After four thrilling rounds at Quail Hollow Club, it was World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler who emerged victorious on Sunday to claim the PGA Championship title.
Tracked closely throughout the day by fellow Masters winners Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, Scheffler held his nerve through the infamous Green Mile and sealed his place in the winner’s circle, departing Charlotte as a deserving major champion.
Q. Scottie, congratulations. I was kind of half-stalking you before the round today, watching you do your warmup and things like that. Just curious about the mindset. I remember at the Masters you said it was an overwhelming feeling before hand. Has it changed? Do you wish for time to move faster? What’s it like in the hours before a big round like this?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think the mornings are typically kind of long. I did my best to sleep in. You can only do so much of that with a 1-year-old at home.
Yeah, I think it’s always simpler for me once I get to the golf course and in my routine. Playing golf for me, I think is always the easier part. Once you get out here, it’s time to compete and time to do your thing.
That’s what’s really the most fun. Getting a chance to play in a major championship and playing with the lead and having a chance to win is the most fun I’ll have in my career, outside of the team events.
I was excited for today. I was a little bit anxious. You work your whole lifetime for a chance to play in these tournaments, and I had a great opportunity to win one today.
Sometimes I think — yeah, maybe you’re right, I just want to get out there and start playing. But I don’t know.
Q. When you threw your hat on the green afterward, that kind of cathartic moment, obviously it’s happiness that you won, but what other emotions are in that?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Just a lot of happiness. I think, you know, just maybe thankful as well. It was a long week. I felt like this was as hard as I battled for a tournament in my career. This was a pretty challenging week.
The first two days I did not swing it my best, and I was able to post a score somehow. Outside of the last five holes yesterday, that’s where I really kind of put myself ahead in the tournament. I mean, the back nine today was pretty special as well.
But yesterday the way I finished off that round, I think it was really important for me to have a lead to play with today. I played with it a little bit more than I would have liked to. I think at one point in the tournament I was tied for the lead on the back nine, but I stepped up when we needed to, and it was a pretty special week.
Q. I know you spent a lot of time really focusing on staying present, but I’m wondering, do you have any like big career goals?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Not really. I don’t focus on that kind of stuff. I love coming out here and trying to compete and win golf tournaments, and that’s what I’m focused on.
After this week, I’m going to go home and get ready for next week’s tournament, and the show goes on. If I show up and miss the cut next week, I’m going to have to answer questions of what went wrong and just start over again on Thursday.
That’s one of the things that can be frustrating about our game, and it’s also what’s great about our game. If I had a tough day today and came in with a loss, I could step back up on the tee Thursday next week and have another chance to win a tournament.
It’s an endless pursuit, and it’s a lot of fun. It’s definitely one of the great joys of my life to be able to compete out here.
Q. Would you categorize yourself as having competitive fire?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah (laughing).
Q. Sort of building on that, some athletes just want to win. Others want to kind of crush the opponent. Where do you fall on that continuum?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: That’s a tough question to answer. Winning is a lot of fun, and I think winning as often as I can is a lot of fun. Each week you’re playing in a tournament, and you want to try to give yourself a chance to win.
When I stepped on the tee on Thursday, I’m not thinking about what’s going to happen on Sunday. I’m preparing for a 72-hole event. That’s what I tell myself on the 1st tee: It’s 72 holes. That’s a lot of time. That’s a lot of holes. That’s a lot of shots.
I always focus on my preparation, and so when I show up on the 1st tee, I just tell myself to stay patient, remind myself that I’m prepared for this and go out and just compete.
Q. But then you get to the back nine and you’re in a dogfight with one player, how much do you want to beat that guy?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: How many guys are in the field this week, 156? You’ve got to beat 155 guys if you want to be sitting up here. There’s a lot of guys you you’ve got to beat. I knew somebody was going to make a move today.
There’s too much talent in the game of golf for me to slap the ball around today with a three-shot lead — three shots in 18 holes is really not that much. I gave that up, I think, in nine holes today.
