Steve Stricker reflects on his ‘no-brainer’ pick that started Scottie Scheffler’s big run on the PGA Tour – “The rest is history, right?”

Steve Stricker recently weighed in on picking Scottie Scheffler in the USA’s 2021 Ryder Cup team. Stricker praised the 28-year-old and dubbed his decision to pick him as a “no-brainer.”

Scheffler started playing on the PGA Tour in 2020. He enjoyed a decent outing during the initial phase of his career on the circuit. Although he did not win any event until 2022, he was one of captain Steve Stricker’s six picks for the 2021 Ryder Cup to play for Team USA.

Scheffler made the most of the opportunity and was impressive on his Ryder Cup debut with a record of 2-0-1. He also beat Jon Rahm in singles at Whistling Straits, helping the USA win the biennial tournament.ur in 2020. He enjoyed a decent outing during the initial phase of his career on the circuit. Although he did not win any event until 2022, he was one of captain Steve Stricker’s six picks for the 2021 Ryder Cup to play for Team USA.

Scheffler made the most of the opportunity and was impressive on his Ryder Cup debut with a record of 2-0-1. He also beat Jon Rahm in singles at Whistling Straits, helping the USA win the biennial tournament.

Recently, Stricker attended a press conference for the 2024 Ascension Charity Classic where he was asked about Scottie Scheffler’s performance in 2020-21 and what made him choose Scheffler for the 2021 Ryder Cup team. Stricker said (via ASAP Sports):

“It really became kind of a no-brainer of a pick once we started talking about him. You know, he caught my eye and then obviously the guys that were out there all the time playing with him, they knew how good he was or is. So it was kind of a no-brainer of a pick. The rest is history, right? He beat Jon Rahm. Obviously gained a ton of confidence from that week.”

“I’ve seen clips of when he talked about that Ryder Cup week, too. Means a lot to him. He still carries the yardage book cover for that Ryder Cup. So it meant a lot to him and gave him a ton the confidence. He hasn’t stopped since. Fun to see,” he added.

Scheffler has established himself on the PGA Tour in just four years. In 2024, he had a record-breaking season, winning seven tournaments and securing the top spot in the Official World Golf Rankings.