Exactly one year ago Scottie Scheffler left one of the most memorable press conferences in recent times in the world of golf. That day, as the World Number One, he surprised by asking aloud “what is the point?” of chasing victories that barely fill you for a few minutes. This Tuesday, on the eve of the start of the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, he left another reflection with plenty of mileage. This time he explained, in his view, the less pleasant side of being the best player on the planet.
Scheffler admitted that the wear and tear does not come so much from the competition as from everything that surrounds the life of the Number One. The exposure is constant and, he explained, it ends up taking its toll. “This week I arrived on Sunday thinking there would hardly be anyone on the course and there were already fans,” he recalled. “I arrived at the bunker on the 1st hole, I turned and had two cameras literally less than two metres from my face. I asked them if they were going to be that close all day or if they could give me a bit of space,” he said with a smile.
From that anecdote he developed a very sincere reflection on how his day-to-day has changed. “Everything is being recorded constantly,” he explained. “When someone comes to say hello they already have their mobile phone ready. Sometimes you feel like you’re walking on eggshells, and that ends up wearing people out,” he confessed.
For Scheffler, that is precisely one of the reasons why he doesn’t like to play too many tournaments in a row. “That’s why I say I can’t play so many weeks consecutively. There are many demands during a tournament and being filmed continuously can become difficult. I’m far from being a perfect person,” he admitted.
The American linked that idea to another reflection that inevitably recalls the one he made a year ago when he won this championship. Back then he spoke of the need to find a purpose beyond victories. Now he insists on the same philosophy. “I know perfectly well what my why is. I don’t play for the history or for the legacy. I play because I love competing, because I enjoy trying to get the best out of myself and because I’m passionate about this sport,” he said.
In fact, when he was asked about records and the place he might occupy in the history of golf he was equally forceful: “I’ve never thought about how I’m going to be remembered. When I die, having won four majors, twenty tournaments or a certain amount of money will have no effect on me. I’d rather be remembered for the way I did things than for the tournaments I won”.
In a much more relaxed tone than twelve months ago, Scheffler said that he now does feel the calm he sought then. “I feel at peace,” he replied when directly asked about it. He believes that a few days’ rest after missing the cut at the Scottish Open has done him good to “reset the mind and body” before defending the Open title. “I’ve had a very solid year, although sometimes frustrating because I’ve been close and haven’t managed to finish the job like in previous seasons. But I’m excited to try to defend the title,” he said.
About Royal Birkdale, the American believes that the firmness of the course will make the difference throughout the week. He explained that the fairways are very fast and narrow, forcing you to think a lot off the tee about whether it’s worth risking it with the driver or seeking safety with an iron. “With this firmness there are many more decisions to make, and that creates many more challenges for us,” he noted.
He also highlighted the changes made to several holes on the course. “It’s very obvious which holes have been remodelled,” he commented. “The 5th, the 7th, the 14th, the 15th and the 16th almost seem like they belong to another golf course”. Even so, he praised the work carried out and believes the course will demand playing very sharply to create birdie opportunities.
Asked, lastly, about the majors schedule, he was not as blunt as Rory McIlroy. He admitted that the season “is becoming increasingly condensed” and that everything happens “very quickly”, although he acknowledged that it is an issue so far beyond his control that he prefers to focus simply on playing the tournaments when they come. Now, with the Claret Jug back in play, all his attention is on trying to become the first golfer since Padraig Harrington, in 2008, able to retain the Open Championship title.