Overall I was proud of how I stepped up on the back nine and hit the shots I needed to. It was a big birdie I hit on 10. Hit quality shots on 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 really, and was able to build up a lead and play pretty conservative the last three holes. Two nice up-and-downs there on 16 and 17, and I was able to kind of slap it around there on 18.
Q. I’m interested in how you get so good at something. My question for you is: What is it that fires you up about winning so much? What is it that makes you want to get out there and just win?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: When I think about the game of golf, my favorite thing to do in golf is probably just — when I can be by myself and I can just practice, it’s one of the most fun things for me. It’s so peaceful, and I love the pursuit of trying to figure something out. That’s what I love about this game.
I feel like you’re always battling yourself, and you’re always trying to figure things out. And you’re never going to perfect it. I can be kind of a crazy person sometimes when it comes to putting my mind to something.
In golf, there’s always something you can figure out, there’s always something you can do better. It’s a great challenge, and it’s a lot of fun.
Q. You’ve obviously won the Masters twice, but the first time you won one of the other majors, does it feel like you’ve overcome something, or to sort of win a major at one of the other courses?
Obviously you’ve won at these courses a lot on Tour, but to win a major somewhere else, did it feel like a step, and will it lead to more, do you think?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I feel like I’ve won on some different types of tracks. This is a golf course where it was a big course. This would be a golf course that would lean more towards a bomber.
I’m not necessarily a bomber out here. I’m above average in length. I hit it far enough, I would say, but I’m definitely not a bomber, per se.
This is a golf course in which the fairways are pretty big. The greens are fairly big as well, but the spots you’ve got to hit to are quite small. I did a good job this week of staying patient and hitting the important shots really well.
I felt like the holes in which I needed to hit really good shots, I was able to do that, and that’s why I’m sitting here.
Q. When you made the turn and you’re down to 9, tied with Jon, kind of fighting the lefts, are you able to totally stay in your process and be sort of like mentally the same as you would be, or are you fighting off some nasty thoughts, like am I going to let this slip away? Am I blowing this? Or are you totally able to maintain like your usual focus?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Kind of what I reminded myself in the turn is — I had a bite to eat. And I told myself, if I keep making good swings, I’m not going to continue to hit the ball left every time, statistically speaking.
So I just tried to get up there on No. 10 and hit a good shot, and that’s really all I was thinking about is trying to get the ball on the fairway. I knew I needed nine really good holes.
I hit a good shot on 10. Good approach shot, and I executed.
From there, fairway on 11. Really good iron shot.
Fairway on 12. Really good iron shot.
Good iron shot on 13.
Good tee ball on 14. Good birdie there.
Two great shots on 15. From 10 to 15, I felt like I executed as good as I had almost all week. That was a very important time in the tournament. I’m definitely proud of that kind of fight we showed there in that little stretch.
Q. Was there any kind of like specific physical adjustment within that, or was it, like you said, just a matter of getting it out?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Well, I felt like in the beginning of the round, I was maybe a little short in my swing, and then I started making a good full turn.
Like, 7, 8, 9, I felt like I hit the shots really solid and it was coming out left. And I told Teddy walking up, 9 tee, I was like, “That one felt pretty good. I don’t know why that was left again.”
He was like, “Well, maybe you’re aimed over there. Just try and hit a little further right.”
I was like, okay. So I got on 10, and felt like I squared up my shoulders and hit it right up the middle.
I think the tee shot I hit into 11 was the one that propelled me into a great back nine. That’s a hard tee shot for me. Doesn’t really suit my eye. I stepped up there and hit a really good shot and kid of executed really well from there on out.
Q. You joked before that Meredith would smack you on the head if you ever tried to come home and bring your trophies into the house. That’s a pretty big one. I mean, where is that going to go in the house?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Where’s it going to go? I have a room in my house called “The Golf Room,” and that’s where all my crap goes, literally. It’s just a room full of all my golf junk. I’ve got some trophies in there as well, and that’s probably where this one will go.
