Scottie Scheffler
(Augusta, GA.) Scottie Scheffler confirmed his no. 1 ranking in the world of golf by winning his second Masters, spoiling the customary back nine drama at Augusta National with rock-solid play and a laser-focused demeanor. There were challengers—such as rookie Ludvig Aberg, Max Homa, and Collin Morikawa—but they all incurred late double bogies derailing their bids. Scheffler meanwhile kept playing aggressively smart on the final nine with birdies on 13, 14, and 16, leading to a 4-under 68 for a four-shot margin of victory.
Scheffler is a complete golfer, recalling Ben Crenshaw’s apt description once used to describe Nick Price’s game when he was no.1: “The man’s in full flight.”
Masters statistics revealed his overall dominant play.
For the tournament, Scheffler was second in birdies with 21, third in total putts with 109, T-12 in Greens in Regulation (46 greens out of 72), T-10 in Driving Accuracy (44 fairways hit out of 72), and T-13 in Driving Distance with 305.7 yards. (All stats credited to the hard-working folks at Elias Sports Bureau.)
And he must be ranked at the top of the field in terms of his course management, patience, and staying in the present.
Known for his strong faith and supportive spouse, family, and friends, Scheffler is an authentic and transparent individual with a ready smile and without a trace of pretension. Earlier in the week, he talked about his early love of the game and the influence of his parents, both of whom were behind the 18th green when he finished.
“My dad stayed home with us and my mom worked,” said Scheffler in his Tuesday press conference. “My dad never really looked at me as a golfer. He never pushed me to become a good golfer. That was never what he wanted for me. My parents pushed more education and being kind to people on me.”
In golf, Scheffler pushed himself because he wanted to be a professional golfer at an early age. “I always wanted to play golf. I grew up wearing long pants to go practice at the golf course because that’s what I saw the pros doing on TV, and I wanted to be one of those professional golfers.”
When asked by a writer to define himself, he responded with humor and candor: “Gosh, you’ll probably have to ask my wife (laughing). No, I’m a faithful guy. I believe in a creator. I believe in Jesus. Ultimately, I think that’s what defines me the most.” His deep religious beliefs are not displayed on his sleeve or voiced casually without prompting but are simply a part of his engaging personality and character.
In that same press conference, someone asked what’s the most misunderstood part of his golf swing.
“Maybe people think I don’t think about my fundamentals very much, which I do,” said Scheffler, who hasn’t had an over-par round on Tour since last October. “It’s a big part of my practice, and it’s usually what I do at the beginning of my practice each day: focus on my fundamentals. So maybe that would be the most misunderstood part.”
His adherence to fundamentals and patience are a result of his 20-year association with Randy Smith, the acclaimed PGA golf instructor from Dallas.
“Randy would always say, ‘It’s not about who is the best when you’re 14 years old, it’s about who can be the best when you’re 25 years old.’” His teacher reminded the aspiring junior golfer that golf is “a long journey.”
“He did a good job of keeping me patient for a number of years when I wasn’t performing as well as I felt like I should have.”
On and off the course, Scottie Scheffer is surrounded by people who help him understand the essentials of the game and life.
Meanwhile, he and his wife Meredith are eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child. They’ll impart those same fundamentals in the long journey ahead.
Image courtesy of the PGA Tour
