Scotty Scheffler: Why did the world number one stop winning tournaments?

If wins are the only currency, both Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young have three tours this season, while Wyndham Clarke has a regular season win and a US Open.

But looking at the long-term rankings of the FedEx Cup season, it reaffirms Scheffler’s dominance.

Players are awarded points for their tournament finishes – and Scheffler is 795 seconds ahead of Fitzpatrick.

Because even though he hasn’t won since January, he’s done everything.

Sunday’s sophomore finished as fifth runner-up at the 3M Open — only the second golfer in 40 years to finish at least five seconds in a season on the PGA Tour.

He has finished third on two occasions and 11 of his 17 starts in 2026. It’s a body of work that dwarfs anything put together by its rivals.

“I think I’ve come very close to winning some tournaments and that can be disappointing,” Scheffler said before the Scottish Open.

“At the same time I’ve had good results – fourth and a second are not bad results by any means. The margin in golf is very small and I’ll try to do my best.”

The lack of wins didn’t stop him from extending his lead. At the top of the official world golf rankings, External Or.

Indeed, the distance between him and second-placed Rory McIlroy is that of McIlroy and American Matt McCarthy (67th).

Scheffler has been world number one since May 21, 2023 – about 166 weeks. Woods’ unbroken streak stood at 281 weeks between June 2005 and October 2010.

That formidable record still has more than two years to spare for Scheffler, but current evidence suggests that knocking him off the top spot is extremely difficult.