Scottie Scheffler loves playing the game of golf. He just doesn’t necessarily enjoy playing the game of celebrity that comes with being the No. 1 player in the world.
At his core, Scheffler is a grinder, a guy who works extremely hard and goes about his business without need of fanfare. Becoming famous ranks far down his list, which helps explain why the 29-year-old Texan and two-time defending champion of the Memorial Tournament often comes off disinterested in, or even disparaging of, the media when cameras and microphones click on.
Consider this exchange with a media member after Scheffler shot 7-under-par at the 2026 Masters:
“Scottie, that was a 65 today; what did it feel like it could have or should have been?” came the query.
Rubbing his chin, Scheffler clapped back, “That’s just a terrible question. Next question. Awful.”
It wasn’t the best question in the world. Fair enough. But I’ve heard much worse. Regardless, the point is not that Scheffler called out a reporter, but that he felt no need to sugarcoat his comments to feed the image-smoothing machine that tends to run 24/7 in the entertainment business.
With Scheffler, image not only is not everything, but it’s hardly anything. He lacks the intimidating aura of Tiger Woods, the frat-cowboy swagger of Brooks Koepka and the natural charisma of Rory McIlroy. And he is just fine with that. Unlike Phil Mickelson, who kept his manufactured smile in a jar by his bed, Scheffler does not fake it to make it.
Scheffler ‘just doesn’t get it’
A common refrain among golf writers following any number of Scheffler interviews: He just doesn’t get it.
Well, guess what? He doesn’t want to get it. Scheffler would rather focus on his craft than think up a cute quote that writers gleefully scribble into their notebooks. It’s not that he always dislikes doing interviews or that he has nothing to say. His answers are intelligent and thought-provoking. It is more that he sees little reason to perform during outside-the-ropes sideshows. He can be pleasant or prickly, but either way he only does interviews because it’s part of the job.
Instead, he is all about the work. Honing his craft is an obsession that leaves little time for the externals. And the externals are everything besides improving at golf. Scheffler is so keyed in on tinkering with his swing, putting and mental approach, i.e., the artistry of golf, that even pressure gets pushed from his field of view.
“When I look over the course of my life, my sources of motivation have always been internal,” he said during last month’s PGA Championship, adding that the quest to improve and winning tournaments are 1 and 1a on his career to-do list.
“I’ve always loved that part of the journey,” he said. “For me, getting better at golf is such an interesting and fun thing to try to accomplish. You’re always toeing the line between getting better and getting worse. When I can go out by myself and practice and have something that I want to work on and improve on, that’s one of my favorite things. I love trying to figure things out. That’s always been what’s driven me.”
Make no mistake, he wants to win and is good at it, having collected four majors among his 16 tour titles. But winning is only half the picture.
“I also love competition. I don’t like losing. But at the end of the day, I think the preparation, getting ready to come out here and play is something that I really enjoy,” he said.
In that way, he and Woods are cut from the same cloth. Both understand perfection is unattainable, but will do everything in their power to attain it. Winning is simply a byproduct of getting as close to perfect as possible.
Scheffler, Tiger Woods share need to know
Given that pursuit, it comes as no surprise that no detail is too small to obsess over. Or learn about. Scheffler shares Woods’ need to know why things work. Or don’t work. Curiosity may kill the cat, but it made Tiger great.
Similarly, a practice range session with Scheffler is a study in one man’s interest in another man’s swing mechanics. Scheffler owns the most consistent swing results on tour, and his long iron play is especially on target, but that does not stop him from grilling his peers to better understand their trade secrets.
Most famously, Scheffler once asked Woods why his iron shots seldom create a divot, and was genuinely stunned when Woods said his best swings result in a brushing of the grass instead of a divot. Watching the two talents discuss “to divot or not to divot” was analogous to Rembrandt asking Monet how to get the colors just right when painting water lilies.
The drive to thrive is what makes Scheffler so dangerous every time he tees it up. No matter the situation or score, the two-time Memorial winner is never satisfied with the status quo. He may not be the most popular or exciting No. 1 player/celebrity to come down the pike, but he is as genuine as they come. And in a world of deep fakes and phony baloney, being comfortable in your own skin is anything but boring. Sports columnist Rob Oller can be reached at roller@dispatch.com and on X.com at @rollerCD.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Scottie Scheffler returns to Memorial driven by need to always improve
Reporting by Rob Oller, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
