As impressive as Scottie Scheffler’s golf game is, his ability to fly under the radar, seemingly never saying anything controversial or likely to offend is almost as impressive, but the world number one bristled a little when a question was posed during his pre-tournament press conference at the Players Championship concerning the fans’ continuing disillusionment with professional men’s golf as money, greed and off the course politics continue to make headlines.
“Well, I guess it’s a pretty broad question,” Scheffler began, “and when you’re talking about a fan perspective, you’re talking about millions of people, so there’s always a lot of perspectives in that group. It just depends on who has the loudest voice.
“At the end of the day, I think we’re trying to do our best to create the best product for the fans, but we can’t control whether or not guys want to leave. If guys want to go take the money and leave, then that’s their decision. I’m not going to sit here and tell guys not to take hundreds of millions of dollars. If that’s what they think is best for their life, then go do it. I’m not going to sit here and force guys to stay on our TOUR.
“But at the end of the day, this is where I want to be, and we’re continuing to grow what we’re doing, and what they’re doing is not really a concern to me.
“If the fans are upset, then look at the guys that left. We had a TOUR, we were all together, and the people that left are no longer here. At the end of the day, that’s where the splintering comes from.
“As far as our TOUR goes, like I said, we’re doing our best to create the best product for the fans, and that’s really where we’re at.”
Due to his colossal performances over the past two years, becoming a major champion and twice breaking the regular season record for money earned on the PGA Tour, Scheffler of course has been extremely well compensated, but given the fact until recently at least (and possibly still) he drives a 12-year-old car, he can’t be accused of the greed that has been pervasive, so there are few better qualified to defend the PGA Tour’s honour in this regard.
Scheffler is seeking to become the first player in the event’s 50-year history to successfully defend at TPC Sawgrass, something that even Tiger Woods couldn’t achieve, but the 15-time major champion remains the most impressive figure Scheffler has ever encountered, even if the big Texan’s time on Tour only crossed over with the latter part of Woods’ career.
“I mean, he’s definitely the best player I’ve ever seen,” Scheffler said when asked if he thought Woods, who’s not in the field this week, might have further Players Championship appearances in him, “and I think he’s the best player we’ve ever had. Anytime you can stand up there and walk alongside him and compete in the same golf tournament as him is really special.
“I’ve had the pleasure of playing with him at the Masters a couple years ago. It was the day he made the 10. That’s the thing is it’s all like — he’s just so much different I think than the rest of us. Like he’s won so many golf tournaments, and he makes a 10 on No. 12 at Augusta, and he birdies five of the last six holes, and it’s Sunday. I mean, it’s completely meaningless to him; like at that stage in his career, what’s the point? And for him just to step up there and completely turn it around — and I kid you not, he hit still to this day, three of the best iron shots I’ve ever seen hit coming into those last few holes, and it was just unbelievable to watch.
“So anytime that we can get him out here competing and playing, I think it’s really special for all of us.”
His return to putting form, particularly on the final day, at Bay Hill last week was an ominous sign with major season approaching, but along with the switch from a blade putter to a mallet, he stopped using a line on his ball for direction and feels that it’s possible to become overconsumed with practice as a method for improvement.
“Like when you’re not performing as well as you should at something, what is the solution always? Typically just to try harder at that thing. Well, if you’re missing your jump shot, well, you need to practice your jump shots more, and if I’m missing putts, well, then I need to practice my putting more,” he explained.
“But I think it goes a little bit more in depth than that. At times last year I think I definitely tried too hard on my putting, and the idea of not going to the line is to become more free over the ball.
“I’ve found a putter now where when I — or I found a putter now that I line up very well, and the line on the ball I was using to help myself line up. I wasn’t using it as trying to hit it perfect each time or using it in anything else other than to try and help myself line up.
“At times I think it got to the point where a ball would go in, but if that ball didn’t roll end over end, at the back of your head, you’re like, wait, did I hit that putt really good? I think sometimes I expected perfection out of myself, and I’m like that in a lot of different things, so when it comes to the putting, now not using the line just to be more free to not try as hard, which is a heck of a lot easier said than done because, you know, worked my entire life to get here to the PGA TOUR, and to have chances to win majors, have chances to win tournaments out here.”
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