Scottie Scheffler, World Number One in the Official World Golf Ranking, and Brooks Koepka, five-time major winner, are two of the main protagonists of the WM Phoenix Open, the fourth tournament of the season on the PGA Tour. The player from Ridgewood achieved victory at the American Express, his first appearance of the year, while the player from West Palm Beach is trying to return to ‘normality’ after his comeback to the circuit, leaving behind his time in LIV Golf.
They have spoken about this matter, the challenges offered by the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale where the tournament is held, the current state of their game, the clubs in their bag, and even the Masters Tournament next April in the press room of the spectacular course in Arizona, famous for its atmosphere and the 16th hole, the stadium, where more than 15,000 spectators create a spectacle.
The atmosphere and the ‘controlled chaos’ of TPC Scottsdale
Scheffler is delighted to return to the Stadium Course, where he claimed his first victory on the PGA Tour in 2015 and one of the events he has won at least twice: “It’s a very special tournament for me. Coming back here always brings good memories, and playing in front of this crowd is an incredible experience. This tournament is crazy. It’s unlike anything we see the rest of the year. From the plane, you already know exactly where the course is. It’s a spectacle.”
“The course demands precision, but also knowing how to deal with the chaos of the crowd. It’s demanding and fun at the same time. This course offers opportunities, but also very severe punishments. You can make an eagle… or end up in the water looking at a bogey,” explains Scottie. And about the famous 16th hole of the stadium, he recalls: “The hardest part is reading the wind. Inside the stadium, it moves in very different ways, and you have to fully commit to the shot.”
For Koepka, the WM Phoenix Open, which he has also won twice, is always special: “I like this place. I’ve had very good results here, and it’s a course where I feel comfortable. When you win twice on the same course, it’s normal to feel good and quite comfortable. It’s a tournament I always like to come to. For me, it’s a very comfortable event.” Although the most striking thing, without a doubt, is the atmosphere…
“I enjoy the chaos. It’s fun. It can take you out of concentration between shots, but it always gives you something to laugh about. There’s always something to see here. It’s a fun week. After a few years here, you see absolutely everything. It’s a course and a tournament that I really like. That’s why I’m excited to come back. It’s good to return to courses you know, where you know how to play it. That familiarity is very important,” he explains.
The Masters Tournament
Scheffler, despite the fact that it’s getting closer, prefers not to look at the Masters, the first major of the season, just yet: “I don’t think about the next major. When I’m at my best, it’s when I focus on the present and improve a little each day.” The World Number One focuses on the present, on playing… and knowing when to rest: “Competing week after week is very exhausting, mentally and physically. Rest and time with the people I love have become fundamental for me.”
And although he resists talking about what he expects at Augusta National, he is clear that the Masters is a tournament where experience is crucial: “At the Masters, there’s a very clear learning curve. There are flags you can attack and others you can’t. Patience is key.”
Koepka, for his part, also dedicates some words to the Green Jacket event: “All the holes are demanding. If you go off-line, any of them can punish you. At Augusta, it’s all about angles. If you leave the ball above the hole, you’re going to have a tough time all week. The most difficult hole? The 12th is a hole that has given me quite a few problems…”
Koepka’s return from LIV Golf
It is, without a doubt, one of the topics of conversation at the start of this year in the world of golf. The return of Brooks Koepka to the PGA Tour this season and Patrick Reed‘s later on have been commented on by practically all the players who have spoken in front of a microphone. However, without a doubt, the opinion of the world’s best player holds special value. And for Scottie, it’s a positive decision for golf…
“People want to see the best playing together again. Having players like Brooks or Patrick competing here is good for the tour, for the fans, and for golf. There’s been a lot of noise these past few years. Bringing the best back together is another step towards simply playing golf again,” explains the World Number One, who will face Brooks for the first time in over two years this week.
For the player from West Palm Beach, this return ‘home’ is a new starting point: “I was simply excited to play again. I’m focused on myself and playing the best golf possible over the next four days.” Although he prefers not to comment on Reed‘s decision to join him in this return: “Everyone has their priorities. As long as he does what’s best for him and his family, that’s fine with me.”
The game and the clubs in their bag
Finally, both Scottie and Brooks discussed some aspects of the equipment they are using and their game. Scheffler talked about the issues when he has to change clubs: “Sometimes I get emotionally attached to the clubs. When you find good feelings with a club, the ‘feeling’ is a huge part of the game. Even if the best manufacturer in the world makes me new irons, with all the perfect specifications, I always notice differences and need time to adapt.”
He also revealed that when he changes irons, he does it radically: “When I change irons, I change them all at once. I try to do it as little as possible. I keep many of my old clubs as a reference point. My clubs don’t usually start a tournament without me checking them first. There’s a lot of work behind it so that I just have to go out and hit the ball.” Koepka, on the other hand, focused more on the putter and the problems he’s having achieving results.
“The putter? I’m basically trying to get the ball in the hole. I’ve never really felt comfortable over the ball. You have to have everything aligned with the target, and right now I’m working on that. We’re going back to very simple things: alignment, posture… I had open shoulders; my feet are usually always a bit open, but I’m trying to reduce as many crossing lines as possible.”
“I’m looking for everything to be more consistent: the putter face, the path, absolutely everything. I always carry a spare putter. You never know what might happen. I don’t usually get very angry, but you never know,” he added. And about his golf, he was honest to finish by saying: “The truth is, I’ve been putting quite poorly for almost two years. I don’t know exactly what’s happening, but I have to solve it.” Two stars, once again face to face, in a PGA Tour that is revitalising.
