NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA. — Scottie Scheffler was engaging and easy-going two days before the start of the PGA Championship.
The No. 1 golfer in world offered advice to young golfers and their parents. He told stories about his parents and how his mother never asked him what he shot — “If you want me to know what you shot, you’ll tell me,” she would say to him — and about his other interests like fishing — “I’m still terrible,” he says.
And even his philosophy on answering questions on subjects off the golf course.
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Scheffler has gone viral a few times this year, not for his game, but for sarcastic, sometimes prickly, answers to reasonable questions. The engagements have been out of character for a player who has been as accessible and pleasant as anyone since his meteoric rise began in 2022.
After all, this is a man who, after being handcuffed and taken to jail early in the morning of the second round at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville — he attempted to drive past a police officer into the club about an hour after a fatal accident near the entrance — returned, played his round and then answered every question.
Scheffler gave details about the ride to jail, having to stretch in the jail cell and watching himself on television while in a holding cell.
Yet, Scheffler recently has been irritated by questions that should be much easier, and he should be much more willing to answer, than about being thrown in jail.
He was asked prior to The Players Championship about some recent struggles when he said, “If you flipped my season around and it was like … okay, what did I finish last week? Like 24th. 24th and 12th, and like 3rd and 4th, and a win. Would your question be the same if I was coming from 3rd, 4th, win?”
No. But that’s why the question was asked.
At the Masters, he scolded an interviewer with “terrible question” after being asked how good his round could have been after he said he left a few shots on the course. He later answered a very similar question.
After the first round at the Cadillac Championship, Scheffler’s answer to a question about LIV Golf the day Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed it would no longer fund LIV beyond the 2026 season, went viral.
“I just got off the golf course. I don’t know what you want from me,” he said.
At least four other players offered thoughtful responses after just getting off the golf course.
Scheffler has 3 consecutive runner-up finishes entering PGA Championship
Players like Scheffler are victims of their own success. They are asked about situations that, for them, are considered underachieving while other golfer would be celebrating.
Like when Scheffler has to answer what happened when he strings together three consecutive tournaments finishing out of the top 10 after going 18 straight weeks being in the top 10, the longest on the PGA Tour in more than 60 years.
Scheffler was 12th, 24th and 22nd at Genesis, Arnold Palmer and The Players, respectively.
Golfers understand their obligations, even Scheffler. And he has been cooperative and respectful throughout his career. But something brought out the snark this season and he attempted to answer why during his pre-tournament media session Tuesday at the PGA Championship.
“When it comes to the bigger issues in the game of golf, I just try to answer them as honestly as I can,” he said. “I think there’s also a time and a place for them. I think in a forum like this where I’m going to be sitting and talking for a bit longer, it’s a lot easier to talk about those types of discussions.”
Scheffler’s sound bite on the LIV question, which ended with a snicker, received the most attention. He was both criticized for not understanding that as one of the sport’s standard bearers, he knows those questions are coming, and being sarcastic is not the best way to handle it. And he was lauded by those who are just anti-media.
Jordan Spieth, Brian Harman and Lucas Glover were insightful with their answers. Cameron Young, like Scheffler, did not want to dig into the subject. Young, though, handled it perfectly.
“I think having Brooks (Koepka) back has been great,” he said. “But … I don’t know what any of those guys are thinking about doing. I don’t know what’s going to happen with LIV. So I can’t really give you much of an informed opinion on that.”
See, not difficult.
And golfers usually are not peppered with questions about newsworthy or trending subjects. Most of the time, they are saved for late in the session after questions about the business of the day have been asked.
Like at Aronimink. Scheffler is attempting to defend his 2025 PGA Championship crown. The four-time major champion dominated the field at Quail Hollow a year ago, winning by five strokes over Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau and Davis Riley.
And he comes in on a roll … whether you “flip” his season or not.
Scheffler is the first player in PGA Tour history to record three consecutive solo runner-up finishes — Masters, RBC Heritage, Cadillac Championship.
He was engaging, and a bit self-deprecating, when asked about that run, a question, by the way, asked in a way in which he was credited for playing so well.
“My wife was like, ‘hey, Scottie, you’re the first guy in PGA Tour history to have three solo runner-ups in a row,”‘ he said. “I’m like, ‘yeah, it’s probably because the guy that was playing that good figured out a way to win one of those, he didn’t come second in all three.’ “
Then he acknowledged the consistency it takes for finish second three straight weeks and how he had himself to blame for getting off to a slow start … at least for him. This is something that has plagued him early in the season.
“Overall I’d say a little bit bittersweet,” said Scheffler, who tees off at 2:05 p.m. for the May 14 first round in a group with Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose.
“You know you’re playing good golf, and you’d love to get some wins. Finishing second hurts, but I think when you reflect and you’re looking at things to work on, there’s a lot less to clean up when you’re finishing second than there is when you’re finishing 30th.”
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Scottie Scheffler on why he can be snarky while answering questions
Reporting by Tom D’Angelo, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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