Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer on the planet. Golf, like any other sport, has stars that shine, then either lose the desire or just grow old. 

Years ago, David Duval was the best golfer on the PGA tour. Then, he wasn’t. He fell out of the number one ranking and augered in. He was competing against and with Tiger Woods at the time. Woods, of course, would be the shining star for years – decades. Media (and Nike) loved Woods. Most of the adulation was because he was dynamic and fun to watch. Woods was unbeatable. But he was also a philanderer and a renowned cheapskate. Seven years ago, Tiger Woods was drunk. Really drunk. He was criminally drunk or stoned, and he decided to get into a car and drive. He was out driving, hit a tree at 3 AM, and was booked into a Jupiter Florida jail. He was released within four hours. Woods had ruined his marriage. 

Three years ago, Tiger Woods was traveling on a residential road with a severe turn. He was traveling at close to 90 miles an hour. He lost control and crashed breaking his leg and likely breaking any chance of him winning another Major title. While I was freelancing for the LA Times I drew this cartoon for the LA Times. It was never published — must protect the precious.  

Regardless of his foibles and proclivities, Woods has been treated as the golden calf by the media. Untouchable to real criticism. He can drive drunk and be out of jail in four hours. He can drive at a speed that is dangerous to others and not get arrested.  

Woods will never again be at the top of PGA rankings. Media would love that to happen but it won’t. The best golfer on the planet is now Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler is a happily married Christian man from Texas. He’s universally liked by fellow golfers. 

So, it's time to tear him down.

On Friday, before the second round of the PGA Championship, Scheffler tried to enter the tournament grounds in his SUV. He had a sign on his car that identified him as a player/PGA official. What happened next isn’t clear, but he was arrested on a felony charge for "assault of a police officer." A cop tried to stop his car. The cops claimed Scheffler tried to run down a cop. I think that is highly unlikely. According to multiple third-party witnesses, Scheffler didn’t do that. In any event, he was arrested, sent to booking, put in a jail jumpsuit, and photographed. Fortunately, he was released, so he could make his tee time, but a media hack thought that it was a good time to throw a race card into the mix. Why not? It generates engagement. 

He was arrested, released and will make his tee time is about the whitest thing I’ve ever heard.

— Mark Blutman (@BlutmanMark) May 17, 2024

I don’t know if this was supposed to be a joke or if this guy wanted to play a race card or if he’s just a jerk. I’m going with mostly the latter and bit of the middle. 

In any event, it seems that Scheffler is on top of the rankings and is by all accounts a great guy. He's too middle America. It’s time to tear him down.