.
“Tiger Woods never quite performed, and Scottie Scheffler has played well, you know, in matches—and hasn’t got a point. Hasn’t got half a point…” Montgomerie quipped. The eight-time European Tour No.1 player hinted at a deeper issue behind Scheffler’s struggles—one that might go beyond the fairways and into the team room. “There’s something not right because the guy has dominated the world of golf for the last three years and yet here… no. It’s a weird scenario,” he added.
And Colin Montgomerie would know. The Ryder Cup legend who never lost a singles match and holed two winning putts during his stellar career didn’t mince his words. He raised a compelling, and slightly cheeky question — Is something broken behind the scenes? “I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the American team room to see what’s being said—or what isn’t,” Montgomerie mused.
It’s a damning perspective from a legend who beat Tiger Woods in the 2004 Ryder Cup and has been in the Ryder Cup on 8 different occasions. But the numbers back him up. Scheffler went 0-4-0 across the first two days, failing to secure even half a point. His lone bright spot came Sunday, when he finally scraped out a 1-up singles win over Rory McIlroy, but a little too late.
To make matters worse, Scheffler made history in the worst way possible. He became the first World No. 1 ever to start a Ryder Cup 0-4-0. Even Tiger Woods, who has long been scrutinized for his Ryder Cup shortcomings, never started that badly. For context, Woods’ own Ryder Cup record stands at 13-21-3, a win rate of just 35%. Despite being arguably the greatest individual golfer in history, Tiger never quite clicked in the team format. His 2018 campaign ended in a humiliating 0-4-0 wipeout. And now, Scheffler is inching dangerously close to walking the same path as Woods.
Across 11 career Ryder Cup matches, Scheffler has earned just 3.5 points, a nominal 31.8% return. Compare that to his fierce consistency on Tour, and something just doesn’t add up. Even the host summed it up perfectly, “He looks like a fish out of water. You wouldn’t think he’s a World No.1…” While Montgomerie’s words were harsh, Scheffler himself didn’t shy away from admitting just how much the week at Bethpage stung.
Scottie Scheffler’s Struggles Highlight Team USA’s Chemistry
“I think it’s hard to put into words how much it hurts to lose all four matches,” Scottie Scheffler admitted, visibly emotional after a week that took more from him than most could see. “To have the trust of my captains and teammates to go out there and play all four matches and lose all four—it’s really hard to put into words how much that stings and hurts,” he added. For a player who’s made a habit of dominating the solo grind of the PGA Tour, the team environment of the Ryder Cup has consistently left him exposed.
And yet, in the middle of what he called “probably one of the lowest moments” of his career, Scheffler clung to the one lifeline that seemed to matter most — his teammates. “I can’t tell you how much I needed these guys this week. It turned out to be one of the most special… and I was really proud to be battling with these guys for three days,” he added.
It’s a sentiment that speaks volumes, especially as outside voices have begun to poke holes in the team culture. Montgomerie questioned whether something might be “madly going on” in the American team room. Meanwhile, DP World Tour chief Keith Pelley took it a step further, saying he wasn’t surprised by the U.S. loss. Why? Because of team chemistry & unity. Everything that Europe seems to have in abundance, and everything that the U.S. still can’t quite figure out.
Perhaps, even in defeat, Scheffler’s starting to understand what Europe has known for decades— that Ryder Cup success isn’t built on rankings or resumes—it’s built on bond.