The Open 2025: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in focus at his first Portrush appearance
Portrush:
A win, be it the Masters Green Jacket or a PGA or a Claret Jug, would seem to make Scottie Scheffler feel 'awesome', but it would only be for two minutes, and then he says he wonders, what next?
On the eve of his first Open at Portrush and only the fifth Open in a career that at best can still be classified as 'fledgling', he said, 'This is not a fulfilling life.
It's fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it's not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.
'
Scheffler has been the World No. 1 for the last 113 weeks — that translates to two years and a quarter. He has won three times this season, including at a Major; has not finished out of the top-10 in his last 10 starts; has not finished out the top 25 this entire season; has not missed a cut since the FedEx St.
Jude Classic in Aug 2022, and has banked nearly $88 million.
By the end of this week, he could be three quarters of the way to a Career Slam, despite never having played at the Royal Portrush in a competitive round. Yet, he is the overwhelming favourite. The most successful and consistent golfer of the last four years closed 2024 with a win at Hero World Challenge, which was his ninth win of the year, which saw him also win the Olympic gold in Paris.
In one of his most 'intense' interactions, Scheffler said, 'There's a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfil them in life, and you get there, you get to No. 1 in the world, and they're like what's the point? I really do believe that because what is the point... why do I want to win this tournament so bad? That's something that I wrestle with on a daily basis. It's like showing up at the Masters every year; it's like, why do I want to win this golf tournament so badly? Why do I want to win the Open so badly? If I win, it's going to be awesome for two minutes.
Then we're going to get to the next week… it feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for like a few minutes.'
Is he as calm and composed as he seems? Does he ever get frustrated? Without a pause, he says, 'I would say that I still get very frustrated. I think at times I'm better at masking it. At times this year I may have gotten overly frustrated. I think part of the game is controlling your emotions and controlling your mind.'
Was he always like that? 'I'd get a bit headless at times when I was growing up, especially when I was young, and I even see it in my son now. He's 14 months, and I'm like, this poor kid's got my personality. It's tough. I had a high level of frustration growing up. I still do today, but I'm better at controlling it and using it more as a strength to help me focus.'
Poll
What do you think is the most important aspect of success in professional golf?
Winning major tournaments
Consistency in performance
Family and personal happiness
Does he read a lot? Scheffler replied, 'I have a devotional book that I read on my iPad.
I have another book which is definitely not a golf book. It's another spiritual book. Basically that. My Bible is pretty much it. I'm not really a huge reader. I have read a couple books about golf course design. Skimmed would probably be a better description of that. Just to learn, just out of curiosity.'
He added, 'I did that a little bit before Bennett (his son) when I had a little bit more downtime. Now there's not much downtime when I get home. It's kind of sprinting around chasing the little man. I'm blessed to be able to come out here and play golf, but if my golf ever started affecting my home life or it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or my son, that's going to be the last day that I play out here for a living.
Because I'd much rather be a great father than I would be a great golfer.'
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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