logo
MASTERS '25: Scottie Scheffler the latest in a long line who learned from Randy Smith

MASTERS '25: Scottie Scheffler the latest in a long line who learned from Randy Smith

Yahoo04-04-2025

FILE - Colt Knost of Dallas, right, is greeted by his coach, Randy Smith, left, on the 17th green of the Olympic Club's Lake Course after winning the U.S. Amateur golf championship in San Francisco, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2007. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
FILE - Colt Knost of Dallas, right, is greeted by his coach, Randy Smith, left, on the 17th green of the Olympic Club's Lake Course after winning the U.S. Amateur golf championship in San Francisco, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2007. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — One was a young teenager in Ohio whose family was moving to Texas. Another was a college kid at Kansas looking for help with his swing. And then there was Scottie Scheffler, a 6-year-old in New Jersey whose mother had taken a C-suite job at a Dallas law firm.
At different times, in different parts of the country, they all got the same advice when they left for Dallas: Call Randy Smith at Royal Oaks.
Advertisement
'I met Randy and he gave me the evil eye — 'Whose pushing this kid?'' said Scott Scheffler, the father of the defending Masters champion. "I said, 'Sir, I'm not pushing this kid. This kid is pushing me. He wants to hit golf balls. I need someone to help me.'"
The first visit to Royal Oaks was on Mother's Day. Smith recalls a tiny kid with a long back swing who repeatedly made solid contact during a session that lasted nearly two hours. His parents took out a loan and joined Royal Oaks the next day.
So began a relationship with the only swing coach Scheffler has ever had through some 90 junior titles, three All-American seasons at Texas, two Masters green jackets, one Olympic gold medal and the No. 1 world ranking for a longer stretch than anyone this side of Tiger Woods.
'He's getting crazier and crazier by the day," Scheffler said playfully of his 73-year-old mentor. "But he's like a savant when it comes to the golf swing, he really is. The more I'm able to communicate to him how I'm feeling and the things that I want to feel in my golf swing, the better he gets at teaching.
Advertisement
'He's the only person, really, that I've consulted with my swing my whole life,' he said. 'He's kind of the driving force behind what I do.'
As famous as Scheffler has become — especially as he goes for his third Masters title in the last four years — Smith is not defined by the success of his star pupil.
Scheffler is but the most recent in a long line of kids whose game Smith nurtured from before they were old enough to drive a golf cart.
'For Randy to have taught multiple players from when they were really young all the way until they get on the tour is something pretty rare,' Scheffler said.
Advertisement
Justin Leonard and Harrison Frazar. Ryan Palmer and Colt Knost. Hunter Mahan and Gary Woodland, who drove eight hours from Kansas only to realize he had the wrong date. He made the trip twice, and it was worth it. 'His voice is a big voice in my head. He means everything to me,' Woodland said.
There also have been Dallas transplants over the year like Anthony Kim, Martin Laird and most recently Si Woo Kim.
But the numbers that define Smith are 18 national awards from the PGA of America, including professional of the year (1996) and teacher of the year (2002). And beyond the dozen or so juniors that earned PGA Tour cards are the hundreds of kids who earned college scholarships.
'Coaches normally get tour players after they become tour players. He was the O.G. of developing tour players when they were kids, and he mentored me in doing that," said Jamie Mulligan, the longtime pro at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, California. Mulligan's stable of kids-turned-tour players include Patrick Cantlay.
