“I feel very close. It was definitely challenging with the winds and getting the ball close to the hole. Definitely started hitting some better shots. Starting to feel more comfortable with my irons.” These were Scottie Scheffler‘s words after a disappointing title defense at THE PLAYERS Championship earlier this year, where he finished T20. Mind you, he is coming from a hand injury that he sustained on Christmas last year, while trying to make ravioli.

He missed the first month of the PGA Tour season because of it and has looked far from his usual dominant self. He started strong, making eight appearances and finishing above 25 in all the starts. He finished T2 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, T3 at the Genesis Invitational, and 4th at the Masters. But what was lacking was evident – a victory, something that came very easily in the past.

And then Scheffler finally won! In dominating fashion, to say the least. The World No.1 turned back time in what was a stellar victory that was reminiscent of his brilliance last year. Scheffler shot a 31-under par in a wire-to-wire victory, thereby becoming just the third golfer to do so in the tournament’s history, joining Mark Hayes (1976) and Tom Watson (1980). This is also the first instance on the PGA Tour in nearly two years, with the last wire-to-wire victory coming at the 2023 3M Open, courtesy of Lee Hodges.

“It feels like a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice for little moments like these, and they are pretty special,” Scheffler explained to CBS Reporter Amanda Balionis after his eight-stroke victory at the TPC Craig Ranch. The World No.1 was understandably emotional while talking to Balionis, holding his young child in his arms. The CJ Cup Byron Nelson was a special event for the two-time Major winner. It was his hometown event and the first event he participated in on the PGA Tour at the age of 17.

He took part in the HP Byron Nelson Championship in 2014, with his sister caddying for him, and finished an impressive T22 with a score of 4 under par. And now, 11 years later, he has etched his name in the history of the competition, winning by eight strokes over Erik van Rooyen in second place.

The Dallas native felt right at home from the beginning at the TPC Craig Ranch, carding 14 birdies and 2 eagles en route to an 18-under-par score over the first two days. He followed that with a 5 under par score, before finishing it up with another 8 under par to card 31 under par for the tournament. He was third in Strokes Gained off the Tee and first in Strokes Gained while hitting approach shots. His driving accuracy was also in the top 4 amongst the field.

Scheffler also matched the PGA Tour record for the lowest score on a 72-hole course, with his score of 253 equaling Justin Thomas‘ feat at the 2017 Sony Open in Hawaii and Ludvig Aberg’s performance at the 2023 RSM Classic. The records are just one part of the story for the Texas native.

“My family was all able to be here, and it was just really, really special memories, and I think at times it all comes crashing down to me at once. We have a lot of great memories as kids coming to watch this tournament. I just dreamed to be able to play in it, and it’s more of a dream to be able to win it,” Scheffler explained how much this event means to him.

With such a dominant victory, the two-time Major winner will be looking for more.

What’s next for Scheffler?

The big news is that Scottie Scheffler will not appear at the Truist Championship happening at the Philadelphia Cricket Club next week. While he has not disclosed a reason yet, it is safe to assume that he wants to completely focus his attention on Quail Hollow the week after, where the second major of the season is taking place.

The World No.1 is yet to win a major outside of the Masters and has a decent record at the PGA Championship, having finished in the Top 10 of the event last year. Further, he had a T2 finish in the 2023 edition, where he lost out to Brooks Koepka by just two strokes.

The question to be asked is very simple. Can Scheffler ride his current wave of brilliant golf and claim a coveted third major in his career at Quail Hollow this year?