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“This is not the most important thing in my life” – Scottie Scheffler
Ahead of the Open Championship, Scottie Scheffler, despite a decorated career with three majors and an Olympic gold medal, questioned his motivations for playing golf.
The American triumphantly secured this year’s US PGA Championship, adding to his pair of Masters titles and victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
As the world number one for 112 consecutive weeks, Scheffler has amassed over £65m in PGA Tour prize money, figures he approaches with a sense of introspection.
“This is not a fulfilling life,” he stated.
“It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.
“There are 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 number one in the world, and they’re like, ‘what’s the point?’
“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.”
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Scheffler, whose wife Meredith gave birth to their son Bennett 14 months prior, emphasized that he would leave the sport if it negatively impacted his family.
“I’m blessed to be able 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,” he added.
“This is not the be-all and end-all. 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. That’s what’s more important to me.”
This year, Scheffler has secured three victories, one runner-up finish, and eight other top-10 placements across 15 events.
He has consistently placed within the top 25 this season and has not missed a cut since the FedEx St Jude Classic in August 2022.
“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?'” he said.
“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 FedEx Cup play-offs?’
“It feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for like a few minutes. It only lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling.”