Inside the Bethpage interview room on Tuesday, there was a touch of irony as Scottie Scheffler — holding the world No. 1 ranking since May 2023 and the dominant force on the PGA Tour for the past two years — addressed a question regarding Tiger Woods. Specifically, he was asked whether he was concerned about facing the same challenges previous Team USA captains had when it came to pairing Woods, and whether Scheffler had similar concerns.

Scheffler didn’t want to place himself into that same category.

Scheffler reflected on his success with various partners during his first two Ryder Cups, though the 2023 event in Rome turned into a disappointment swiftly followed by his meteoric rise. Perhaps, from Scheffler’s perspective, Woods’ aura made things more complicated.

“There were times when he was doing nothing but winning golf tournaments and consistently dominating his competitors repeatedly,” he commented.