Q. Is it nicely presented or just kind of all hanging out?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I’d like to say that it’s nicely presented, but it’s not.
Q. Scottie, you did some things last year that we haven’t seen since peak Tiger Woods. If you look statistically, you’re actually trending to be even better. How have you and your team been able to do that?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I don’t know. I think we put in a lot of work just showing up here to tournaments to try and do our best.
I have a great team around me, all the way down to — I mean, I have a manager that keeps my mind clear. I don’t have a ton of responsibilities outside of golf. He does a really good job of letting me go play and do my thing. He knows what’s most important for me and gives me the ability to do that.
I’ve got a great coach in Randy. I’ve got a great putting coach in Phil. I’ve got a great caddie. I’ve got a great family, a great wife and a wonderful son. I feel like off the golf course, my life is wonderful. We live what I would feel like is a pretty simple life at home.
Life on the golf course has been great as well. I’ve been able to win some tournaments. When we go home, sometimes I think Meredith and I still feel like we’re in high school. We have great friends, and we’re looking forward to getting home this week and doing normal stuff with our friends, celebrating a nice win.
Q. Congratulations. I just wanted to talk a little bit about your relationship with Randy. Then I’m curious, too, what may be the best coaching tip he’s ever given you?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I would say Randy, he’s taught me since I was 7 years old. I can’t imagine what that’s like from his end.
As far as I’m concerned, he’s just — he’s the one who teaches me how to swing, and he’s pretty much the only guy I consult when it comes to that kind of stuff.
He’s a bit of a crazy person at times, but he’s a savant when it comes to teaching me the golf swing, and he’s a pretty special guy as well. I’m thankful for what he’s taught me in the game of golf and life as well.
I felt like Randy always did — it’s hard to really boil it down to one thing. But I felt like throughout the entire time he taught me, he always did a really good job of helping us all stay patient.
I think, especially when you’re as competitive, I think, as I am, when you’re younger and things aren’t going the way they’re supposed to, Randy always did a really good job of reminding me that it was a long journey to become good at golf. You know, you’re going to have ups and downs. I kind of fought my body for a while there in college. Fought some growth spurts in high school.
I wasn’t always the best player. I felt like I could be the best player. But I was a good junior player, a good amateur player, and I did a good job kind of rising up the ranks in professional golf. Randy was always by my side helping me stay patient and teaching me little things along the way.
Q. When you talk about golf being a constant battle with yourself, when you think back to the feelings you had before that Masters Sunday in 2022, that kind of self-doubt, didn’t know if you were ready, has your constant accomplishments kind of helped wash away that self-doubt, or is that something you fight still before rounds like this?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I don’t know if “self-doubt” is the right description.
I think, if I go to what I was feeling Sunday morning before the Masters in ’22, three months before that tournament, I had just won my first tournament on the PGA TOUR. Won my first tournament in February, and all of a sudden, I’ve got a three-shot lead going into Masters Sunday as the No. 1 player in the world.
It’s one of those deals where my wife and I were sitting there, like how did we get to this point? What’s gone on in the last couple years of our life that kind of put us here? I’m just not sure if we were ready for all that it entailed. It’s a different lifestyle coming out here and playing now than it was for me four or five years ago.
It’s obviously all great things. I love the position that I’m in. But I think that’s more of where those feelings came from. It’s just more of the unexpected and not sure if we were really ready for that.
So then when I think about a morning like this morning, it’s a long morning. Like I said, you work your whole life to have a chance to win tournaments, and what better chance you can have than sitting on a three-shot lead.
Sometimes I wish I didn’t care as much as I did — or as I do. It would be a lot easier if I could show up and be like, eh, win or lose, I’m still going to go home and do whatever. Sometimes I feel that way.
But at the end of the day, this means a lot to me. It’s pretty special sitting here with the trophy. I’m very grateful and looking forward to getting home and celebrating.
