Livescore
Scottie Scheffler might be the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world but he’s really just one of us.
Take Wednesday at the WM Phoenix Open, for instance. During his news conference after his round in the Annexus Pro-Am at TPC Scottsdale, someone prefaced an innocuous golf question by saying, “You’ve had nothing but success. … ”
Scheffler, whose remarkable seven PGA Tour wins last year were the most in a single season since Tiger Woods in 2007, could have just ignored the first part of that question and simply answered the rest of it. That would have been too easy, though.
Instead, Scheffler showed his savvy, humility and respect for the game that made him among the most well-liked golfers on the planet.
“I think saying I would have ‘nothing but success’ out here would be quite a stretch,” Scheffler politely pointed out.
He could have left it there and moved on, but he didn’t. He used the situation as a teachable moment, and what he said and the way he said it, humanized him even more.
“I think golf is a game in which you fail a lot more often than you win,” he continued. “I look at a year like last year where I played 20 or 22 events, and I think I won nine of them (including a gold medal in the Olympic men’s competition and the Hero World Challenge). So … you lose more than you win.
“Sometimes it seems like as golfers we kind of love the punishment, just getting beat up every week by this game and trying to get the best out of ourselves. That’s why I focus so much on how I approach things, and I focus on my attitude and how I’m approaching things mentally because that’s what makes a successful week for me is if I’m prepared and if I have a good attitude.”
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In those honest words alone, Scheffler didn’t sound like the three-time reigning Jack Nicklaus Award winner as PGA Tour Player of the Year. He sounded a lot more like the rest of us, the weekend hackers and amateur wannabes.
He knows he’s great. We occasionally think we’re great. What unites us is the fact that the game of golf isn’t always going to treat you well.
It treated Scheffler awfully well in 2024 as he won his second Masters in addition to pocketing wins in The Players and the Tour Championship. At only 28, his best golf is still ahead of him and there’s no telling how many more victories await.
I was curious how last season’s gauntlet refueled his inner drive to dominate. When an athlete has reached such an elite state, there’s so much more that goes into the attempt of sustaining success.
How much more did he learn about himself? How much hungrier did it make him?
Once again, the affable Scheffler didn’t disappoint.
“Yeah, I mean, I think I learned a lot about myself,” he said. “But what I think most about last year is being out here and competing is one of the great joys that I have in my life. It’s so much fun. Winning tournaments is even more fun.
“I think sometimes you get a little taste of it, and you just want more. It’s part of how the human heart is. You just want more of it.”
That’s what drove superstars such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. It’s what has fueled other greats such as Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
Part of that inner drive is learning how to keep your eye on the prize, according to Scheffler, not wasting time dawdling over previous accomplishments.
“When I look back at last year, it was a lot of fun,” he said, “but at the end of the day, it’s in the rear-view mirror and I can’t sit and rest on the accomplishments that I had in the past. It’s time to come out here and — I didn’t come here to celebrate my two wins from 2022 and 2023. I came here to try to win the tournament this year.
“Going into this week, stick to having a good attitude and try and execute shots, and hopefully I’ll be in position on Sunday.”
I wouldn’t put it past Scheffler to capture his third win in “The People’s Open.” This place is a lot like him: cool and laid back, but also exciting and a whirlwind.
And then there’s the famed 16th hole with its packed grandstand of partygoers who make it feel part WWE and part “Animal House.” Superstar Scottie Scheffler, though, fits right in. And yes, he said he loves No.16.
“The cheers for you immediately stop if you miss the green or don’t make birdie so that part is a little bit tough,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s a lot of fun. … Like I said, I have great memories of this tournament, so every year getting to come back, I’m reminded of those things.”
A ton of more memories surely wait for the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world.
Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on Roc and Manuch with Jimmy B on ESPN 620 (KTAR-AM).
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Scottie Scheffler showed why he’s so well-liked at WM Phoenix Open
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