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Scottie Sheffler on his 2022 Masters win
More on Scottie Sheffler on his PGA Players 2023 Win
Extract from The Times Newspaper
How fun, faith and fabulous play have taken Scottie Scheffler to a higher plane
The ‘goofball’ new world No 1’s ability to deliver under pressure shows the benefits of a winning formula that his peers may struggle to emulate.
Jesus loves Scottie Scheffler. God help the rest.
OK, that is a bit flippant, but the new world No 1 is the antithesis of the world-weary golfer who appears to have a terrible burden on his shoulders. Faith is never going to guarantee results, but it is not a leap to think that it could act as a valve to ease the pressure when the blinkers are on and perspective is being mangled.
The comments of Scheffler after winning the Players Championship and a record $4.5 million (about £3.7 million) prize at Sawgrass, thus deposing Jon Rahm at the top of the rankings, were interesting. His coach, Randy Smith, so battle-hardened that he has now spent almost 20 years in the PGA of America’s Hall of Fame, said that Scheffler enjoys playing as much at home as he does on the great stages.
“I really do,” the 26-year-old agreed, after cruising to a five-shot victory over Tyrrell Hatton and his 29-stroke back nine. “I love playing golf at home. I love social golf. I love going out and gambling with my buddies. I love to practise. I enjoy being able to try and shape the ball. I enjoy the challenge of the game. I’m just trying to continue to enjoy it.”
This may not sound the deepest wisdom but it is working for a player who can do it all and has the bottle to make gutsy shot selections. “Randy and I don’t take ourselves too seriously,” he added. “He’s a little bit of a goofball.”
This stuff sometimes grates with non-believers but a few years ago a book entitled Faith in the Fairway featured a group of players, including Zach Johnson, Bubba Watson and Stewart Cink, citing favourite Bible passages and applying them to golf. One section had Webb Simpson meditating on a passage from Corinthians while in the middle of a fairway with Tiger Woods, feeling weak and relying on God’s power. Another has Cink quoting Philippians and saying: “God wants you to finish strong for him when the pressure is on.”
Scheffler is fiercely competitive, but just maybe the belief that he is not in total control gives him something extra, if not a better swing then possibly a freer mind. Whatever any benefit, he is now only the third player to have been the Players and Masters champion at the same time. Going from his first to sixth PGA Tour win took 392 days. Only Woods, Jack Nicklaus and David Duval have done that quicker.
Webb Simpson