Scottie Scheffler has been a force unlike any other on the PGA Tour this year, and his latest victory at Caves Valley sealed his dominance with five wins for a dramatic season. While the presence of his longtime right-hand man, Ted Scott, was missing, Scheffler couldn’t help but acknowledge the smooth transition with fill-in caddie Michael Cromie, who took over the caddie duties during a critical part of the season.
Scheffler, who was trailing behind Robert MacIntyre by four shots heading into Sunday, fired a 3-under round to claim the two-shot victory. “Did a good job of staying patient and executing when we needed to,” Scheffler said, as he becomes the first player since Tiger Woods (2005-07) with back-to-back seasons of five or more wins. While Ted Scott has been around for all of the wins this season, he has been missing on the world no.1’s bag since the final round of the FedEx St.Jude’s Championship. While close friend Brad Payne, filled in at Memphis, Scheffler had Scott’s friend, Michael Cromie, on the bag the entire week at Caves Valley.
“Yeah, it was definitely different for sure. But Cromie was doing a great job. He’s a guy I can trust. He’s one of Ted’s good buddies,” Scheffler responded when asked of Scott’s absence. This was the first time Scottie Scheffler has won without Ted Scott being on his bag since 2021. But Cromie’s presence made it easy for Scheffler to handle the change, especially during a high-stakes event like the BMW Championship. “I’d just say it’s pretty much as simple as that. Cromie is a guy that works hard. He does his prep work, and he was an easy guy for me to trust out there,” Scheffler said during his post-round press conference. It was a simple yet powerful seven-word statement that underscored how comfortable he felt because of Cromie’s work ethic.
While Scottie Scheffler praised Michael Cromie’s hard work, he emphasized how the two managed to stay calm and focused despite the unfamiliarity. “I felt like we did a good job of talking through our shots and staying patient and keep doing the right things even when things were looking a little bit squirrelly there on the back nine. We did a good job of staying focused and continuing to hit shots at the right targets. Closed the tournament out nicely,” Scheffler reflected. Despite making three birdies on the back nine, including a chip-in on the 17th, Scheffler struggled with two bogeys that nearly cost him. But it was Michael Cromie’s presence that helped him navigate the pressure-packed round.
When Scottie Scheffler was asked if his communication with Michael Cromie felt different compared to how he usually interacts with Ted Scott, Scheffler was thoughtful in his response. “That’s something I’ll have to reflect on later. Overall I’m not a guy that talks a ton out there on the golf course. Cromie, I think, does a really good job of being really even keel. He’s not a guy that’s going to overreact to anything. He did a really good job of just staying even keel all week and kind of impervious to the pressure of a final round, and he did a really good job,” the 18-time PGA Tour winner said.
Cromie, who usually caddies for Chris Kirk, was able to fill-in for Scheffler at the right time, as Kirk finished outside of the top-50 heading into the BMW Championship. While this opportunity gave Michael Cromie valuable experience working with one of the Tour’s hottest players, exposing him to a different level of pressure and strategy, Cromie also banked a big paycheck with Scheffler’s win.
Being on Scottie Scheffler’s bag was beneficial to Cromie
While Scottie Scheffler’s win earned him $3.6 million on Sunday, Michael Cromie took home a jaw-dropping $360,000 home. That’s a number he must have not seen in a while as Chris Kirk currently ranks 55th on the season money list with only $2.9 million to his name. Kirk, has a solid but quieter season with only three top-10 finishes, including one runner-up finish at the 2025 Rocket Classic. But lack of results in important events like the Memorial and the 2025 Masters, where he missed the cut, Chris Kirk hasn’t banked anywhere close to Scheffler has.
So, being on Scheffler’s bag for the week, Michael Cromie finally got a glimpse of the financial rewards that Ted Scott earns, who has made enough to even out-earn top players on the tour. This boost is all thanks to Scheffler’s dominant run, who has now won 18 times in his PGA Tour career, all within the last four years. This week’s win was Scheffler’s third win in seven events since the 2025 Memorial and it is the third time Scheffler has overcome at least a four-shot deficit after 54 holes. His solid season has not only elevated Ted Scott’s career but also opened doors and opportunities for those around him, including his stand-in caddie.
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