Scottie Scheffler uses high numbers on his golf balls for a reason
Rory McIlroy, of North Ireland, left, reacts as he and teammate Shane Lowry, of Ireland, ready to tee of the first hole during the final round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
FILE - International Presidents Cup team player Geoff Ogilvy, from Australia, gestures after winning the second hole of his singles match against United States' Steve Stricker at the Presidents Cup at Harding Park Golf Course, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
Nelly Korda stands on the third tee during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 27, 2025, in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Scottie Scheffler lines up a putt on the 16th green during the second round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Scottie Scheffler lines up a putt on the 16th green during the second round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Rory McIlroy, of North Ireland, left, reacts as he and teammate Shane Lowry, of Ireland, ready to tee of the first hole during the final round of the PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
FILE - International Presidents Cup team player Geoff Ogilvy, from Australia, gestures after winning the second hole of his singles match against United States' Steve Stricker at the Presidents Cup at Harding Park Golf Course, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
Nelly Korda stands on the third tee during the final round of the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament Sunday, April 27, 2025, in The Woodlands, Texas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Scottie Scheffler lines up a putt on the 16th green during the second round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Scottie Scheffler's golf balls are among the easiest to identify because of the numbers. Since his early days on the PGA Tour, he uses only golf balls marked by the numbers 5, 6, 7 or 8.
The change was prompted by Scheffler hitting the wrong ball in college — twice.
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One of those occasions is known by now. His coach at Texas, John Fields, last year on the 'Subpar" podcast told the story of Scheffler and Beau Hossler playing an event in Lubbock, Texas, when Hossler walked past the first golf ball in the fairway assuming his was farther up. Only after Scheffler hit did they realize he hit Hossler's golf ball.
Fields referred to it as an 'almost fight.'
The other time was at a college tournament in Arizona.
'I hit it in the desert,' Scheffler said. 'I looked at the ball in the bush. I said, 'Hey guys, I'm going to mark and identify it.' I marked it, picked it up, looked at it and said, 'Oh, cool, Titleist 4.' I put it back down in the bush.'
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What followed is a shot Scheffler described as one of his best, somehow getting out of the bush and onto the green. He went to mark the ball on the green, picked it up and noticed the ball had an Arizona logo on it.
'My ball is sitting clean in the desert,' Scheffler said. 'I told my coach, 'I'm sorry. I marked it and identified it and it's not my ball.' There's not much to say.'
But it clearly annoyed him, and it lingered.
'When I got on tour," Scheffler said, "I saw somebody only using higher numbers, and I said, 'Let's do that.''
A new year
Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda have endlessly preached moving forward without dwelling too much on the past, and one only has to consider the results.
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At this time a year ago, they had combined to win nine times, each winning the first major of the year. Korda's victory in the Chevron Championship was her fifth in a row to tie an LPGA record. Scheffler won four out of five during one particularly torrid stretch.
Both now are 0-for-2025.
Scheffler's season was slow to start because of minor surgery to the palm of his right hand. He still has five top-10 finishes in his eight tournaments. Korda has gone four straight events out of the top 10, not unusual because she had a streak of five tournaments out of the top 10 a year ago.
It was a minor victory to make the cut at the Chevron, particularly after opening with a 77.
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'Walking onto 8 tee on Friday, I was 7 over. So I'm proud of my fight,' Korda said Sunday after she tied for 14th. 'Obviously, I have a lot to work on. Last year was last year. Such an amazing year, but it's in the past. It's not going to help me with my future.'
The words ring familiar with what Scheffler has said since he started the season in February. Both remain No. 1 in the world and are not in immediate danger of losing that.
Scheffler is playing in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson this week, the start of a busy stretch in which he has six tournaments in eight weeks, including two majors.
Medinah Makeover
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Geoff Ogilvy sees one big advantage from his design company OCM renovating the No. 3 course at Medinah in time for the Presidents Cup next year. It has more to do with Ogilvy as a proud golf course architect than his appointment as captain of the International team.
The first real competition will be match play, not a major.
Score is kept by holes won, not how many under (or over) par.
The last time Medinah held the world's best players was the 2019 BMW Championship, when Justin Thomas finished at 25-under 263 for a three-shot victory. That was seven shots lower than what Tiger Woods shot when he won the 2006 PGA Championship at Medinah.
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'I think the golf world in general are a bit too focused on score relative to par deciding whether a course is good or bad, and it's really arbitrary where you put par,' Ogilvy said Tuesday. 'So I don't think it really matters, but everybody does focus on it.'
