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Exclusive:European Ryder Cup hero makes remarkable Scottie Scheffler claim
Colin Montgomerie pulled no punches when discussing Scottie Scheffler’s star power.
Scottie Scheffler
Colin Montgomerie has claimed there are three box office golfers in the world right now, and Scottie Scheffler is not one of them.
In an exclusive interview with GolfMagic, the European Ryder Cup hero shared his unfiltered thoughts on the current state of men’s professional golf.
When the conversation turned to the game’s biggest stars, he didn’t hesitate to exclude Scheffler from the discussion.
Scheffler is currently the world number one.
This year alone, he’s won five times on the PGA Tour, including The Masters, amassing more than $25m in prize money.
His run of form has seen him understandably compared to Tiger Woods in his prime; however, according to Montgomerie, Scheffler lacks the ‘aura’ once possessed by the 15-time major champion.
So, who did make Montgomerie’s list of box office golfers?
Well, that would be Rory McIlroy, recent US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and European star Ludvig Aberg.
Colin Montgomerie
While Monty did praise Scheffler for his outstanding ability, he was reluctant to place him among his personal big three.
Sitting down to chat with GolfMagic, Montgomerie said:
“I would say there are three box office (players) right now; I would have to include Ludvig Aberg as a potential box office player, Rory and Bryson DeChambeau.
“I think they’re your box office, and I’m not including Scottie Scheffler because I wouldn’t say he was box office as such.
“He’s a hell of a golfer and still the best in the world, but I wouldn’t say he’s box office.
“I wouldn’t go, ‘Okay, now where is Scottie Scheffler? I must run out on the course and see him play’. I’d run out and watch Bryson, Ludvig and Rory.”
Scottie Scheffler
Pressed to outline exactly what it is that separates Scheffler from the likes of Aberg, McIlroy and DeChambeau, Montgomerie said:
“He doesn’t have Tiger’s aura. He doesn’t have Phil Mickelson’s aura. When you played against them, there was something about them.
“I wouldn’t be too bothered with a draw coming up Scottie Scheffler number one, I was bothered when it came up Tiger Woods.
“Because you know you’ve got to not just play golf but you’ve got to play him as well and everything around Tiger when you play with him.
“Bryson would be the same, Rory would be the same to have that aura around somebody, Scheffler, No. Yet you can’t knock what he’s done.
“[It is] incredible; I mean, this is the best season we’ve had since Tiger, even better than. Who knows? He’s down to play in the Scottish Open, I believe, and also the Open, so that’s great for the Scottish fans to be able to see him twice, and we will see how he goes.”
Scheffler has enjoyed an incredible season on the PGA Tour in 2024, winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players Championship, The Masters, RBC Heritage and the Memorial.
While he’s some way off Woods’ record of 82 career wins, he only needs four more wins this season to equal Woods’ best season of nine victories on the PGA Tour, which came in 2000.
Having looked unstoppable earlier this season, Scheffler’s season did take a turn when he was arrested on the Friday morning of the PGA Championship.
The two-time major champion was later released and made his tee time at Valhalla Golf Club, but the trauma eventually took its toll, with Scheffler shooting a disappointing two over on Saturday, eventually finishing 8th.
With The Open rolling into Troon in only a month’s time, Scheffler will have the opportunity to wow Montgomerie at his home course, and who knows, if he can do that, he might be able to break into the ‘box-office’ big three.
Colin Montgomerie
Montgomerie spoke to GolfMagic as part of his work with Loch Lomond Whisky.
Loch Lomond Whisky is the official spirit of The Open, and Montgomerie has collaborated with the whiskey brand to create The Open Special Edition.