Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler isn't letting a string of near-misses get him down—instead, he's turning those "bittersweet" feelings into fuel ahead of this week's PGA Championship.

The 29-year-old American, who claimed both the PGA and British Open titles last year after winning the Masters in 2022 and 2024, kicked off 2025 in style with a victory at the American Express in January—his 20th career PGA Tour win. But since then, the world No. 1 has found himself in a frustrating pattern: three consecutive runner-up finishes at the Masters, Heritage, and Doral tournaments.

"I would say a little bit bittersweet," Scheffler admitted. "You know you're playing good golf, and you'd love to get some wins. Finishing second hurts. But when you reflect and you're looking at things to work on, there's a lot less to clean up when you're finishing second than there is when you're finishing 30th."

That perspective is exactly what makes Scheffler such a formidable competitor. His consistency is staggering—he's finished in the top 10 in each of his past six majors, the longest such streak since Vijay Singh's seven in a row from 2004 to 2006. With four titles and 16 top-10 finishes in his last 20 major starts, Scheffler arrived at Aronimink feeling confident and well-prepared to add another trophy to his collection.

"If my game feels like it's in a pretty good spot, a lot of it is checking the boxes and making sure things feel the way they should heading into a tournament like this," he said. "The last few weeks I've played some nice golf, so a lot of it was making sure I got rest, made sure I checked the boxes, and made sure things feel the way I want them to feel heading into a major championship—and just get the mind right to come out here and play."

Fans are already buzzing about a potential showdown between Scheffler and second-ranked Rory McIlroy, who together have won four of the past five majors. But remarkably, the two superstars have never faced off in a Sunday back-nine battle for a title. Not that Scheffler is losing sleep over it.

"I would not say that it drives me," Scheffler said when asked about a potential duel with McIlroy. "My sources of motivation have always been internal. For me, getting better at golf is such an interesting and fun thing to do."

With that mindset and a game that's been razor-sharp all season, don't be surprised if Scheffler turns those runner-up finishes into a victory lap this week.