'Tiger Did Some Stuff In 2000...But Scottie’s Year Was The Best We’ve Ever Seen' - Bubba Watson Sparks Debate With Controversial Scheffler Claim

Bubba Watson has sparked a huge golfing debate after claiming Scottie Scheffler's 2024 season was better than Tiger Woods' all-conquering 2000 campaign

Bubba Watson during LIV Golf Hong Kong
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Golf can be a game of opinions at times and everybody loves a big debate, especially where Tiger Woods is concerned, so Bubba Watson's recent take on Scottie Scheffler has certainly got tongues wagging.

Watson is never short of an opinion, and the two-time Masters champion has been in the news for his thoughts on LIV Golf - mainly that the top 15 players in the team golf tour should qualify automatically for all four Majors.

The left-hander's latest take is a big one, as he says Scheffler's incredible season last year eclipsed Woods' epic 2000 campaign - which is widely regarded as the best ever compiled in men's pro golf.

“I know Tiger did some stuff in 2000," was Watson's understated way of describing Woods' dominant season when talking to Golf.com's Sean Zak.

"But Scottie’s year was the best we’ve ever seen," added Watson. "With all the talent around the world now playing, that was it.”

Watson's assessment that today's depth of talent is greater than in Tiger's 2000 season is definitely an argument many would support.

And on just the numbers of the season it's pretty close - Woods won nine times in 20 starts on the PGA Tour in 2000 and Scheffler also won nine times in 21 starts, if you include his victories at the Olympics and Hero World Challenge.

Scheffler won The Masters for the second time, but Woods, of course, won three Majors in 2000 including dominant wins at the US Open and Open Championship by 15 and eight shots respectively.

Tiger also finished runner-up four times and his scoring average of 68.17 is a PGA Tour record, and coupled with that third Major of the year at the PGA Championship it's hard to argue against his 2000 being the best season in history.

Watson is sticking to his guns though, and obviously feels, like others do, that Scheffler's statistical dominance and win rate last year was the more impressive as it was not thought possible in the modern era.

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Another line from the interview worth mentioning was Watson's belief that he can still challenge at Augusta, and even win The Masters for a third time.

At 46, he's the same age as Jack Nicklaus was when he won his sixth Green Jacket in 1986, and a third success would be so big it may even make Watson call it a day there and then.

“Truthfully, I’ve had the thought: If you do it, like if you actually pull it off," Watson said of winning a third Masters.

"I mean, I’m 46. You’re talking about [same age] Jack Nicklaus was when he won. If you did that, you know, maybe you drop the shoes on the green and walk off forever. That’d be a cool moment, right?”

Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush. 

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