It’s been six years since Scottie Scheffler strolled around the grounds of the Austin Country Club, still dressed casually. His t-shirt was untucked, he wore a cap and posed for a souvenir photo with his girlfriend Meredith – as you would do as a regular spectator on the PGA Tour. At the time, Scheffler took advantage of the fact that the best players in the world came to Austin for a tournament, where he was studying at the University of Texas. At the time, he wanted to learn from them. Now, in March 2022, he himself is the best.
After accepting the winner’s trophy at the Dell Matchplay Championship on Sunday and confirming that he will lead the world golf rankings as of Monday morning, Scheffler posed again for a souvenir photo. The cap is now from the sponsor, Meredith is no longer his girlfriend but his wife, otherwise the 25-year-old is still the same bearish guy with a friendly smile and clear priorities.
Even at university he was considered one of the greatest talents
When he was asked to do the television interview, which is traditionally conducted on the 18th green, Scheffler comforted the cameramen, then he hugged his wife, sister, brother, parents and friends one after the other, tears rolling down his cheeks. His father, one of the few who still call him Scott, told him at the moment of victory that he was more proud of what a “wonderful young man” his son was than how good he was golf games
“It’s a dream for me to win in my home country,” said Scheffler: “I have so many memories of what it was like to be here as a spectator – being able to play here is special.”
Becoming number one in the world golf rankings is the culmination of an impressive rise so far. Scheffler was already considered one of the greatest talents in the USA when he was at university, but that alone does not lead you to the top of the world. He had to work his way hard, in 2019 he qualified for the highest US tour. He played well, finished in the top ten in three of the four major tournaments last year and was part of the America’s Ryder Cup team. But unlike the young high-flyers Collin Morikawa or Viktor Hovland, it took Scheffler some time to win any of the tournaments in which he played well.
Now he started – with three wins and an almost perfect series
To be more precise, it lasted 70 tournaments until the beginning of February this year. Then followed a streak that few have accomplished since Tiger Wood’s heyday. In Phoenix, Arizona, Scheffler won his first tournament, the week after he finished seventh in Los Angeles, he won again at his next start in Bay Hill, Florida, and three weeks later the next win followed. In other words: Scheffler has recently won more often than not and has become the dominant player on the tour, which earns him comparisons with Woods – although they do not necessarily fit.
For Woods and his father, the success-oriented coach Earl, number one status was always the goal, it was about perfection. Scheffler describes himself as “extremely competitive”, most recently he said that as a teenager he always played golf in long trousers because he wanted to imitate the pros. Otherwise he is an easy-going fellow, not a driven perfectionist. And his father obviously doesn’t love him because of his skills as a golfer, although of course that speaks for Scheffler. He plays excellent golf, albeit in a slightly unconventional way: when he hits the ball, his foot swings outwards, almost as if he were doing a dance step. In any case, compared to Woods’ powerful perfection, Scheffler’s movement is rather curious – but just as successful.
When Scheffler finally gave out hugs and shed tears on Sunday and found time for his interview, he was also asked what the number one status would mean to him personally. Scheffler now seemed a bit overwhelmed by the situation, he scratched his head: In his dreams he simply never got “as far” as he is now, up to the top of the golfing world.