Scottie Scheffler Looks to Defend His Title at the Memorial Tournament
Scottie Scheffler arrives at the Memorial Tournament as the defending champion, but maintains a focused and realistic attitude heading into the start of the tournament in Dublin, Ohio.
Scheffler, 28, is in the midst of another exceptional season. In 11 tournaments, he has achieved two victories and has finished in the top 10 on eight occasions.“When you arrive at an event, everyone is at par,” Scheffler stated to the media. “I get asked a lot, ‘What’s it like defending this week?’ And I respond, ‘Well, what does that get me? Nothing.’ I have some experience on the course that can be helpful, but at the end of the day, you start at par, and I want to be in contention on Sunday. You definitely shouldn’t arrive either overconfident or discouraged.”
Scottie Scheffler
- Won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and the PGA Championship.
- Finished T2 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
- Finished fourth at the Masters Tournament.
- Was T4 last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
- Achieved a T8 at the RBC Heritage last month.
The Memorial, founded by Jack Nicklaus at Muirfield Village Golf Club, is Scheffler’s third consecutive tournament. The golfer claims to feel “rested enough.”
“It’s my third week in a row, but I rested well at the beginning: last week, after the PGA, I rested well on Monday and Tuesday and got off to a good start at Colonial. I took my day off, came here, played nine holes yesterday, nine holes this morning, so I feel ready for the week.” Scheffler emphasizes that, as in all events, he doesn’t enter with the predetermined expectation of winning. Last year, he edged out Collin Morikawa by one stroke, finishing at 8 under par to win the Memorial.“If you arrive with expectations that are too low, without feeling that your game is in a good moment, you probably are not going to make many good shots. And if you arrive feeling too good about yourself, I think that can affect your concentration. Like, if you simply arrive and say, ‘Oh, I’m the best. I’m just going to show up and win this week,’ I think that sometimes you can become a little lazy on the field. You must be very focused on what you are doing.”
Scottie Scheffler
Even though the field is heading to a marquee event with a $20 million prize, Scheffler was also asked about the Tour Championship in September. The PGA Tour announced on Tuesday that it will eliminate the staggered scoring start that rewarded FedEx Cup points leaders with a more favorable starting score, a change that Scheffler had advocated for.
Scheffler won his first Tour Championship last season.“I think when you watch a golf tournament, the best way to identify the best player during the tournament is through a 72-hole stroke play on a really good golf course. I think when you watch a good test of golf and you have to compete for four days, that’s the best way to crown the best winner of that week.
Scottie Scheffler
