Scheffler poised to win more majors
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Part of what makes Augusta National so formidable is that it baits golfers into being foolish, making them think they need to be spectacular when playing solid is more than enough to get the job done. Now imagine how strong that temptation must be when sitting on a 54- or 63-hole lead at the Masters, the green jacket close enough to feel its fabric.
That Scottie Scheffler was able to resist it, all of it, is an indication that his first major title is not likely to be his last.
“I was fortunate to put myself in a position where I was in control of the tournament today, so I didn't have to worry about what anyone else was doing out there. If I took care of my stuff and played good solid golf, I felt like I would get the job done,” the new Masters champion said Sunday night.
“The goal going into today was to just keep my head down.”
At this level of golf – any elite sport, really – talent is only part of the equation. It is a player's mindset and focus, his or her ability to ignore distractions and the doubts that inevitably invade your mind, that separate the champions from the merely great.
Carrying a three-stroke lead after 54 holes, Scheffler said he was so nervous Sunday morning that his stomach was upset and he burst into tears while talking with his wife. It would have been easy then for Scheffler, in only his third appearance at Augusta, to get rattled as he walked onto the first tee and saw all those fans stretched down the fairway.
To be spooked when his first drive sailed into the gallery and he had to scramble just to make par on the first two holes while Cameron Smith was chipping into his lead with birdies. To be petrified when his tee shot on No. 3 landed behind a massive scoreboard, and his next shot hit the slope on the side of the green.
But Scheffler didn't think about anything other than his next shot.
“The human condition is to make things bigger than they really are,” Scheffler said. “And years from now I would say people may not remember me as a champion, and that's fine. But in the moment, you think it's a lot bigger deal than it really is.”
So when his chip on the third hole skipped onto the green and kept going, running right into the hole, he didn't allow himself the luxury of thinking that he had the tournament won. He simply kept doing what he'd been doing, trusting that it would be enough.
“It was definitely not a shot I expected to see go in, but it definitely changed -- I wouldn't say it changed the complexion of the day, but it definitely got things rolling for me,” Scheffler said. “I played some really solid golf after that.”
Every golfer now is influenced in some way by Tiger Woods, and Scheffler is no different. He played with Woods' irons when he was younger, wore his shoes. Wore one of Woods' shirts this week, in fact.
But it is the way Woods carried himself in his first Masters victory that has had the biggest impact, and it was on display in Scheffler's first Masters win.
“He never really broke his concentration,” Scheffler said. “That's something that I reminded myself of today. I tried not to look up. I tried to keep my head down and just keep doing what I was doing because I didn't want to break my concentration.”
Scheffler's whole season has been a study in maintaining focus. His entire young career, really.
When Steve Stricker used his captain's pick on Scheffler for last year's Ryder Cup, there were plenty of people who wondered why. Sure, there had been some impressive finishes in his first season-plus on the PGA Tour, but no wins. No one moment that showed his supernova potential.
But Scheffler validated Stricker's faith in him, his steady play – he was 20-1 – a large factor in why the Americans were able to win the Ryder Cup back for the first time in five years. To deliver in that spotlight, under that kind of pressure, requires a fortitude that can't be taught or trained.
So, too, the last six weeks.
In a matter of 57 days, Scheffler has gone from winning his first PGA Tour event to becoming a first-time major champion and world No. 1. That's a meteoric rise, one that could send someone sideways if he looked at it the wrong way.
Which is why Scheffler makes sure to keep his focus firmly fixed.
“I've never been a guy that likes to look too far into the future. For me, just staying present has always been what works best for me,” Scheffler said. “I was doing my best just to stay present and enjoy the moment.”
If he maintains that attitude, there will be many more moments like this for Scheffler to enjoy.