Scottie Scheffler has won his fourth tournament in the last five weeks, a brutal sequence only matched by the best version of Tiger Woods. Can one get used to winning? And what’s worse: Can one get bored of lifting trophies and putting on jackets? (the one from RBC Heritage is tartan). Fear not, Scheffler is far from getting bored, quite the opposite. Victories and good shots are to him like fuel to the fire.
“I don’t think hitting good shots is boring. Quite the opposite, leaving a shot near the flag is an addictive feeling. That’s what makes everyone come back to play. Golf can drive people to despair but, suddenly, you hit a great shot and the feeling is wonderful, it flies right next to the flag and it changes your day. Sometimes I feel like that. I love the feeling of a good shot. I love this game. I love going out and practicing alone. I love playing golf, playing at home with people, just wasting time. The game of golf has been a big part of my life for a long time, and God willing it will also be part of my life for a long time”, Scheffler stated to the journalists shortly after winning this Monday in Hilton Head.
This confessed addiction of the world’s Number One is lethal. Lethal for the rest. No, Scheffler is not going to get bored. He likes it too much. He wants so much to hit good shots and win that it’s very hard to imagine him disappearing overnight.
Although externally he doesn’t convey it with the same intensity as others, Scheffler has the soul of a ruthless ‘killer’. The best demonstration is hole 15 of the final round, the last one he played yesterday before the final suspension due to lack of light. His second shot went into the water and he needed to make an approach and putt from over 100 meters to save par. He did it. “It gave me a great satisfaction. I’ve mentioned before that I hate making bogeys and even more so on par 5s. Also, even though I had a four-shot lead I didn’t want the mistake to appear in the standings and give hope to others”, he explains.
This reflection can only be made by a fierce competitor, one of those who is clear that to the enemy, not even water. Scheffler’s thinking should not be confused with arrogance or haughtiness, it is just the opposite, it is absolute respect for the rest of the players. He is aware that his rivals are so good that you can’t give them the slightest advantage. That’s why he didn’t come to the Heritage to stroll around. “I came to the tournament because I had committed to it and with a purpose. I wanted to win. I didn’t come to be congratulated for the Masters and receive hugs, I wanted to win and it’s a great satisfaction to have achieved it. I would have been annoyed not to have won, especially leading in the final round”.
Really, for a player who lives golf with this intensity, the only thing that could stop him is frustration when things don’t go well. In this sense, Scheffler assures that he is doing better than ever. “My expectations are always very high and I haven’t always done well in keeping my emotions under control. However, this year I am achieving it and I am very proud. Since Bay Hill, where I had a first round in which I didn’t putt well, or the same Heritage, where I started with a shank and double bogey while others were making birdies. I could have been frustrated, but I stayed patient waiting for the moment. I also know it’s much easier to do when you’re winning”.
Scheffler has been elegant talking about Nelly Korda. “A duel between the two? For now she is beating me by a landslide, she has won five in a row and the last one a Major, that’s impressive. I’m happy for her”.
Finally, he has shared his immediate plans. Celebration? “Coffee, breakfast burrito and home”. He is expecting the birth of his first child.
