Scottie Scheffler appeared before the journalists shortly after winning the THE PLAYERS Championship. The world’s Number One talked about the triumph, his neck discomfort, his impressive streak of results, his stability, the balance in his home, the comparison with Tiger Woods… The best player in the world with his feet always on the ground.
He never lost faith in a possible victory, even when he was attended to by the physios on Friday… “I always believed I could win, probably that’s why I kept playing. I had a good start, I played very good golf on Thursday. I made an early birdie on Friday. Suddenly, I got a pinch in my neck, and I managed to continue, under par, staying in the tournament… and the same on Saturday. When you have an acute injury like that, if you can get up the next day feeling a bit better, it’s a victory. Usually the next morning is worse. On Saturday I got up a bit better. Yesterday I was able to hit some shots, but not many. Today I woke up feeling almost normal. I went out and played well”.
The plan for this Sunday… “I was hoping to make some birdies at the beginning and it was hole 4 that got me going. The goal was to get into the tournament in the first nine. I made some good putts, like on 5, 8 or 9 to close the first round. When I looked at the leaderboard, I knew I needed some help if I wanted to win the tournament. The birdie on 9 was huge”.
The change with the putter since Riviera… “I feel much freer with what I’m doing. I think I’m much more involved in the process. The biggest problem was Phoenix. I had chances to win and I wasn’t able to make the necessary putts and that frustrated me. Riviera was more an effect of that frustration. Phil (Kenyon) has done a great job with me in the last six months to keep my head in the right mood. We’ve been working very hard on it”.
The most painful moment with the neck… “It was on 12, hitting the second shot, I had 90 yards to the flag, I hit a 56 degree and it was very painful. At that moment, I really didn’t know if I was going to be able to make the swing. The simple fact of looking up to see the line of the putt was quite difficult. It was hard to throw the putts because just when I turned my head to look at the hole my brain was sending pain signals. It’s not easy to concentrate on making a putt when you’re in pain. But well, Marnus did a good job to get me going on Saturday”.
The praises from Xander Schauffele, Brian Harman and Wyndham Clark, pointing him out as the best without discussion… “Receiving these compliments from your peers is really special. I think those guys are going to come out of this tournament more motivated than ever and I have to do everything possible to live up to it”.
The importance of winning beyond consistency… “I would say that consistency is great, but it’s frustrating to be close and not win tournaments. Phoenix was tough. Those defeats hurt a lot. We strive a lot to be in those positions and, when you don’t perform at your best, it’s very frustrating. It’s sad and hard. But you get up and try to do your best the next week. Fortunately, last week I was able to close one very well and it wasn’t too close, so this week can be even more satisfying”.
Week by week involved in the fight to win… “Physically it’s quite exhausting, but mentally it’s very fun and, at the same time, it takes a toll on your body and your mind. There’s a big mental aspect, but it’s the most fun thing you can do on a golf course”.
Does the physio’s tape on the neck help or does it end up being annoying?… “Good question. Sometimes it’s more the placebo effect. It’s heavy because I sweat a lot on my neck and it gets dirty, so the tape tends to peel off. It’s a bit annoying, but it’s not that bad to have something to fiddle with if you’re out there for four and a half hours”.
He doesn’t have the usual behaviour of a superstar… “We come here, we try to compete and win tournaments and it’s very fun. It doesn’t change me as a person when I go back home. The flight back home tonight is going to be pretty much the same as if I had finished second. Obviously, I have slightly different feelings, but at the end of the day I have great support at home, I have a great wife, great parents, great brothers and I’m just grateful to be here playing on the TOUR. I try to be as honest as possible. The current world where everything is recorded can be a tough place to be honest all the time. You have to be cautious and not make mistakes. But in the end, it all comes down to the support at home. I’m very grateful for it. I have a great wife and if I started to pick up my trophies, and strut around the house big time, I think she would slap me and tell me to get over it. Winning golf tournaments doesn’t earn me points at home, so I try to do my best”.
About his summer schedule… “We haven’t figured it out yet. There are the Olympics and a baby on the way, so there are a lot of different things at home. We are trying to deal with this new journey as parents and do our best”.
The feeling of being unbeatable… “I try not to give too much importance to good or bad results. I show up at tournaments to try to do my best and, with a bit of luck, win, but when I’m on the tee on Thursday I don’t think about the trophy ceremony at the end of the week. I just try to commit to the shot and go from there”.
Is he always under control or is there a moment when he lets go and starts screaming? “Yes, it happens to me, for sure. Usually, when I get home it’s time to scream, shout and let off steam. Victories are very special. It’s not just me who strives. It’s my whole team. They’ve worked a lot behind the scenes”.
Have you ever thought about being as dominant as Tiger Woods?… “That’s a curious question. I don’t remember the exact data, but this year we were playing at Riviera when I hit my tee shot and a guy shouted at me: “Congratulations on being Number 1, Scottie. You only have eleven more years to be like Tiger”. Every time you’re compared to Tiger it’s very special, but he’s someone unique. It’s my eighth win on the PGA Tour and I’ve tied him in the PLAYERS Championships. I have 14 more Majors and 70 PGA TOUR trophies to reach him. So I think I’m going to stick to my routine and keep with my plan, trying to stay as balanced as possible. We all idolise Tiger. He’s been our benchmark. Seeing what he did over the years is crazy. I’ve learned a lot being by his side. We’re very grateful that he’s still part of our sport”.