Q. Scottie, given what you went through last year in Louisville, is this even sweeter?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, it’s definitely very sweet sitting here with the trophy. I definitely have a few jokes that I want to say that I’m probably going to keep to myself (laughter).
Q. Go for it.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: That’s not a good idea (laughter).
That’s a good question. I think — I don’t know. Last year sometimes, it still doesn’t almost feel real. It really doesn’t. It’s just one of those deals that I really don’t know how to describe it. But I can tell you it’s very sweet sitting here with the trophy this year.
This was a hard week on a very difficult golf course and very difficult conditions over the weekend. I mean, the winds were high, and it was very challenging. I’m definitely very pleased to be sitting here with the trophy. It’s a pretty sweet feeling.
Q. A big topic of conversation this week has been the driver testing. Was your driver one of the ones tested this week?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah.
Q. Did you have to make any change?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah.
Q. How did that go? Did that have anything to do with hitting it left today?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: No. I think that was my fault (laughter).
No. So the driver testing is something that regularly happens on Tour. My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I’ve used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long, I felt like.
I would argue that if we’re going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them. That was a conversation I had with one of the rules officials; if it’s something we’re going to take seriously, I feel like we’re almost going halfway with it right now.
If we’re going to test only a third of the field. If we’re going to do it right, leave it up to us as players, like the rest of the rules in the game of golf are.
It’s a newer rule that we haven’t quite gotten right yet. I think we have some stuff to figure out. I think, if we’re going to do it, we might as well do it right, get more robust and get even more strict. You can test guys every week, if you want. I mean, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t.
Q. When you mention being — you mentioned that you didn’t feel like you had the prep that you wanted. Was that having to work with the driver?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Oh, no. The driver for me is actually really easy. Like I said, we were prepared for it.
I had used my driver for over a year. With the amount of practice that I do, I felt like I was fortunate for it to last that long.
The team at TaylorMade, Adrian, did a really good job — actually the week of the Byron, we were really focused on getting it back up for that tournament and this one. Adrian, he did a great job getting me fit for a head.
Like I said, we were really prepared. So it wasn’t that big of a deal.
Q. When you think about how you responded to the mud ball on Thursday or how you responded to the birdie putt on 18 on Saturday or how you responded today with this big win, is there any way you can explain to the ordinary viewer just how intense the experience of playing championship golf is?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It’s really hard to describe like what it’s like — I mean, you kind of describe it as being in the arena. I don’t think you can really understand what it’s like in the arena until you step in it, and it’s all on the line.
I’ve prepared my entire life to become somewhat decent at this game, and to have a chance to win a tournament that I dreamed about as a kid is a pretty cool feeling. When you step out on the 1st tee, it’s pretty dang cool. There’s definitely stress. It’s definitely challenging, but at the same time, I mean, it’s a lot of fun.
Q. Jon Rahm actually fell away over the final few holes. I was wondering when you became aware of that, and did it allow to you relax towards the end of your round?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I didn’t really relax until I got the ball over the water on 17. I felt like after that, I could kind of limp on 18 with the lead that I had.
With this closing stretch, you can never be complacent with your game. I had saw that Jon and I were tied I was playing No. 10, maybe. I think he birdied 10 and 11. I think he was at 9-under. Is that right? Then I was able to birdie 10, which gave me a one-shot lead at the time.
But the leaderboards from 10 through — basically through 14, didn’t really show me what I was hoping they would show me. They were kind of — like at Augusta, the leaderboard is kind of always up there. These leaderboards were changing, like, to different groups. If I would look over, it would be like he was in 25th place.
I’m looking at the leaderboard, like, come on, guys, show me what’s going on at the top. If people want to know who’s in 30th, look at your phone. I need to know what’s going on at the top of the leaderboard.
So I didn’t really see much on those holes. I just prepared for Jon to go out and have a back nine. He’s a great player and a great champion, and he does a really good job of stepping up in the big moments. I was fully expecting him to have a great back nine as well.
