Scottie Scheffler is in Tiger Woods’ territory

The coronation of Scottie Scheffler had taken an unexpected detour, mostly through the dense rough left of Quail Hollow’s front-nine fairways. The romp to his third major championship had veered into a tussle with Jon Rahm and a suddenly defective swing. A metronomic player briefly had gone haywire.

As Scheffler stood on the 18th tee, though, he had wrestled the 107th PGA Championship back into a stranglehold. Before Sunday, Scheffler had proved himself championship-calibre through majestic ball-striking and unfailing consistency. His third major title revealed something else: the summoning of fierce competitive will when faced with collapse.

On Sunday afternoon, Scheffler further cemented himself as an all-time player at the peak of his considerable powers. It was not as easy as the final score suggested. Scheffler seized his third major – and the second leg of the career grand slam – with an incomparable back nine that finalised his score at 11 under par, five shots clear of Harris English, Davis Riley and Bryson DeChambeau after Rahm melted down on the final three holes. Adam Scott and Cameron Davis were the best placed Australians finishing in a tie for 19th at two under.

One major after Rory McIlroy completed the career grand slam at the Masters, Scheffler reasserted himself as the best golfer in the world. He proved he can dominate even when he courts disaster.

The three-shot lead he carried into the final round dissipated to nothing before he reached the 10th tee, two over on the round and wayward with nearly every full shot. Scheffler erased his disordered front nine and stiff-armed Rahm’s fleeting charge by shooting a 34 on the back, giving him a final round of even-par 70 and an abundant cushion as he played the so-called Green Mile three-hole finish.

Scheffler is suddenly in position to make a run at a historic northern summer. He missed the first month of the season after he suffered a puncture wound to his hand while – this is true – cutting pasta dough with an upturned wine glass to make ravioli. He struggled to find his best form. And yet, his PGA Tour finishes this season: ninth, 25th, third, 11th, 20th, second, fourth, eighth, win, win.

Scheffler has won his past two tournaments by eight and five strokes; the only other player since 1970 to win consecutive starts by at least five strokes is Tiger Woods. He has played his past eight rounds in 42 under. His torrid steak only needs to last another month before he enters as the favourite for the US Open at Oakmont, a brawny course that will narrow the credible list of potential winners. It’s eminently conceivable that Scheffler could play for the career grand slam by the time he tees off at the British Open at Royal Portrush this summer.

At the outset Sunday, Scheffler appeared poised to run away. He slammed the door in both of his Masters victories when he played in the final group. He entered with a 69.79 final round scoring average in majors, second all-time among golfers with at least 10 rounds. His ball-striking had elevated him above the field, and his once-shaky putter had heated up. Even peers who play this capricious game for a living considered Scheffler’s crowning a near formality.