6 hours ago
1
Ever since Scottie Scheffler was given a plastic set of clubs at the age of three, he has wanted to be the best golfer in the world. He has won three majors, been ranked world No 1 since 2023, and is the favourite for this week’s Open. But at an extraordinary press conference at Portrush on Tuesday, the American peered into an existential void as he asked himself: what is the point of it all?
Scheffler was clearly happy, and his determination to win this week was clear. He also spoke eloquently on the challenges of links golf. But a hitherto unremarkable press conference suddenly veered into a deeper philosophical search for meaning when the 29-year-old was asked how long he had ever celebrated a victory.
It turned out the answer was a few minutes. And Scheffler was only getting started, as he then promised to quit golf if it ever affected his family life.
“There’s a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfil them in life, and you get there, you get to No 1 in the world, and they’re like what’s the point?” he said. “I really do believe that, because what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad?
“That’s something that I wrestle with on a daily basis. Showing up at the Masters every year, it’s like, why do I want to win this golf tournament so badly? Why do I want to win the Open Championship so badly? I don’t know. Because, if I win, it’s going to be awesome for two minutes. Then we’re going to get to the next week and it’s ‘hey, you won two majors this year; how important is it for you to win the FedExCup playoffs?’ And we’re back here again.”
Scheffler was clearly in a good mood. But he conceded that any joy he felt from his achievements was only fleeting and didn’t give him much fulfilment.
“To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers,” he said. “I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world because what’s the point?
“This is not a fulfilling life. It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.”
Perhaps such an approach, along with his deepest held religious beliefs, helps explain why Scheffler has looked so ice-cool even when the pressure is ratcheted up to the max.
“We really work so hard for such little moments,” he said. “I’m kind of sicko; I love putting in the work. I love getting to practice. I love getting to live out my dreams. But at the end of the day, sometimes I just don’t understand the point.
“I don’t know if I’m making any sense or not. It’s just one of those deals. I love the challenge. I love being able to play this game for a living. It’s one of the greatest joys of my life, but does it fill the deepest wants and desires of my heart? Absolutely not.”
Instead Scheffler said that his family mattered far more – and he would stop playing professional golf if it ever affected his relationship with his wife, Meredith, and his son, Bennett.
“Every day when I wake up early to go put in the work, my wife thanks me for going out and working so hard,” he said. “When I get home, I try to thank her every day for taking care of our son. That’s why I talk about family being my priority because it really is.
“I’m blessed to be able to come out here and play golf, but if my golf ever started affecting my home life or it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or my son, that’s going to be the last day that I play out here for a living.
“This is not the be all, end all,” he added. “This is not the most important thing in my life. That’s why I wrestle with, why is this so important to me? Because I’d much rather be a great father than I would be a great golfer. At the end of the day, that’s what’s more important to me.”
That doesn’t mean, of course, that Scheffler isn’t deeply determined to win his first Open title at Portrush, having achieved his best finish of seventh at Troon last year.
“It’s great to win tournaments,” he said. “But sometimes the feeling of winning only lasts a few seconds. It’s pretty exciting and fun, but it just doesn’t last that long.”
English (US)