Scottie Scheffler returned to action after his well-deserved autumn break by competing in the The American Express, the second tournament of the season on the PGA Tour. And he did so as if having been away from competition for almost four months had no impact on his game. He started the year with an undeniable victory that practically makes him the leader of the FedEx Cup from day one and with which he threatens to continue dominating the circuit with an iron fist.
True to his low profile, his appearance in the press room at the Pete Dye Stadium Course in La Quinta, California, did not leave major headlines. But it did serve to confirm the three main pillars on which the talented player from Ridgewood bases his golf: tremendous precision with wedges, an aspect of the game he works on intensively in his training, a great ability in the short game, both in terms of recovery and in seeking accurate shots to give himself birdie opportunities, and his ability to always choose the best possible strategy.
Knowing when to take risks or when it’s smarter to be conservative allows the Number One in the world to minimise errors and maintain a consistent line of play. “When you feel pressured and force decisions, that’s when mistakes happen,” he acknowledged right after winning the Californian AMEX. “My entire career has been a constant learning process. Most of the time, I try to stay calm and focus only on what I can execute. Forcing things on this course usually doesn’t end well. Patience is about that, continuing to execute the right shots. Sometimes missing in the right place is as important as hitting a great shot,” he concluded.
Scottie described some specific phases of his last round of the tournament, such as the 13th hole, where he avoided complications: “I missed the shot, but I missed in the right place. That allowed me to chip to within a few inches and move on without complicating things.” But above all, he focused on his strategic profile and on making the most of the best clubs in his bag: “Winning a tight tournament requires executing at key moments. Today the work was more about patience, staying in my own world and doing what needed to be done. Being able to leave the ball 30 centimetres away instead of having to sink a two-metre putt saves you energy and stress.”
Precisely there, in the precision of approach shots, lie the other two main pillars of his game, with wedges and in the play around the green: “I hit many wedges very close to the flag and left myself fairly easy birdies. And when I was out of position, I did a great job recovering the ball. It’s something I practise a lot, and it’s good to see all that work paying off. It’s much easier to sink a two-foot putt than a three-metre one. Today I made many birdies without needing long putts, and that helps a lot when you’re playing in the final group.”
“When the tournament ends, more than euphoria, you feel relief,” the Texan acknowledged to the media. “This course generates a lot of stress, especially when you’re playing with a lead. You end up quite mentally exhausted from being so focused throughout the round,” he added. Although what was important for him was proving to himself that his golf, despite the inactivity of recent months, is still at a very high level: “This year it was much easier to be prepared than last year. Losing four or six weeks without playing golf has a real impact on the level. There’s a big difference between leaving a chip a foot away or a metre and a half. So having the entire off-season to prepare body and mind has made the difference.”
Now, finally, Scheffler enjoys his 20th victory on the PGA Tour, a record that adds his name to a select list of legends on the circuit and which surely won’t be the last in this newly started season. “The truth is, I hadn’t thought much about the 20 wins. It’s quite special, of course. Competing is something I really enjoy, although it can be very tough when things don’t go well,” he concluded, although for now, the problem of things not going well doesn’t seem to apply to him…
