There are many layers to Scottie Scheffler’s greatness.
Jordan Spieth explained one aspect of it better than anyone beat as no. 1 of the World jumped in one won the open championship at Royal Portrush.
For Spieth, Scheffler’s superpower lies “less in golf swing and more in personality.” Scottie Scheffler, Spieth said, is a guy inside the ropes. There, he knows exactly what he needs to do, what he wants to do, and how to get there. But when Scottie Scheffler isn’t working, he is NO working. He is just a father and a man. He can cut loose the moment clubs go in the bag and has no interest in using his time and energy to monetize his name and talents.
“He’s got that unique ability to separate, as best I can tell,” Spieth said. “It’s more of a change in personality than any other superstar you’ve seen in the modern era and probably in any sport. I don’t think there’s anybody like him.”
This came just a few days later Schefler’s existential press conference to open the week at Royal Portrush, where he spoke of the fleeting happiness that comes from victory and explained that while he enjoys being great at golf, it “doesn’t fulfill the deepest desires of his heart”.
The ability to not be consumed by golf is liberating for Scheffler. This allows him to connect and disconnect, which helps keep him level as he continues to dominate the golf world.
For most of the past four years, Scheffler made everything look easy. He has won twice at Augusta. He became the only player to repeat at The Players. He won the PGA Championship and the Open. He has won here, there and everywhere leaving the rest of the best research in the world for ways to close what at the moment feels like an unbridgeable chasm.
While all those little things help make Scottie Scheffler Scottie Scheffler and separate him from most, there’s something else that allows him to rise above it all. Something that is rarely discussed because it is rarely seen.
But it was there Thursday night in Phoenix when Scheffler left the course after a strange opening round of 73 that had him in danger of missing the cut at TPC Scottsdale. It’s a position we rarely see Scheffler in. It won’t take you long to count the number of tournaments he’s been a true non-factor over the past few years. Scheffler hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in a tournament since last year’s Players, when he was still shaking off the rust from an offseason ravioli injury. Last time you missed a cut? FedEx Championship St. Jude 2022. In the era of no-cut, limited-field events, this stat doesn’t mean what it once did. But it’s still worth noting that we rarely see Scottie Scheffler roll into the middle of the pack, and he doesn’t come off the premises early.
Scheffler doesn’t believe in trying to “find” something mid-tour. For him, the work is done in preparation and you arrive with what you will need for the week. But sitting in the T-86 after an opening setback that included a blown chip, Scheffler went to work. Not to fix something for an upcoming tournament or prepare for later, but because Scottie Scheffler, like all elite athletes, only has one speed. If there’s something to fix, it gets fixed. There is no “low week” or “off day”. To miss an opportunity to improve is to sacrifice something you cannot get back. And because there is still time to win. They don’t hand out trophies on Thursday.
“Yesterday was kind of a dirt day in the afternoon,” Scheffler said Friday. “I try to avoid them as much as possible on tour, but after the way I felt on the ball yesterday, it was definitely necessary. I was almost so discouraged I almost didn’t even want to go to practice. I got out there and it was worth it.
“You look at days like today. I had a terrible day yesterday on the golf course all around. So to come out today, stay really patient, especially after you don’t get off to a good start, to stay patient, to deal with it, to put yourself back in a position where – I’ve put myself in competition from this exact position in this golf tournament, and it’s one of those places where I can be at the end of the week to warm up.”
Scheffler adjusted something in his grip, which led to a better ball-striking day in the second round and a six-under 65 that put him inside the top 30. He backed that up with a 67 on Saturday and will be at least one shot away from winning his third WM Phoenix Open on Sunday.
Scottie Scheffler was frustrated Thursday in Phoenix. It was an uncharacteristic display from golf’s dominant force. He left the course frustrated that his pre-tournament work, which he prides himself on, did not produce the desired results.
So Scottie Scheffler began searching because part of true greatness is never giving up—never allowing yourself to be complacent with something that doesn’t meet your standards. Never be out of the fight, even when everyone would know if, just this once, you were.
“We definitely take pride in days like today,” Scheffler said after making his charge Friday. “It’s nice to be back on tour. Sometimes it feels like there’s nothing worse than missing cuts.
“When you look at the results I’ve had over the last few years, I think maybe my biggest skill is being able to stay close to the lead,” Scheffler added on Saturday. “I think one of the things I’m most proud of is the consistent results I’ve had over the years.”
Scottie Scheffler left the course Thursday in a tie for 86. On Sunday, he will have a chance to win. When you refuse to let go of the rope, you always give yourself a chance.