With match play, Ogilvy believes, more attention will be on how the course plays, the decisions it requires and the shots that are hit.
'Having a match play event the first time anybody goes there is really unique, and I think a unique opportunity for the work that we did for Medinah,' he said. 'It feels like it's going to ask some tough questions, but the courses that ask tough questions usually have enjoyable results to watch and play.
'Hopefully it turns out well, and it is nice.'
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LIV and OWGR?
Sportico is reporting that LIV Golf and the Official World Golf Ranking are in 'serious discussions' about ranking points for the Saudi-funded league of 54 players.
Still unclear is whether LIV has submitted a new application with the OWGR, after withdrawing its application a year ago when the ranking board did not see a way forward without changes.
The biggest problem the OWGR found was measuring some two dozen other tours around the world against LIV, the only league that had a set (and small) roster for an entire season.
Since LIV withdrew its OWGR application in March 2024, Greg Norman has been replaced as LIV CEO by Scott O'Neil, while Peter Dawson retired as OWGR chief and was replaced by former Masters champion Trevor Immelman.
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The OWGR typically has a meeting of the technical committee each July at the British Open, the final major of the year.
Divots
Nine players at LIV Golf Korea competed at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club when it hosted the Presidents Cup 10 years ago. ... India has another spot on the European tour schedule. The DP World India Championship will be held Oct. 16-19 at Delhi Golf Club with a $4 million purse, the largest ever for a European tour event in India. ... Paula Creamer is returning as an assistant captain, this time for Angela Stanford, at the 2026 Solheim Cup in the Netherlands. Stanford previously announced Kristy McPherson as one of her assistants. ... The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is honoring the parents of the late Grayson Murray with its 'Survivors of Suicide Loss Lifesaver Award.' Eric and Terry Murray will receive the award Thursday at the organization's annual gala in New York. ... The PGA Tour Champions is adding a tournament to the 2026 schedule. The Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic will be held the last week in September in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Stat of the week
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In his six individual starts on the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy has won three times and earned $13,257,558. In his six starts in the LIV Golf League, Joaquin Niemann has won three times and earned $12,604,524.
Final word
'Going back to Portrush is going to be incredible. Rory going back as the Masters champion now is going to take a little bit of heat off me again, so I'm pretty happy with that.' — Shane Lowry, who won the British Open in 2019 the last time it was at Royal Portrush.
___
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Russell Henley: He's really let us down in the majors with MCs at both this year. His lack of length shouldn't be as big a deal at Oakmont, and we love that his top 12 in driving accuracy and second in proximity. 22. Harris English: Has top-12s in three of his last four starts, including a T-2 at the PGA. Also has three top-10s in his last five U.S. Open appearances. 23. J.J. Spaun: We've rolled with him in each of the year's first two majors, and he's done OK. Top 20 in total driving and fifth in strokes gained approach has him high in the model, but he gets bumped down a little until he proves it more in majors. 24. Chris Gotterup: Another qualifier. Hits it forever but struggles to find fairways, so this is risky. But he's also top 10 in bogey avoidance and he's posted five top-20s in his last seven starts. 25. Ben Griffin: He's in elite form right now, just nothing statistically jumps out to say he'll contend in a U.S. Open, especially his debut. 26. 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Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images Nos. 31-40 31. Carlos Ortiz: A win and a couple other top-10s in his last four LIV starts. He's kind of like LIV Spieth with a worse short game. 32. Sungjae Im: Top 8 in both driving accuracy and strokes gained around the green. The big concern is he's missed three straight U.S. Open cuts. 33. Viktor Hovland: Top 10 in strokes gained approach and nearly top 30 in total driving should have him higher, but the short game and putting speed continue to hamper him. 34. Ludvig Aberg: Was T-12 in his U.S. Open debut last year, but he's still ranked outside the top 115 in strokes gained approach. Still, top 25 in total driving and top 15 in proximity, so a top-20 isn't a terrible bet. 35. Michael Kim: He's cooled bit, and it's been because of a combination of different things. But Top 20 in strokes gained around the green and bogey avoidance, and I've always thought his game set up well for these classic U.S. Open tests. 