– Scottie Scheffler has played eight foursomes in high-level team competition. Four in the Presidents Cup, with a record of three losses and one win; and another four in the Ryder Cup which resulted in as many losses, four. In total, therefore, he has played eight foursomes and his concerning record in this format is seven losses and one win in four different competitions, two Presidents (2022 and 2024) and two Ryder (2023 and 2025).
– The sample is sufficiently broad to at least suspect that it is not a coincidence. Rather, a conclusion emerges, whether it stings or not: the almighty golf of Scheffler loses steam, bite, or efficiency in this format of play.
– From here, what is done? How do you act? It must be acknowledged that the task for his captains is at least very delicate, especially for those who received the Texan in their team as the undisputed Number One in the world, a situation that occurred in the 2023 Ryder, the 2024 Presidents, and again in the 2025 Ryder at Bethpage. How do you explain to a Number One that it might not be a good idea to line him up in the foursomes? Moreover: is it even a reasonable idea to forgo such a dominant Number One in the alternate shot format?
– It simply happens that some players adapt more naturally to this format and others find it incredibly difficult. And it usually has more to do with the player’s personality than with other technical issues. Those who are more concerned with their partner’s score, especially when it comes to accepting their own mistakes, which affect their partner and the result, are lost, which seems to be Scheffler’s problem (as even Keegan Bradley has hinted). Not even pairing him with someone he completely trusts has yielded good results, quite the opposite: three of those seven losses in foursomes occurred alongside his close friend Sam Burns, both in the 2022 Presidents and the 2023 Ryder. At least this time, in Bethpage, they did not repeat the formula.
– We do not know to what extent these issues are addressed in the American team, much less with a Number One, given the weight of hierarchy in the stars and stripes locker room. However, we are certain that they are considered in the European squad. They are studied, evaluated, and, if necessary, worked on with the player.
– How do you work on something like this with a Number One? Again, one must put oneself in the shoes of those involved and agree that it does not seem an easy task. But undoubtedly, it is about finding a way. This would be, in this case, the role of the coaching staff of a team: to ensure that those small or large flaws that affect the golf of a mega champion like Scheffler in such a particular format can be smoothed out. For example, looking ahead to the 2026 Presidents, on the way to the 2027 Ryder. And it is surely not a task, by the way, that should be confined exclusively to the week of pure and hard competition.
– Just as it happened with Tiger in his day, the search is on for Scheffler’s ideal partner, in this case for the foursomes, and perhaps the problem is not with his partner: with Burns, as has been said, it did not work; with Henley neither… Not to mention that disaster with Koepka in Rome (they lost 9 and 7 to Hovland and Aberg), no matter how well the Norwegian played that day. The problem worsens, moreover, when a perverse domino effect appears, whereby the performance of Scheffler’s partner also decreases due to the discomfort of playing (and losing) alongside someone of the Texan’s stature.
– Let’s face it: Scheffler is a Number One of the era, but for now, a poor player in the alternate shot format, where being more concerned with other things constrains him, limits him, makes him a surprisingly inconsistent player. The captain of the moment would always have the option to sit him out in the two foursomes sessions… Does anyone believe that?
(FINAL NOTE IN PARENTHESES: Scottie’s numbers in fourballs at Bethpage have not been good either, as he has lost both matches he played in this format, but at least his better ball total in Presidents and Ryder is much more presentable, with a total of seven matches played and three wins, two draws, and two losses, those from last week).
