Legendary golf caddie thinks Scottie Scheffler will scare 10+ career major wins

Legendary golf caddie Jim 'Bones' Mackay, who worked alongside Phil Mickelson for 25 years on the PGA Tour, believes Scottie Scheffler 'could scare double digits' for major wins when all is said and done.

Mackay made his feelings about Scheffler be known while appearing on 'Golf Central LIVE at the US Open' on the eve of the third major of the season at Pinehurst No.2 in North Carolina.

Scheffler, who celebrates his 28th birthday in two weeks' time, arrives at the US Open off the back of five wins in his last eight starts on the PGA Tour. 

Three of those wins have been signature events on the PGA Tour and one was a second Masters title back in April. 

That marked the second major title of Scheffler's career.

Mackay, who recently parted ways with Justin Thomas, thinks Scheffler is not only capable of landing 10 or more major wins in his career, but that he also reminds him of record 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus. 

Should Scheffler one day crack 10 major wins, it would pull him to fourth in the all-time major wins list behind Nicklaus (18), Tiger Woods (15) and Walter Hagen (11). 

Mackay told Golf Central on Wednesday: 

"I honestly think this guy could go really, really deep in terms of major championships won. 

"I think this guy could scare double digits. He reminds me a lot of Jack Nicklaus. 

"He is one of the most mature, dialled in players I've ever seen on a golf course. 

"I think he is in this for the long haul and he's capable of just about anything.

"If you told me this guy scared a grand slam or anything along those lines, I'm buying it."

When pressed further by former PGA Tour pro Arron Oberholser in the Golf Central booth as to Scheffler's biggest asset that gives him the best possible chance to get to 10 major wins, Mackay replied: 

"I think that mentally he's in as great a place as a player since anybody since Nicklaus and Woods. 

"I think he can get in that space and he doesn't give a darn about winning last week. I thought it was a blessing in a sense that he didn't win in Houston in his last start before The Masters, which of course he went on to win. 

"We can talk about his incredible distance control and we could not be on a better golf course for him than Pinehurst No.2, this is Scottie Scheffler Golf Club as far as I'm concerned. 

"If I'm his caddie Ted Scott, I'm thrilled at what I'm seeing out there. 

"Of course you've got to go out there and execute, you've got to perform, but again, I go back to it, I think mentally he's at a place nobody has gotten to in this game other than the real greats."
 

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Mackay is returning to TV duties with NBC/Golf Channel at the US Open this week.

In a statement to Golfweek, 'Bones' said: "It's great for me and I couldn't be happier about the situation.

"In terms of where I am in my life this is the perfect scenario for me and I couldn’t be more pleased."

Bones confirmed his days caddying aren't over, though.

He said he'll happily fill in from time-to-time if needed.

"I'll do what I did before – if someone is sick or between caddies and needs a guy for a week and it's not an NBC event, then I’d be happy to help out," he said.

"But beyond that I will be doing TV primarily as far as what I do for a living."