Scheffler enters Tiger territory, Reed’s secret free agency?

Come in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they analyze the hottest topics in sports, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @igalofu_com. This week, we break down Scottie Scheffler’s latest historic achievement and Patrick Reed’s strange revelation.

Scottie Scheffler started his 2026 season as you would imagine: with another win. Scheffler shot a final round 66 to win the American Express by four and his 20th PGA Tour win. What did you think of Scheffler’s start to the season? And if you are the whole Tour, what do you think?

Alan Bastable, senior editor (@alan_bastable): Forget what I’m thinking. What does the 18-year-old think of playing alongside Scheffler on Sunday! “One of the best things I learned today is how low Scottie Scheffler’s short game is,” Blades Brown said after his buzz-killing fourth-round 74. “Seeing it first hand and looking at the kind of trajectory and spin, and the control he has with his wedges and his short game. Obviously his putting is really crazy. I’d agree – Scheffler’s 1.18 putts on the green Sunday were the best in the field. His 9 birdies were also impressive. Every time I looked up, it seemed like Scheffler was swinging the sword back within four feet of the hole. It looks like the Golden Tee round. What does the Tour think? . [sigh] so too.

James Colgan, news and features editor (@jamescolgan26): I know this deserves like a thousand qualifiers, because American Express is historically one of the easiest tournaments in terms of value, but Scottie won like we’ve never seen on Sunday. He didn’t just go over to his opponents; he defeated them. He did there are nine birds, and eight of them were converted from within five feet (!!!). He is the third player ever (after Tiger and Jack) to win 20 and 4 majors before his 30th birthday – and for everyone who plays golf, that should be … scary.

Josh Sens, senior author, (@joshsens). To me, this looked very similar. A golfer who has no physical weaknesses has the best mental game. In this, a relatively low-water event, Scheffler once again proved that unlike other big guns in the game, he never takes a week off.

Scheffler won six times last year and seven the year before. If you’re Vegas and you’re determining the top/bottom line for Scheffler’s win in 2026, where would you put it?

Bastable: It feels like we’re cheating when we have it. Can he win another five? That’s right! Six more? It is possible. Another seven would bring us to Tiger territory (TW won eight times in both 1999 and 2006). And another eight will bring us to the Vijay Singh (2004) and Tiger again (2000) location. Sounds like a great question. We set io/u to 6. What do you guys say?!

Colgan: Agreed, Basty. Six is ​​the only number that makes sense. But great athletes teach us to believe in unreasonable. I don’t think eight is out of the question.

Senses: If the line is six, I’m done at the end. One down of course, -if his previous schedule repeats-more than 15 to 20 starts left? I will collect my money in late August.

In addition to Scheffler holding the reins of the tournament, it was 18-year-old Blades Brown who made headlines earlier in the week. He received a sponsor’s exemption and made his 10th career PGA Tour start, shooting a 60 on Friday and being tied for the lead after 54 holes before shooting a 74 on Sunday and breaking out of the top 10. Or is Blades a name golf fans should expect to see more of?

Bastable: An outsider? Not at all! He had already made three cuts on the PGA Tour heading into this week at an age when most of his peers are less concerned with staring down Scottie Scheffler on a Sunday afternoon than preparing for their next pre-count test or getting a promotion date. The blades feel like they are in full sponge mode. On Sunday evening, he said “I could write a book about what I’ve learned these past few days.” In golf, 18 is the new 28. There’s no reason to think we won’t see Blades play the most lucrative weekend golf on the PGA Tour this year.

Colgan: The finish was nothing out of the ordinary. Blades is a name fans should remember. BUT — and there is a “but” — Sunday was a lesson in just how much separates him from consistent PGA Tour success. I’m incredibly impressed that, at 18 years old, his ceiling is already up there with the best players in the sport. But jobs are built on the upside.

Senses: Blades is no fluke. Such a word is a conclusion. Guess I shouldn’t have named my son “Shanks.” The poor kid never stood a chance.

Patrick Reed, days before he won the Dubai Desert Classic, told The Telegraph that he would consider rejoining the PGA Tour if allowed. Then, on Sunday morning, he revealed that he has not re-signed with LIV Golf – whose season starts in less than two weeks. The Returning Member Tour program has created special paths for the big winners over the past four years, which Reed falls under. Why wouldn’t the Tour be interested in rejoining Mhlanga?

Bastable: Who says they don’t exist?! I think Brian Rolapp and Co. they are interested in accepting any player who makes the PGA Tour fields strong and the LIV fields weak. Yes, the current draft of the RMP prohibits the return of the Reed, but the rules, as the PGA Tour has later proven, are made to be broken – or, at least, changed. Who knows where we will be in a year? When asked Sunday if he was talking to the PGA Tour, Reed said, “Not right now,” suggesting talks were ongoing. I, for one, miss P-Reed. Anyway you feel for the guy, he makes the competitions so much fun.

Colgan: That whole P-Reed back and forth was SO weird. If we learned one thing from the Brooks and Bryson situations, it’s that LIV contracts are like all other negotiations – they’re all about leverage! Why is Reed giving up his potential by keeping his free agency a secret? I have no idea. But if his chances of a PGA Tour comeback are stymied, I’d bet it’s because he’s been operating in the dark.

Senses: The golf tournament is also a zero-sum game. I’m sure the Tour would be interested in getting Reed for that reason. A Ponte Vedra win equals a LIV loss, and so on. My guess is that we won’t see that this year. He has already been released from the Masters, his world ranking is now firmly in the top 50, and he has just improved his market value in any negotiations with LIV. This is another way of saying that he may have his cake and eat it too, leaving big money without missing the majors.

Speaking of the Returning Member Program, next up on Tour is the Farmers Insurance Open where Brooks Koepka will make his long-awaited return to the PGA Tour. What are you looking forward to hearing from Koepka, and how do you expect him to play in his debut?

Bastable: I’m not sure we’ll get much from him – in the press tent, anyway. I would expect a focused, tight-lipped Koepka in San Diego. And who knows what we will see in the course? A dirty little secret about Brooks is. . . he was not playing well. He had only two top-10s at LIV in 2025 and both came in his first four starts. In his last four games he has not finished better than T29. Maybe he wasn’t enthusiastic. Perhaps he was distracted by personal matters. Maybe he was dreaming of his PGA Tour comeback. It’s hard to know with Brooks. What we do know is that he has a lot to prove. Would it surprise me if he disagreed? It wouldn’t.

Colgan: I’ve heard several of Brooks’ LIV teammates say that Koepka’s condition was an important part of his decision to return. I don’t expect him to point it out, but it would be nice to hear his reason on the record for returning to the Tour.

Senses: I’m trying to remember the last time I heard something really revealing at a press conference. I don’t expect that to change when Koepka takes the podium. But I expect him to play well, recent form can be discarded. If there was ever a guy who could shut it down and then turn it back on when it mattered to him, it’s Koepka.