I did my best to keep executing shots and stay in my little bubble.
When I was walking down 15, I had just birdied 14 to get to 11-under, and I saw him in the bunker right on 16, and he didn’t get it up-and-down.
So the conversation I had with myself, like, if he was at 9 — I think I saw a leaderboard on 13 green. That’s what it was. Finally I saw one on 13 green. He was at 9. I was at 10. And he was playing 15. The best he could be was bogey there because I didn’t hear crazy roars was 9 under; if I birdie here, it’s going to go a long way.
Then as I was walking down 16, I saw that he was only at maybe 8 and I was at 12. So in my head, I told myself, I can’t control what these other guys do; if I make three pars, the golf tournament’s mine, and that’s what I was focused on.
Q. When you’re in the final group on a Sunday at a major and you’re in the lead, and a big crowd is following you and a lot of people are shouting things at you, do you ever listen to those people, or are you just zoned out in the moment?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think inevitably you can hear when they’re right there shouting at you. It’s a bit of a weird deal. I don’t know why people need to yell at you when they’re that close.
But at the end of the day, I’m focused on the task at hand, and I’ve got to execute.
Q. If ever run for president, you’ve got a few votes out there.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I guess winning never hurts the amount of votes you can get.
Q. Scottie Scheffler, that was a hard-fought battle today. What were you fighting on the front nine that you figured out and you overcame for such a dominant performance to claim your third major championship title?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I felt — I don’t know, I mean, I just kept hitting it left (laughter). I knew it was going to be a challenging day.
Finishing off a major championship is always difficult, and I did a good job of staying patient on the front nine. I didn’t have my best stuff, but I kept myself in it, and I stepped up on the back nine and had a really good nine holes. That’s about it.
Q. Most relatable comment ever by a World Number 1. We all hit it left sometimes. We’ve seen you slip on two green jackets. We have now just watched you hoist your first Wanamaker Trophy. What’s the significance of claiming the second leg in this major championship circuit, and what’s it mean to you to get No. 3?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I’m just really proud of the way I fought this week. I was battling my swing the first couple days. I didn’t have as good a prep week as I wanted to. It was a battle out there.
Teddy did a good job of keeping me in it, and Randy helped me figure out things on my swing. Morris helped get my body right. It was a real team effort this week. I’m proud of the whole squad. Looking forward to celebrating this one.
Q. We know for you family is over everything. Randy Smith, as you just mentioned, a PGA golf professional, has been your coach since you were 7 years old. What does it mean to win it in front of him, and what has he meant to you, not just in golf, but in life?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It’s tough to put into words what Randy means to me. He’s a special man, and he’s taught me everything about the game of golf. This is a pretty cool moment for the both of us. I don’t really know how to put it into words, but he definitely is family to me.
I always described him as the fun uncle growing up. I could ask him stuff that I wouldn’t necessarily ask my dad. He taught me a lot more than the game of golf. I’m looking forward to celebrating this one with him.
Q. What does this mean to you and why are you so good on the big stages?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I don’t know, I mean, this is a special tournament. Any time you can win a major championship is pretty cool, and I’m proud of how I did this week just staying in it mentally and hitting the shots when I needed to.
This back nine will be one that I remember for a long time. It was a grind out there. I think at one point on the front I maybe had a four- or five-shot lead, and making the turn, I think I was tied for the lead.
So to step up when I needed to the most, I’ll remember that for a while.
Q. What do you consider to be your greatest attributes to play in the major championships?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: You know, I always try to lean as much as I can on my mind. I think that’s probably my greatest strength. You know, like today and this week I really just feel like I did just such a good job of staying patient when I wasn’t swinging it my best but I hit the shots when I needed to.
I hit the important shots well this week, and that’s why I’m walking away with the trophy. The shots on the golf course that are most important, those are the ones I feel like I did my best at this week and maybe at times out there, some of the easier ones maybe I lost a bit of focus or something but overall when I needed to, I feel like I hit the shots.
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