Scottie Scheffler, the man who didn’t want to become a star

Scottie Scheffler has earned $62 million in prize money this season. Unheard of in the golf world, of course.

Yet the big, bearded golfer tried to convince members of the media on Tuesday that the historic harvest had not changed his daily life.

“It’s like I’m a kid again. I play golf. I don’t have a real job. I play golf all day long.”

The birth of his son, Bennett, changed his lifestyle more than the tens of millions of dollars he pocketed.

Between the lines, the 28-year-old American describes himself as a father who is good at golf. And not as a good golfer who recently became a father. The nuance is found in the simplicity of his words and his intentions.

“I enjoy playing golf and enjoying my home life. I never had a goal of becoming a celebrity or a popular person.”

Considering the season he’s had and the number of fans he’s gained, Scheffler has missed his mark in a big way.

Play for play’s sake

Since January, Scheffler has won, in order, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Players Championship, the Masters for the second time, the RBC Heritage Classic, the Memorial Tournament, the Travelers Championship, the Paris Olympics and the Tour Championship.

He has never missed the cut in 19 tournaments he has played and has finished second twice. His 2024 season is the closest anyone has come to matching Tiger Woods’ exceptional season in 2000, when the Tiger won nine titles, including three majors, in 20 starts.

Scheffler, however, “rarely thinks about results. Honestly.”

His real pleasure is found on the driving range. “What I like most about golf is practicing. It’s leaving my house, by myself, going to the course and hitting balls.”

In his perpetual quest for progress, the world number one has realised that he used to try “a little too hard”.

“I prepared so hard before each tournament that I was exhausted during the weekend rounds,” he revealed.

His preparation has been optimized and he is now able to be at the top of his game on Sunday afternoons, when the sun’s rays caress the trees. He defines the notion of “success” by the way he prepares, and not by the way he performs.

“Success, for me, is preparing well enough, for each tournament, to be confident when I walk onto the first tee. If I’ve prepared well, trained well, practiced well and can play freely and with a good attitude knowing that I’m in full possession of my abilities, that’s success.”

On a mission

On the top step of the Olympic podium in Paris, Scheffler broke down when the American national anthem rang out over the loudspeakers on the Golf National course, gold medal around his neck and tears running down his cheeks.

The usually stoic Texan is eager to put the United States on a pedestal again this week in Montreal.

Dressed in blue, white and red, the world’s best player confirms that there is a “big difference” between winning for your country and winning for yourself, like in the regular season. Scheffler will be playing in his second Presidents Cup. He also has the same number of appearances at the Ryder Cup.

Unlike the usual way things work, this format gives players more time and more camaraderie. The minutes spent on the field, fine-tuning every detail, are beneficial for the team, but also for Scheffler himself.

“When we play the practice rounds, I can ask Russell for tips [Henley] on tee shots and he can ask me for advice on approach shots. I can ask Xander [Schauffele] how he works in the pits and he can ask me how I hit my putts.”

Moreover, during the day, several players insisted on the numerous challenges characteristic of the Montreal course.

“The greens are small and wavy,” Collin Morikawa pointed out, supported by Henley, Sahith Theegala and Patrick Cantlay in his statements.

The best player in the world thought for a few seconds before giving an answer.

“It’s a very simple course. We played it, and guys rarely wondered where to aim off the tee. Nobody was confused about what the course was presenting us.”

Only the wind, he said, “could change the situation.”

But after a memorable season, even the wind does not seem to be able to break the American, leader of a nation that will try to win a 10^e consecutive cut. Anchored and rooted like the immense pecan trees that adorn the landscape of his Texas, Scheffler rarely bends and the fruits of his efforts are counted in the millions.