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Scottie Scheffler loves what it takes to be great, the fame he could do without
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- Scottie Scheffler loves what it takes to be great, the fame he could do without
ATLANTA — Scottie Scheffler's final act of the season was to sign his winning scorecard. After a few minutes to exhale, his wife and two sons having come into the room, he placed his cap over the fixed camera the PGA Tour now installs in previously private scoring areas. Content is king.
It wasn't quite the level of Brian Harman smirking and shooting the bird at the camera last month in Minnesota, which made Scheffler chuckle and pump his fist. Both were playful moments, and yet Sunday at East Lake shed a little light on Scheffler's incredible staying power.
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Scheffler loves what it takes to be the best player in golf, even the tedious work. He just doesn't care for all the noise and notoriety that accompany greatness.
"I have a tendency to keep my head down and kind of stay in my own lane when I'm out there playing," he said during the trophy presentation at the Tour Championship. "It's really fun when you're able to win and celebrate with the fans in moments like these, and have my family here."
Still, his priority is to crush more than to engage. So, he added somewhat apologetically, "I feel bad sometimes. I really do keep my head down and try to focus as much as I can. But I really do hear all the cheers, and I'm very thankful for all of them."
The RBC Heritage at Hilton Head is reputed to be among the most chill tournaments on the schedule, the perfect place to decompress right after the Masters. During the pro-am that week, Scheffler said he felt a calmer vibe at Augusta National despite the enormous pressure, mainly because of the space inside the ropes and spectators (patrons) who cheer, not scream.
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When he reached the ninth tee, fans at Hilton Head were screaming his name as he waited for the fairway to clear to tee off. Scheffler turned and smiled.
It's part of the deal, and he knows that by now.
But this extraordinary run of dominance allows for speculation how long he can keep it up as the attention gets brighter. Winning is hard. The trappings that come with it can be exhausting.
The way Scheffler showed up seemingly every week — he finished first, second or third in half of the 20 tournaments he played — and then capped off the season by winning two of the three postseason tournaments was satisfying.
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It also makes him a shoo-in to be voted PGA Tour player of the year for a fifth straight time. That would tie Tiger Woods for winning the most in a row.
Best comparison with Tiger is separation
Comparisons with Woods, just like athletes in any sport across generations, are for pool halls and podcasts. Scheffler brushed off the inevitable moment of passing Woods at No. 1 on the PGA Tour career earnings list, a spot Woods held for nearly 26 years.
"I wouldn't really consider that a Tiger record being broken," Scheffler said. "I think it just shows one of the many effects he had on the game of a golf in a positive way."
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Woods never played for a prize fund of $10 million in his peak years from 1997 through 2009. Scheffler played for an average purse of $19.25 million this year. When it comes to money records, it just isn't a fair fight.
The real benchmark — 82 tour wins — is still a long way off. Scheffler has gone three straight years with three wins or more. Woods went 10 out of 11 years winning at least four times.
Scheffler, however, has separated himself in a similar manner as Woods. His points average in the world ranking is more than double that of Rory McIlroy at No. 2. This is his 171st week in a row at No. 1 in the world. Woods holds the record with 281 consecutive weeks at No. 1. A milestone that for years looks untouchable is now at least thinkable.
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A year after his famous "What's the point?" soliloquy, Scheffler delivered in front of the mic again Tuesday at Birkdale, including reminding us all that life isn't infinite.
Practice makes close to perfect for Scheffler
There is not much drama with Scheffler, and he likes it that way. His obsession is such that he once said he had to force himself to find something other than golf to think about. Having two young boys have helped.
"Part of what's great about golf and part of what's very frustrating about golf is it's kind of an endless puzzle you're always trying to solve," Scheffler said. "I feel like in order to become good at this game, you have to really enjoy the harder parts of it, the stuff that's a little bit more mundane."
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For Scheffler, that would be the first 10 minutes on the stationary bike. Cardio work is not his favorite. Neither is a cold plunge at 5:30 a.m. "Do I want to go in there and freeze? No, but I do it," he said in January.
Practice, however, doesn't get old. Neither does competing.
His caddie, Ted Scott, once told of a round they played at Cypress Point early in 2025. Scheffler was returning from slicing open his right hand when he tried to use a wine glass to cut ravioli. He showed Scott no mercy that day, prompting the caddie to say, "Scottie don't play games when he's playing games."
It's all about getting the most out of every day, from the cold plunge to the bike to the range to the first tee. Scheffler is relentless and it's a matter of how long he can keep up this pace.
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"I don't feel like I take days off. I'm highly competitive, and I'm very proud of being able to have the consistent results I've had over the years," he said. "I feel like it's a gift to play out here on the PGA Tour, and I don't want to take it for granted. ... I don't want to look back at the end of my career and feel like I could have done more in order to play well."
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