Steely disposition
Prior to the start of the final round of the Tour Championship, Scottie Scheffler appeared to have the red carpet already rolled out for him. Carrying a five-shot lead and armed with confidence borne of six wins and seven other Top 10 finishes in 17 starts for the year, he knew a rostrum berth was his to lose. Far be it from him, as the best finisher in the sport, to waste the opportunity to become only the fourth player ever to claim seven victories along with a major title in a single season. The fact that it came with a hefty $25 million paycheck was not lost on him, either.
Fast forward eight holes, and the advantage, which Scheffler actually padded to seven after two, was reduced to two. Whatever conviction he had seemed frayed by three bogeys in four holes, and thoughts of his monumental collapse in 2022 naturally entered his mind. Georgia’s East Lake Golf Course, home to the signature event of the United States Professional Golfer’s Association Tour, once again looked to be a challenge instead of fodder for low scores. Fortunately, caddie Teddy Scott knew exactly what to tell him, and the words of encouragement proved to be what he needed to ultimately prevail.
Needless to say, Scheffler was effusive in his praise of his on-course partner as he surveyed his accomplishment. “Teddy has always been my biggest supporter. I think the results speak for themselves after he was able to pick up my bag and start helping me. He really is a huge part of the team. I don’t know if I’d be able to do any of this without him on my bag. We’ve got a great relationship.” And he’s right. Since they got together in November 2021, he has taken the Tour by storm: three straight Player of the Year awards backstopped by 15 triumphs, including at the 2024 Paris Games.
Which, in a nutshell, speaks to Scheffler’s steely disposition. He has learned — or, to be precise, learned to learn — from experience, certainly the only way to bear the brunt of outsized expectations and then live up to them. He didn’t simply manage to put together one of the most remarkable seasons in the annals of golf; his “record” for the ages includes a false arrest and a welcome addition to the family. That he continued to be at his finest through all the emotional baggage speaks to his unique skill set and extraordinary resolve.
In the post-mortem, Scheffler was asked to expound on his experience. “If you can describe it in words, more power to you,” he countered, “because I don’t think I can.” He doesn’t need to, of course. As he has shown time and time again, his playing can do all the talking.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.