36. Gary Woodland: He's not been better than T-49 in his last eight major starts, but top 25 in total driving and proximity. The rough won't bother him. 37. Maverick McNealy: A good bet to lead the field in strokes gained putting this week. Just needs to hit more fairways and scramble better. 38. Hideki Matsuyama: Might be the lowest I've ever ranked Hideki. A couple top-6s in his last three U.S. Open starts, and though I love his short game, he's just not striking it well right now. 39. Sam Burns: Has four top-20s in his last five starts, and he's rolling his rock right now. Different grasses at Oakmont, sure, but Burns' T-9 last year at Pinehurst was promising. I just need to see it more. 40. Nick Taylor: He's missed nine of his last 10 major cuts. Gulp. But he's top 20 in a bunch of stats – driving accuracy, strokes gained approach, bogey avoidance. Get him on a course where distance isn't necessarily king, and I like him here. May 4, 2025; McKinney, Texas, USA; Erik van Rooyen prepares to play a shot from the sixth tee during the final round of the THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Nos. 41-50 41. Min Woo Lee: He's simmered since winning in Houston. But there's a lot to like if he can hit fairways. Granted, that's a big if. 42. Ryan Gerard: Ranks 20th in total strokes gained – and that's with a putter that's been frustrating over recent months. T-8 at PGA should give him some major confidence, too. 43. Erik van Rooyen: Sixth in total driving, though he must hit his irons better than he did at Quail. Three straight MCs at the U.S. Open, but he was T-23 at Winged Foot in 2020. 44. Thorbjorn Olesen: Doing everything above average right now, which explains why he's 13th in total strokes gained. His play in Canada gives me extra confidence. I'd rank him higher if his major record was better. 45. Emiliano Grillo: The iron game has really flashed of late as he's posted four top-25s in his last six starts. Could another Argentine contend at Oakmont? 46. Brian Harman: Since his T-2 at the 2017 U.S. Open, he's not missed a cut at this championship. 47. Akshay Bhatia: Top 25 in strokes gained approach and proximity, though outside the top 125 in total driving. Some of that is distance related. Also, his short game has been uncharacteristically poor of late. But he was T-16 at Pinehurst last year, and if he figures it out, has the game to win one of these someday. 48. Cameron Smith: Not the same guy who posted five top-10s, including a win, in a nine-major span a few years ago. Has missed three straight major cuts as he just doesn't drive it well enough to contend. 49. Andrew Novak: Breakout year, and he's done most of his work on the better designed courses on the Tour rota. Good short game and speed on the greens. He'll make his first major cut this week. 50. Brian Campbell: He will rank last in the field in driving distance, but not many will find more fairways and display a better short game. May 14, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Matt McCarty pitches out of the bunker on the ninth hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Nos. 51-60 Adam Scott Victor Perez Lucas Glover Matt McCarty Davis Thompson J.T. Poston Sam Stevens Denny McCarthy Tom Hoge Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen Nos. 61-70 Marc Leishman Stephan Jaeger Nico Echavarria Jordan Smith Matt Wallace Matt Fitzpatrick Laurie Canter Cameron Young Jason Day Jackson Koivun (a) Nos. 71-80 Max Greyserman Johnny Keefer Mark Hubbard Jhonattan Vegas Thomas Detry Wyndham Clark Mackenzie Hughes Rasmus Hojgaard Davis Riley Niklas Norgaard Nos. 81-90 Justin Rose Tom Kim Christiaan Bezuidenhout Jacob Bridgeman Ben James (a) Frederic LaCroix Chris Kirk Lanto Griffin Jose Luis Ballester Matthew Jordan Nos. 91-100 Byeong Hun An Alvaro Ortiz Nick Dunlap Matthieu Pavon Justin Lower Cam Davis Joe Highsmith Sam Bairstow Richard Bland Trevor Cone Nos. 101-110 Jacques Kruyswijk Edoardo Molinari Will Chandler Dustin Johnson Zac Blair Maxwell Moldovan Ryan McCormick Kevin Velo Scott Vincent Trent Phillips Nos. 111-120 Guido Migliozzi James Nicholas Preston Summerhays Adam Schenk Andrea Pavan Phil Mickelson Michael La Sasso (a) Thriston Lawrence Jackson Buchanan Zach Bauchou Nos. 121-130 Bryan Lee (a) Jinichiro Kozuma Joakim Lagergren Justin Hastings (a) Lance Simpson (a) Evan Beck (a) Matt Vogt (a) Philip Barbaree Riley Lewis Tyler Weaver (a) Nos. 131-140 Frankie Harris (a) Brady Calkins Zachery Pollo (a) Cameron Tankersley (a) Emilio Gonzalez Harrison Ott Noah Kent (a) Roberto Diaz Austen Truslow Alistair Docherty Nos. 141-156 Yuta Sugiura Chandler Blanchet Mason Howell (a) James Hahn George Duangmanee Joey Herrera George Kneiser Justin Hicks Grant Haefner Trevor Gutschewski (a)
