Even-keeled Scottie Scheffler looks to step into another dimension Premium

Scottie Scheffler's mental toughness and consistency make him a top contender in golf's biggest tournaments, including the Masters.

The historic Masters Tournament, held every year in the first full week of April, effectively sets the schedule for the PGA Tour. The dates fall to April 11-14 this year — the first time since 2019 — meaning an extra tournament on the road to Augusta National. 

As a result, the top players are having to make some adjustments — World No. 1 and 2022 Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is at the Houston Open, trying his hardest to win but also fine-tuning his game with an eye on slipping into the coveted green jacket again. 

His title defence came apart last year, with the American conceding that he “just didn’t have it”. But it’s a measure of Scheffler’s consistency — an increasingly recurrent theme in his career — that he still finished in a tie for 10th, eight strokes behind winner Jon Rahm. 

Indeed, it’s Scheffler’s quality of invariably being in contention that makes him so remarkable. Elite sport is played between the ears — and golf, because of the extreme levels of precision it demands in a changeable environment, is a severe mental test. Scheffler’s ability to treat success and failure alike has allowed him to consistently deal with these emotional challenges.

Just weeks ago — right before he earned $8.5 million for winning two big trophies in a span of 10 days and erased any questions on whether he deserved to be ranked No. 1 — he spoke about how quickly he can forget the past, win or lose.

“I don’t celebrate accomplishments that well. I don’t feel like I dwell on failures that much either,” Scheffler said. “If you ask my wife, she would say I need to celebrate more.”

The celebration after he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational involved cheeseburgers in the clubhouse with his family, followed by a two-hour drive to the TPC Sawgrass. The day after Scheffler became the only player in 50 editions of The Players Championship to win back to back, he was texting his swing coach about their practice schedule.