<p>Scottie Scheffler's 2026 PGA Tour season has been marked by challenging beginnings, a fact acknowledged by himself, the golf community, and undoubtedly you, the reader. However, words like "slow" and "hindered" are quite relative when discussing the immense talent of the world's top-ranked golfer. </p>
<p>For instance, Scheffler appeared to struggle significantly through half of the Genesis Invitational, yet he still secured a T12 finish, tying with Jordan Spieth, who had just achieved his best tournament result since June 2025. This isn't meant to criticize Spieth; rather, it highlights how Scheffler's performances must always be viewed through a unique lens of expectation and capability.</p>
<p>On Thursday night, Scheffler found himself at the bottom of the leaderboard, without another name beneath his. He bogeyed his first 10 holes of the event, and barely made an 8-foot par putt on his 36th hole just to continue playing in a tournament where making the cut is essentially a given. Despite these early setbacks, he nearly extended his impressive streak of top-10 finishes to 19 consecutive tournaments... though he ultimately fell short, bringing an end to the longest such run on the PGA Tour.</p>
<p>That's perspective!</p>
<p>Scheffler kicked off his season with a win at the American Express, becoming only the third player under 30 to amass 20 PGA Tour victories and four major championships. The other two? Golf legends Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. He then finished just one shot shy of a playoff at the WM Phoenix Open, after an opening-round 73 left him 10 strokes behind eventual winner, Chris Gotterup, who was also his playing partner.</p>
<p>A victory there would have marked Scheffler's third at that specific tournament – a feat that would have placed him alongside the legendary Arnold Palmer for the most wins in the event's history.</p>
<p>After a pedestrian 72 in ideal conditions at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Scheffler roared back with a closing 63, propelled by three final-round eagles, finishing just two strokes behind champion Collin Morikawa. Winning at Pebble Beach carries a special weight. The names associated with it, the iconic venue, the rich history – it all adds up.</p>
<p>The same prestige applies to Riviera Country Club, host of the Genesis Invitational, particularly as it stands among the three most significant non-major tournaments on the PGA Tour calendar. While "signature events" dominate today's discussions, three tournaments consistently hold enduring significance, regardless of any PGA Tour schedule changes.</p>
<p>Tiger's tournament.</p>
<p>Arnie's tournament.</p>
<p>Jack's tournament.</p>
<p>These collectively form the PGA Tour's triumvirate of player-hosted invitationals, which, despite their "signature" status, uniquely maintain 36-hole cuts. A valid question arises: should more players be cut than just those outside the top 50 and more than 10 shots behind the leader, especially in a field of only 72? Yes, but that discussion is for another time.</p>
<p>To win one of these is remarkable. Just ask last week's champion, Jacob Bridgeman. To win two is truly extraordinary, a feat many all-time greats have achieved. But to conquer all three on their respective courses? That is an exceptionally rare distinction in PGA Tour accomplishments, with only Fred Couples and Ernie Els having completed the "triumvirate" (Hale Irwin won the 1976 Citrus Open at Rio Pinar Country Club, which later became the Arnold Palmer Invitational).</p>
<h2>Players to win at least two of the big three</h2>
<table data-title="10x4 Table" class="TableBase"><tbody><tr/><tr><td><p>Tiger Woods</p></td><td>13</td><td/><td><p>🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆</p></td><td><p>🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆</p></td></tr><tr><td>Fred Couples</td><td>4</td><td>🏆🏆</td><td>🏆</td><td>🏆</td></tr><tr><td>Ernie Els</td><td>4</td><td>🏆</td><td>🏆🏆</td><td>🏆</td></tr><tr><td>Kenny Perry</td><td>4</td><td><br/></td><td>🏆</td><td>🏆🏆🏆</td></tr><tr><td>Scottie Scheffler</td><td>4</td><td><br/></td><td>🏆🏆</td><td>🏆🏆</td></tr><tr><td><p>Tom Watson</p></td><td>4</td><td><p>🏆🏆</p></td><td/><td><p>🏆🏆</p></td></tr><tr><td>Hale Irwin</td><td>3</td><td>🏆</td><td><br/></td><td>🏆🏆</td></tr><tr><td>Phil Mickelson</td><td>3</td><td>🏆🏆</td><td>🏆</td><td><br/></td></tr><tr><td>Bryson DeChambeau</td><td>2</td><td><br/></td><td>🏆</td><td>🏆</td></tr><tr><td>Hideki Matsuyama</td><td>2</td><td>🏆</td><td><br/></td><td>🏆</td></tr><tr><td>Jon Rahm</td><td>2</td><td>🏆</td><td><br/></td><td>🏆</td></tr><tr><td><p>Vijay Singh</p></td><td>2</td><td/><td><p>🏆</p></td><td><p>🏆</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><br/>It's important to note certain conditions apply to the names above — a consequence of the PGA Tour's intricate record-keeping. For instance, Els, naturally, didn't receive a trophy *from* Woods. In fact, his victory came at Woods' expense, as the Big Easy finished two strokes ahead of Tiger, marking the closest Woods ever came to winning at Riviera. Irwin's Citrus Open win also predates Palmer becoming the tournament host at Bay Hill.</p>
<p>"Here and Memorial — I believe the player-hosted invitationals are gaining increasing prominence on the PGA Tour schedule," Rory McIlroy commented last week. "I've been fortunate enough to win at Bay Hill, but Arnold wasn't present when I did. It would be genuinely special to receive a trophy from Tiger and from Jack at some point. [Riviera] and Muirfield are two courses I would dearly love to add to my wins."</p>
<p>Scheffler has already triumphed twice at Arnie's and Jack's tournaments, yet Tiger's event remains elusive. It's not unreasonable to suggest this year could have been his if not for such a poor start. Scheffler played his final 62 holes at 16 under par, while Bridgeman clinched the tournament at 18 under. Over the last three rounds, Scheffler actually outscored the winner by a single shot.</p>
<p>While these initial struggles have dug Scheffler into deep holes, they have also vividly showcased his profound competitive spirit. This unwavering determination brings to mind a boxer who, despite enduring a barrage of punches to the point of impaired vision, steadfastly remains on his feet, ready for another round.</p>
<p>Scheffler continues to be the betting favorite for all four major championships: 3-1 for the Masters, 19/5 for the PGA Championship, 16/5 for the U.S. Open, and 5-1 for The Open, according to FanDuel.</p>
<p>His comebacks have been both impressive and highly entertaining, illustrating what Scheffler is capable of achieving even when trailing significantly. In another sense, they've revealed *additional* facets of his game, as we already knew the Texan could dominate when leading the pack.</p>