Scottie Scheffler says being the No 1 golfer in the world is 'not a fulfilling life'

Fox News

6 hours ago

Scottie Scheffler is one of the best golfers on the planet and, dating back to last year, has been on a historic run.
Yet, success from winning golf tournaments is not what "satisfies" him.
Scheffler, 29, is a three-time major champion as he has won the Masters twice and the PGA Championship this year. He will look to inch closer to the career grand slam at The Open this week at Royal Portrush.
The 16-time PGA Tour winner has been the world's No. 1 ranked golfer for over 100 weeks, yet his dominance on the course is not what is "fulfilling" to him.
"There's a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfill them in life, and you get there, you get to No. 1 in the world, and they're like, what's the point?" Scheffler said at a press conference on Tuesday.
"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 Championship so badly?'
"I don't know because, if I win, it's going to be awesome for two minutes. Then we're going to get to the next week, 'Hey, you won two majors this year; how important is it for you to win the FedExCup playoffs?' And we're back here again."
Scheffler referenced his celebration after he won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson tournament in his home state of Texas in May, when his moment of celebration felt so fleeting.
"I said something after the Byron this year about like, it feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for like a few minutes. It only lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling. To win the Byron Nelson Championship at home, I literally worked my entire life to become good at golf to have an opportunity to win that tournament," Scheffler said.
"You win it, you celebrate, get to hug my family, my sister's there, it's such an amazing moment. Then it's like, 'OK, now what are we going to eat for dinner?' Life goes on."
While being incredibly successful as a golfer might not be what ultimately fulfills him, it does give him a "sense of accomplishment."
"Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about, because I've literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport. To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling," Scheffler said.
For Scheffler, he doesn't play to "inspire" the next generation of golfers, because, for him, being world No. 1 isn't fulfilling.
"To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I'm not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I'm not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world, because what's the point? 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 said.
Scheffler said the sport of golf is not the "be all, end all" for him.
"(Golf) is not the most important thing in my life," Scheffler said.
Scheffler and his wife, Meredith, share a 1-year-old son, Bennett. For Scheffler, his family takes priority.
"I'm blessed to be able to come out here and play golf. But if my golf ever started affecting my home life or if it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or with my son, you know, that's going to be the last day that I play out here for a living," Scheffler said.
"I would much rather be a great father than I would be a great golfer.
"At the end of the day, (golf is) just not what satisfies me."
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