Advertisement
More than one player has referred to Smith as a father figure. Knost, who in 2007 won the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links, was the one who moved to the Dallas area from Ohio.
'There was a PGA professional in Ohio who reached out to my mom and said, 'I think he should go see Randy Smith,'' Knost said. 'I don't know if he even knew Randy. But Randy agreed to see me. He turned me into the player I am. He's the main reason I wanted to go to SMU, to stay close to him.'
Smith, with his West Texas drawl and no-nonsense doctrine, keeps it simple. He's more about finding answers in the dirt than reading radar-generated data on a Trackman.
'When Trackman first came out, Randy got one and he couldn't turn it on,' Knost said. 'He would call the shop and say, 'This thing is broken again.''
Advertisement
Most remarkable is the culture Smith has fostered at Royal Oaks, a club teeming with tour players over the years. Most grew up there. Others, like Lee Trevino, were regulars. And generation after generation of kids were watching.
They all remember Scheffler, wearing long pants in Texas heat because that's how tour players dressed and that's what he wanted to be. Scheffler would spend hours watching, often challenging the older players to chipping and putting contests.
'He was a sponge,' Smith said. 'But he was a workaholic.'
Both traits were important to Smith, especially the latter.
'He puts guys in position where they can succeed, but it's up to them,' Scheffler said. 'Randy is not out there forcing kids to do drills, forcing them to come to practice. If they're willing to put in the work, Randy will give you another lesson pretty quick. But if you show up at the range, only practice for 45 minutes and leave immediately, the next time you call to get a lesson, he's probably going to make you wait.'
Advertisement
Smith was a sponge himself. He arrived at Royal Oaks in 1977 along with his mentor, Buddy Cook, and became head pro three years later. He learned — mostly by listening — from the likes of Harvey Penick and Jim Flick, Charlie Epps and Dick Harmon.
'He's a Texas guy with some good philosophy in his repertoire,' Epps said. 'His understanding of the basics of the golf swing is legendary.'
Smith spent his early years at Royal Oaks as a 'merchandising mother' in the pro shop. But then one of the kids — Justin Leonard — went off to his first big junior event in Oklahoma. Smith thought it would be a good experience for him. Leonard won the tournament and brought the trophy straight home to Royal Oaks.
Upon leaving, he turned and said to Smith, 'I want to know more.'
Advertisement
That resonated with Smith, who turned over the merchandising to the assistants. Some 12 years later, Leonard brought another trophy home to Royal Oaks — the claret jug from his British Open title at Royal Troon.
'Randy has a little bit of a crazy, younger uncle vibe that just works,' Leonard said. 'He's not very much into a method. He just takes the player and works with what they do well and tries to make it a little better.'
Smith said the 'appropriate answer' would be he takes more pride in the hundreds of kids who got college scholarships than who made the tour.
But there was something about that hug he shared with Scheffler off the 18th green when he won his first Masters. And there was something about the 1,400 people at Royal Oaks waiting for Leonard when he came home with that silver claret jug.
Advertisement
'I've said many times, I was at the right bus stop looking for the right bus at the right time on the right day,' Smith said. 'Royal Oaks happened to be a nice place for that.'
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Healthier Panthers are nearing full strength in the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers
Healthier Panthers are nearing full strength in the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers

