As Scottie Scheffler strolled around with the Claret Jug after his dominant Open win, one little-known detail caught his eye.
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For Scottie Scheffler, everything is in the details.
That’s why he wins and keeps winning. That’s how he learned to work the ball both ways, how he developed a world-class short game and how he became one of the best putters in the game. Scheffler, now a four-time major champion after his dominant Open Championship win at Royal Portrush, is obsessed with the little things.
That attention to detail also extends outside the course, as we found out on Sunday as Scheffler made the media rounds following his resounding win in Northern Ireland.
In a video captured by the R&A, Scheffler is sitting with Golf Channel’s Paul McGinley, Brandel Chamblee and Rich Lerner preparing for a segment of “Live From,” when Scheffler shows McGinley the “first thing” he noticed about his newest prize.
It wasn’t where his name was, nor was it about all the other legendary golfers who had etched their names into the silver.
“The first thing I noticed was this,” Scheffler said, showing McGinley and Chamblee a spot on the trophy. “2020: No championship owing to global pandemic.”
Scheffler then pointed out the location of his name under 2024 Champion Golfer of the Year Xander Schauffele.
After shooting three under to open the tournament, Scheffler picked Portrush apart with a seven-under round on Friday to take a one-shot lead into the weekend. He extended that lead to four with a bogey-free Saturday and cruised to a four-shot win over Harris English to claim his second major of the season.
“None of us could hang with Scottie this week,” Rory McIlroy, who finished tied for seventh, said after his final round. “He’s an incredible player. He’s been dominant this week. Honestly, he’s been dominant for the last couple years. He is the bar that we’re all trying to get to. In a historical context, you could argue that there’s only maybe two or three players in the history of the game that have been on a run, the one that Scottie’s been on here for the last 24 to 36 months. Incredibly impressive.”
Added Schauffele, who also finished at 10 under and tied for seventh: “I don’t think we thought the golfing world would see someone as dominant as Tiger come through so soon, and here’s Scottie sort of taking that throne of dominance. You can’t even say he’s on a run. He’s just been killing it for over two years now. He’s a tough man to beat, and when you see his name up on the leaderboard, it sucks for us.”
Scheffler’s week at Royal Portrush started with an existential answer to a press conference question that left everyone wondering about the World No. 1’s desire to continue romping over the sport. If he wasn’t “fulfilled” by winning, then why would he keep doing it?
Of course, as is often the case, Scheffler’s message was lost in translation. He wasn’t saying that being great at golf doesn’t bring him joy. He loves the work. He loves to practice and compete. But for a man who so clearly is grounded in his faith and his family, Scheffler was merely trying to say that being good at golf is not all he has. He knows that winning, adoration, fame, etc., are all fleeting, but the things that matter most to him — his family and his faith — will always be what actually fills his soul.
“I don’t know why I’m so lucky that I get to live out my dreams, but it’s something I’m very grateful for,” Scheffler said. “If somebody was going to listen to the comments I had this week, I would encourage them to listen to all of it, and I hope I did a good job communicating that, yeah, this is amazing to win the Open Championship, but at the end of the day, having success in life, whether it be in golf, work, whatever it is, that’s not what fulfills the deepest desires of your heart.
“It’s just tough to describe when you haven’t lived it. It’s something I actually talked to Shane [Lowry] about this week was just because you win a golf tournament or accomplish something, it doesn’t make you happy. It doesn’t — maybe for a few moments, maybe for a few days, but at the end of the day, there’s more to life than playing golf.”
While that’s true, no one has played better golf than Scheffler over the past two years.
Scheffler has won three majors, a gold medal, and 13 times total worldwide since the start of the 2024 season.
That level of dominance has many comparing Scheffler to another man whose name graces the Claret Jug: Tiger Woods. But Scheffler doesn’t think he has done enough to put himself in the conversation with his idol, who transformed the sport.
“I still think they’re a bit silly,” Scheffler said of the Woods comps. “Tiger won, what, 15 majors? This is my fourth. I just got one-fourth of the way there. I think Tiger stands alone in the game of golf. He was inspirational for me growing up. He was a very, very talented guy, and he was a special person to be able to be as good as he was at the game of golf. I don’t focus on that kind of stuff. That’s not what motivates me. I’m not motivated by winning championships. I don’t look at the beginning of the year and just say, hey, I want to win X amount of tournaments, I want to win whatever it is. I don’t do that. I have dreams and aspirations that I think about, but at the end of the day, when I wake up to practice, I feel like what motivates me is just getting out and getting to live out my dream. I get to play professional golf, and I feel like I’m called to do it to the best of my ability.”
Scheffler has now won four majors by a combined 16 shots. He will arrive at Shinnecock Hills next year with a chance to complete the career Grand Slam at the U.S. Open.
Of course, none of that is on Scheffler’s mind. He’s focused on the details and the process. That’s what has got him to the top of the game and why there’s no sign he will come down.
Josh Schrock is a writer and reporter for Golf.com. Before joining GOLF, Josh was the Chicago Bears insider for NBC Sports Chicago. He previously covered the 49ers and Warriors for NBC Sports Bay Area. A native Oregonian and UO alum, Josh spends his free time hiking with his wife and dog, thinking of how the Ducks will break his heart again, and trying to become semi-proficient at chipping. A true romantic for golf, Josh will never stop trying to break 90 and never lose faith that Rory McIlroy’s major drought will end (updated: he did it). Josh Schrock can be reached at josh.schrock@golf.com.
