Trevor Immelman has identified the attribute Scottie Scheffler has that the vast majority of golfers lack, insisting that it proves his genius.
Scheffler has been a fascinating character to follow in recent years. He is the most dominant figure the game has had since Tiger Woods. And yet, his best-known trait is how his feet move unconventionally during his swing.
It is extremely difficult to work out just what the 29-year-old does to distance himself from almost every player on the planet.
Trevor Immelman says the trait Scottie Scheffler has that proves his genius
Scottie Scheffler never shies away from working on his fundamentals. A range session will often see the world number one work on his grip like he is learning to pick up the club for the first time.
But his mental game is also one of his great strengths.
Scheffler clearly demands so much of himself when he is on the course. With that, Trevor Immelman has told Fried Egg Golf what he has noticed about what seems to get to Scheffler during a round.
“The thing with Scottie that I do find interesting, and there’s a part of me that enjoys observing it, he’s so good, and he’s in such control for the most part, every shot he plays, when he hits it, he’s already calculated – this is part of his genius – he’s already calculated the result that he should receive,” he said.
“And the only thing that I can see that throws him off is when he doesn’t receive his expected result, and then he gets annoyed by that. That’s when frustration starts to show for him. And it’s kind of interesting because you get a little glimpse into his genius, because it’s like he’s taken all the information in and he’s factored in what’s supposed to happen. And when that doesn’t happen, it gets under his skin.
“So that’s going to be fun to watch him deal with that over the next decade or so. It’s a really interesting trait that he has, and really you can only have it when you’re that good at that level. It’s been untouched by the majority of golfers who have ever walked the planet.”
What has impressed Trevor Immelman about Scottie Scheffler
Immelman’s theory will resonate with anyone who has watched Scheffler initially look a little disappointed with a shot that actually ends up in a reasonably good spot.
Interestingly, 2026 has not been hugely successful for him when it comes to wins. He has not emerged victorious since The American Express on his first start of the year.
Perhaps it would have been unreasonable to expect Scheffler to maintain his dominance for yet another year.
But there is also a chance that Scheffler has been somewhat worn down by all of the responsibilities that come with being the world’s best, as Immelman went on to explain.
“He is so good, oh my word, he is so good. Every part of his game, every aspect of the game, mentally, physically,” he said.
“Something that hasn’t been spoken about so much – and Aaron Rai’s about to figure this out, I had a very small sample size of it – but when you start to get into the higher levels of the sport and you win a major championship or more, the extra stuff that you have to deal with, a lot of people struggle with that. I struggled with that to be honest with you. So Scottie has been able to find a way to maintain this level and keep winning at this clip, whilst dealing with all the ancillary stuff.
“Every time he pitches up, the ultimate example is Tiger, when he goes to a tournament or does anything, it’s news. And Scottie has had to deal with that over the last four or five years and still been able to maintain that level and the focus and the dedication. That’s been impressive. You’ve got to appreciate that.”
Scheffler is a fantastic ambassador for the game. Obviously, he is destined to go down as an all-time great. But he also has no problem putting the golf clubs away and focusing on what is even more important in his life.
