‘I don't think I'm special': Scheffler plays down latest major win after Open cruise
The 29-year-old American won by four shots from Harris English to complete the third leg of a career grand slam, and afterwards he was compared to Tiger Woods by the Open winner last year, Xander Schauffele, and the 2019 champion, Shane Lowry.
Scheffler also doubled down when he was reminded he said before the Open that winning the Claret Jug would be awesome for only two minutes, and that his family and faith were more important.
'I don't think that I'm anything special just because some weeks I'm better at shooting a lower score than other guys are,' Scheffler said.
'Am I grateful for it? Do I enjoy it? Oh my gosh yes, this is a cool feeling. I can't wait to get home and celebrate this championship with the people that have helped me along the way. But at the end of the day, it doesn't fulfil the deepest desires of my heart. I don't know why I'm so lucky that I get to live out my dreams, but it's something I'm very grateful for.
'If somebody was going to listen to the comments I had this week, I would encourage them to listen to all of it, and I hope I did a good job communicating that this is amazing to win the Open Championship. But at the end of the day, having success in life, whether it be in golf, work, whatever it is, that's not what fulfills the deepest desires of your heart.'
Pressed by reporters, Scheffler said: 'Just because you win a golf tournament or accomplish something, it doesn't make you happy. It doesn't – maybe for a few moments, maybe for a few days, but at the end of the day, there's more to life than playing golf. I'm pretty excited to go home and celebrate this one.'
Scheffler also played down comparisons with Tiger Woods. 'I still think they're a bit silly. Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there. I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf. He was inspirational for me growing up. He was a very, very talented guy, and he was a special person to be able to be as good as he was at the game of golf.'
Scheffler, who lifted the Claret Jug with one arm while holding his 14‑month‑old son Bennett, also revealed that his love of golf was already being passed down to his offspring. 'It's very cool to have him here,' Scheffler said. 'He obviously has no clue what's going on.
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'Bennett started swinging a club back and forth. I put a golf ball down, and he hit it. To be able to occupy a one-year-old with anything is probably a pretty good thing for them to be able to focus on.
'It's pretty special to be able to celebrate here with my family. I hope Bennett's able to get into golf one day. The game of golf has taught me a tremendous amount. I feel like every day you go out and play golf you're looking in the mirror, and I've met some of my best friends through the game of golf.
'It's a very special game. You call penalties on yourself, and it's just – you learn a lot of good life lessons by playing golf. I hope he can play one day, and I hope he enjoys it as much as I do.'
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