San Francisco Chronicle​

time24 minutes ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Healthier Panthers are nearing full strength in the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The bumps and bruises and worse started to pile up midway through the Florida Panthers' third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Matthew Tkachuk only returned for the playoff opener after sitting out the final two months of the regular season with the injury he suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and seems to still be gutting through it. Sam Reinhart and Niko Mikkola each missed time during the Eastern Conference final, and A.J. Greer's injury he tried playing through eventually sidelined him. 'It's very hard to win a Cup with unhealthy bodies,' Greer said. The Panthers found that out the hard way two years ago when they were the skating wounded. Tkachuk had a broken sternum, Aaron Ekblad had a broken foot, two shoulder dislocations and a torn oblique muscle, Radko Gudas had a high ankle sprain and they lost to Vegas in five games in the final. While the Edmonton Oilers looked to be in better shape going into this series with the notable exception of injured forward Zach Hyman, Florida has gotten healthier. Coach Paul Maurice said Reinhart is 'back to full health,' Tkachuk, Mikkola and Greer are making a difference and the defending champions are two wins away from hoisting the Cup for a second year in a row. 'It's always good to have a full team that's healthy," fourth-liner Tomas Nosek said after practice Wednesday. "It's been good so far, and hopefully it stays that way.' The Panthers will have their ideal lineup for Game 4 on Thursday night in Sunrise after that same group waxed Edmonton 6-1 earlier this week to take a 2-1 lead in the final. Other than do-it-all defenseman Seth Jones, no one played more than 23 minutes in Game 3. That balance, after so much overtime hockey early in what looked to be an evenly matched series, combined with an extra day between games, makes them rested and ready. 'We've been, I think, great the whole playoffs," center Anton Lundell said. 'It doesn't really matter when we play. It's always fun to play, so we don't really care. But obviously now we have had a couple days off, so it's fun to get the energy back and prepare." Reinhart scoring Monday night was his first goal since being out for two games in the Eastern Conference final, ending a drought that dated to the second round against Toronto. He had six shots in Game 2 and has been steadily progressing. 'I'm not worried about him,' Maurice said. 'I think his game is getting stronger — quite a bit stronger.' So is Tkachuk's, even if it's clear the tough winger is not moving as well as he does when 100%. But he had an assist and was noticeably better in Game 3, which Maurice called Tkachuk's best of the playoffs. 'It took him a while to build out,' Maurice said. 'The speed of the Carolina series was probably a really, really good thing. Some of these injuries I'm sure they're dealing with it, you can't condition them and rehab them at the same time. They need some time. And he was out for such a very long time that I would say the last month, but certainly the last three weeks, he's back to form now.' That spells trouble for the Oilers, playing without Hyman and with top-line forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins dealing with an undisclosed injury that has him relegated him to game-time-decision uncertainty. Their longest-tenured player not being 100% is a major blow after Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid and Hyman were such an effective trio getting to this point. Coach Kris Knoblauch foreshadowed a lineup change that may or may not be injury related. Either way, his team's depth is being tested. The same has been the case for the Panthers, who have used 22 skaters in the playoffs following 30 during the season. They've grown accustomed to shuffling players in and out and chugging along like some of the NHL's best teams have to do. 'With our depth this year, even when guys are injured or guys are out of the lineup, there's just so much depth on our team that guys can fill in seamlessly and it doesn't change our lineup that much,' Bennett said. "That's definitely a huge factor for us.' ___

Knicks denied permission to interview Kidd, Udoka and Finch in coaching search, AP sources say
Knicks denied permission to interview Kidd, Udoka and Finch in coaching search, AP sources say

San Francisco Chronicle​

time24 minutes ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Knicks denied permission to interview Kidd, Udoka and Finch in coaching search, AP sources say

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks were denied permission to speak with coaches Jason Kidd of Dallas, Ime Udoka of Houston and Chris Finch of Minnesota in a slow start to find Tom Thibodeau's replacement. All three coaches are under contract and their organizations declined to make them available for interviews with the Knicks, two people with knowledge of the details said Thursday. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the interview process was to remain private. The Knicks fired Thibodeau on June 3, despite reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. They reached the playoffs four times in Thibodeau's five seasons and had won at least 50 games in each of the final two. They appear to be trying to find out if any coaches they like who currently have jobs might be added to their list along with the ones who are currently available. The Mavericks confirmed Thursday that a request was submitted and denied. ESPN first reported on all three decisions. Knicks president Leon Rose interviewed Kidd and Udoka in 2020 before hiring Thibodeau. Both also played for the Knicks, with Kidd ending his Hall of Fame career on the team that reached the 2013 playoffs — which was the Knicks' last appearance before Thibodeau's arrival. Kidd led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, Finch has guided the Timberwolves to back-to-back trips to the West finals and Udoka took a young Rockets team to the No. 2 seed in the West this season, so none of the organizations is interested in searching for a new coach. Thibodeau thanked the organization, players, coaches and fans in a New York Times ad on Wednesday, saying the experience with the Knicks was 'something I will never forget.' ___ AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Indianapolis contributed to this report. ___

Adam Scott at another US Open and headed for century mark in the majors
Adam Scott at another US Open and headed for century mark in the majors

San Francisco Chronicle​

time24 minutes ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Adam Scott at another US Open and headed for century mark in the majors

OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Adam Scott is one year away from an impressive streak that the Australian considers to be a classic glass half-full moment in golf. The U.S. Open is his 96th consecutive major championship appearance dating to the 2001 British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. 'It sounds like a lot to have won one,' Scott said with a laugh, referring to his lone major title in the 2013 Masters. 'It would be twice as good if there was one more.' Still, he realizes he is approaching a big milestone. The PGA Championship next year, assuming he qualifies or gets an invitation, will be his 100th career major. He could make it 100 in a row if he makes it to Shinnecock Hills for next year's U.S. Open. A streak like that requires eligibility and good health. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson only had eligibility in their favor. Woods played 46 straight majors until knee surgery after he won the 2008 U.S. Open. Mickelson played 61 in a row before he sat out the 2009 British Open as his wife was being treated for breast cancer. The record is among the most untouchable in golf — Jack Nicklaus played 146 in a row from the 1962 U.S. Open through the 2008 U.S. Open. 'Probably whenever it ends, whether it's 100 or more or less, I think it will be hard for guys to get to that number going forward,' Scott said. 'I think it's getting harder. And I think I have been a consistent player over a 25-year career. I could probably pick three troughs where my game was looking pretty ordinary and I fell outside the top 50 and I was really struggling. But over 25 years, I'd expect that of almost any player.' He failed to make it through qualifying last year (he was first alternate) but became exempt at No. 61 in the world. Grayson Murray, who took his life in May 2024, was still ahead of him in the world ranking and the USGA went down one spot. Scott said Mickelson and Rory McIlroy are among the few who never went through bad spells or serious injury 'and we're talking about two of the greatest of their generation.' McIlroy's streak was interrupted when he injured his left ankle and couldn't play the 2015 British Open. Oakmont is his 39th consecutive major. US Open prize money For the first time since 2021, the U.S. Open is not increasing its prize money. It will be $21.5 million for the second straight year, with $4.3 million going to the winner. It remains the biggest purse of the four majors. The Masters was $21 million this year, while the PGA Championship was at $19 million. The British Open hasn't announced its total purse for next month at Royal Portrush. It was at $17 million last year. The U.S. Open purse was $12.5 million in 2020 and 2021 before making a big leap to $17.5 million in 2022 at Brookline. 'I feel comfortable that we've been a leader in moving fast and bigger,' USGA CEO Mike Whan said Wednesday. The Players Championship has a $25 million purse. The USGA and R&A get the bulk of their revenue from their Opens. They also use that money to invest back in the game, including the Women's Opens and amateur events such as the Walker Cup and Curtis Cup that several of the top stars once played. 'But at the same time, we understand. We want to be relevant,' Whan said. 'We know that this probably isn't really about the money for the person who puts it there, but at the same time, we want the money to be commensurate with the achievement. ... It's part of creating what we want to be the greatest championship in the game.' Driver testing Xander Schauffele couldn't contain his laughter when he said both his drivers were tested this week and both passed the USGA limits of trampoline effect. It was no joking matter for Rory McIlroy at the PGA Championship when word got out that his driver didn't pass the test from too much use. Turns out Scottie Scheffler's driver didn't pass for the same reason, and they had to get new drivers. The results are supposed to be confidential. The post on McIlroy's driver was published without any context — the random testing at every major, and the service being done for players (and equipment makers) who otherwise would be unaware when the faces of the drivers become too thin from constant strikes. Whan said he felt stronger than ever to keep results private 'In terms of what happened at the PGA Championship, it made us more committed to not wanting to have this be the topic of the town,' Whan said "Because I think when you talked about a rules violation or somebody who's playing with a hot driver, that gets so much more sensational than the reality. 'I can tell you as a rules body, if we had concern about this incredible advantage, we would change the degree in which we test,' he said 'But we think the testing that we're doing now is commensurate with the size of both the issue and the size of the reality of the issue.' Rain and rocks The Pittsburgh area had one of the wettest Mays in history, not ideal for a U.S. Open that would prefer Oakmont to be firm, fast and scary. But it's not just the golf course. It can turn into a sloppy mess outside the ropes, and for some of the lots the U.S. Open is using for parking. That's why Whan was quick to celebrate Thomas Construction, a local company that has supplied gravel to create paths in walkways and parking lots. 'He no longer has gravel — true story — and he's only had one customer in the last 60 days — us,' Whan said. 'Suffice it to say, he told us there's more gravel here than in the quarry right now. And I apologize to all you (Oakmont) members. Good news is it's outside of the rope lines.' ___

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store