Scottie Scheffler currently occupies a commanding position in golf as the world searches for the next big name to challenge for world No. 1.
Just as Tiger Woods needed Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia to push him to greatness, Scheffler similarly needs a rival to fight him week in and week out for the good of the sport.
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Surprisingly, the current player in this role is not Rory McIlroy or Jon Rahm, but Chris Gottapp. The 26-year-old won two of his first three starts on the PGA Tour season, moving him into the top five of the Official World Golf Rankings.
However, PGA Tour veterans Tommy Fleetwood and Tony Finau have selected two different young Tour rookies that they believe will be “special” in the future.
Photo by Rich Story/TGL/TGL Golf, Getty Images
Tony Finau and Tommy Fleetwood say Neil Shipley and Luke Clanton will be ‘special’
Finau, a six-time PGA Tour winner, has identified two talents he thinks will be special on the PGA Tour, and Fleetwood agrees.
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After playing against them in TGL, he predicts a bright future for both Neil Shipley and Luke Clanton. When asked what advice he would give them, Finau said:
“They’ve had a great start to their career. All they want is experience, but these young players, what I’ve learned from a lot of guys coming out of college, they’re not afraid of the spotlight. They’re not afraid of winning. They’re not afraid of playing well and being stars.
“I look at Luke and Neil and I think they’re great kids. I can call them that because they’re younger than me. They’re in their 20s. But they’re great guys and they have the game to back it up. They’re great kids. They’re great kids.”
“I think they’re both going to be special players on the PGA Tour. And I don’t know if I can really share anything other than you guys, but try to surround yourself with good people to guide you on your path to success.”
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Fleetwood added, “Yeah, I agree with Tony too. I think the most important thing for them is to keep doing what they’re doing. Right off the bat, I think there are a lot of examples. A lot of us have done that, but look for something that you feel like you want or that doesn’t negatively impact what you already have. They have a lot of things.”
“When you look at them, it’s great to see them play golf. They have such a great attitude and passion for the game. I think it’s just about sticking to that all the time. It’s great to see the young players have that fire burning within them and how much they love the game of golf. As long as they keep that, they’ll be fine.”
Neil Shipley and Luke Clanton endure difficult start to PGA Tour rookie season
Shipley first came into the spotlight as an amateur when he played a round with Tiger Woods at Augusta National. Although he did well in his first Masters, finishing T53, his full season on the PGA Tour didn’t start out the way he had hoped.
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Shipley missed the first three matches of the season, but his form improved slightly at the WM Phoenix Open. The popular American won in style, finishing T68 and earning his first paycheck of the season.
Clanton has never had such luck. He has not yet qualified, missed the Sony Open and Farmers Insurance Open over the weekend, and withdrew from American Express.
Both players need to improve their form if they want to keep their tour cards in 2027.
