Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida – Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, conveys tranquility despite recent results. After a tie for 24th place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Scheffler minimizes any concern about his game. The golfer, who constantly seeks excellence, does not get carried away by the weekly results. “My expectations of myself are almost more shot by shot,” he affirmed.
If I turned my season around and went, ‘OK, I finished 24th and 12th, and as third and fourth, and a win [coming into this week]’, would it be the same question if I came from third, fourth, win?
Scottie Scheffler
Despite a promising start to the season with a win at the American Express, Scheffler has had mixed results in subsequent tournaments. Although he achieved two top-5 finishes and a top-15, last week at Bay Hill he didn’t manage any rounds under 70 strokes.
This event marked the first time since the 2022 Players that Scheffler lost so many strokes on approach play. He currently ranks 88th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approach, after leading this statistic for three consecutive years. Scheffler trusts his feelings and his ability to execute precise shots. “My opinion on the statistics usually coincides with my feelings,” he explained. “If I feel like I can hit very good iron shots, then I won’t worry too much about my iron game.” Scheffler, his harshest critic, admitted that he wasn’t hitting the ball with the desired precision at Bay Hill, especially in the first three rounds. However, he downplayed any concerns about his recent form and results. This week, Scheffler has the opportunity to become the first player to win the Players three times. The TPC Sawgrass course seems to suit his game, as he enjoys hitting different types of shots and with diverse trajectories, something that this course demands. “That’s something I’ve always enjoyed about golf, being able to try to curve the ball in different directions and make different effects,” Scheffler said. “And I think this course brings that out of us. It almost forces you to hit different types of shots.”
