Scottie Scheffler might not be overly superstitious, but routine is a key part of his success.
The world No. 1 has had the same coach since he was a child, he still practices with a trusty $10 training grip, and goes through the same checklist whenever he’s preparing for a tournament.
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Scheffler made a humble eBay purchase ahead of his FedEx Cup defenseCredit: Getty
Scheffler’s consistency extends beyond the golf course too.
He famously drove the same SUV for years, long after he made enough money to upgrade to a swankier vehicle.
The American PGA Tour star has also been seen visiting the same two Chipotles near his Dallas home, only recently ditching the first one because he got recognized there too often.
His humble off-course escapades probably qualify him to be golf’s everyman too, and that reputation was further boosted this week when Scheffler revealed he made a simple $50 eBay purchase ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
The 2025 Open winner – who also added the USPGA title to his expanding major collection this year – splashed out on a new divot repair tool.
That item is easy to come by, and is often handed out for free on first tees to encourage players to practice proper care for the course.
Scheffler, though, had a very specific one in mind that he first found at Cypress Point.
“It’s just the right size and it’s metal,” he said Thursday, after shooting 67 in the first round at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.
“They don’t really make those types of divot tools anymore, so I found one there and I’ve stuck with it.”
Scheffler lost the tool he first purchased at Pebble Beach, and has since struggled to find another like it.
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Scheffler picked up a new divot on eBay, having first found it at Cypress PointCredit: Getty
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The tool is easy to come by, and is often handed out for free on first teesCredit: Getty
That led him to eBay, where he discovered one that was up for auction.
Golf’s biggest star didn’t use an alias when making the purchase, and said the seller included a nice note with the shipment.
When Scheffler visited Cypress Point again this year, he stocked up on the beloved tool once again.
“They were a little cheaper on-site, so I got a couple extras,” he added.
The story sums up Scheffler, and the mindset of a four-time major champion.
He doesn’t like to compromise on the small things, because he knows the small things add up to big results.
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Scheffler knows the small things add up to big wins on the courseCredit: Getty
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He has won two majors this year, at the PGA Championship and The OpenCredit: GettyScheffler targeting FedEx Cup history
If his routine serves him well, Scheffler has the chance to one-up the legendary Tiger Woods by winning back-to-back FedEx Cups, and secure a chunk of the $100m prize pot.
In the 18-year history of the FedEx Cup Playoffs no player has managed to win the lucrative series in back-to-back years, in fact inly three-time FedEx champion Rory McIlroy has won it more than once.
“It’s more checkpoints,” he said earlier this week, discussing the fundamentals he focuses on during his pre-tournament prep.
“I have a routine that I go through at tournaments in order to get ready to go out and play, and a lot of that is getting used to the grass, knowing how far the ball is going, getting used to the speed of the greens, getting used to the amount of sand in the bunkers.
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“I have a routine that we go through in order to get tournament ready.”
As he prepared to defend his 2024 title, Scheffler also took a two-week break from the PGA Tour.
He got some much needed rest, and practiced less than normal.
“My game is in a good spot, and I feel like some extra practice at this point in the year can almost be detrimental in terms of just physical and mental fatigue,” Scheffler, who recently admitted he doesn’t feel ‘fulfilled’ by golf, said.
“That’s something that I’ve learned to manage as my career has gone on.”
Scheffler has four wins this year, all coming in his last eight starts – adding the CJ Cup and the Memorial to his two major successes.
The world No.1 is five strokes off the lead of Akshay Bhatia in the first of three tournaments that comprise the FedEx series, the BMW Championship follows next year, before the Tour Championship concludes the 2025 PGA season.