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<\/p>\nPONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. \u2014 Scottie Scheffler just explained everything about his dominance in a small, offhand comment.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s never liked questions about past success or making sense of results. It\u2019s the most common denominator topic to elicit a curt reply. And on the Tuesday before the Players Championship, he didn\u2019t love a question about managing expectations when his season hadn\u2019t started as he\u2019d hoped.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour expectations of me are living week by week,\u201d Scheffler said. \u201cMy expectation of myself is almost more shot by shot.\u201d<\/p>\n
He went on for another five minutes with fascinating detail about his approach game the past few weeks, about judging wind on firm greens at Bay Hill compared to taking as much spin as possible off a shot at Pebble Beach. If you want a deeper understanding of why Scheffler feels his iron play \u201cdisappointed\u201d the last few weeks, go read or watch that answer.<\/p>\n
But in that brief aside, Scheffler finally articulated what he\u2019s been trying to tell us for four years and what\u2019s been his superpower all this time.<\/p>\n
Scottie Scheffler is never playing golf against the rest of the field. And he\u2019s not even really playing 72 holes against the course. He\u2019s truly just playing against the best version of himself at all times, and the only metrics he lives by are the shot he just hit and the shot he\u2019s about to hit.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the type of line that can sound like self-help speak. Just be present. Stay in the moment. But it\u2019s the key to unlocking Scheffler\u2019s success. Because it\u2019s completely accurate. Scheffler loves golf with such depth that he doesn\u2019t play it for titles or even beating the guy next to him. It\u2019s about trying to hit the next shot as well as he possibly can. Every round, and in turn every tournament, is really a golfer obsessing over each shot until it\u2019s over.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also why he\u2019s known to lash out after a poor shot and then recover immediately. The obsession transitions to the next shot instantaneously.<\/p>\n
He said he doesn\u2019t dive much into stats, not because he doesn\u2019t believe in them, but because he worries more about how he feels. And the two tend to line up. But there are plenty of rounds that look bad to us mortals, but he feels good about. Sometimes golf doesn\u2019t go your way. On the other hand, Scheffler said, \u201cThere\u2019s been certain instances in my career where I may have had a really good round, and I get off the golf course and (coach Randy Smith) will go, \u2018Great job, that was awesome.\u2019 And I\u2019ll be like, \u2018We got to go to the driving range. Like, this isn\u2019t going to work another couple days.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
We constantly discuss Scheffler\u2019s comical levels of consistency across the last four years as if he\u2019s an alien, but we\u2019re looking at the broad picture of those results instead of the thousands of little moments that create the mosaic.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you look at the perspective from the media, the media is always trying to create a story. Which can be a great thing. I think that\u2019s part of your job,\u201d Scheffler said. \u201cBut when it comes to my golf game and my expectations of myself, my expectations all are based around what I want for me mentally on the golf course as being committed to what I can do, and controlling that aspect. And so far throughout this season, I\u2019ve been really good in some spots and then some other spots I feel like I can improve in terms of my commitment to the shot.\u201d<\/p>\n
I often go back to this week a year ago. Scheffler was still in his two-month ramp-up after his hand surgery. He was playing solid but unspectacular golf, yet each week he had to answer questions about building on his epic nine-win season from 2024 or trying to become the first to win three Players at TPC Sawgrass.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that have to do with what I\u2019m trying to do this week?\u201d Scheffler said with frustration. \u201cI mean, not much, right? Like, do I start 1-under? Do I start at 2-under? I mean, it\u2019s even par. It\u2019s a new tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n Scottie Scheffler has struggled approaching greens the last two months. (Richard Heathcote \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
He went on: \u201cI\u2019ve never been a guy that sets long-term goals. Like in terms of a season, I have what I would think of as dreams and aspirations, but my goal is to be as prepared as possible when I step up on the first tee, and then I want to have a good attitude when I go out and play over each shot. And that\u2019s how I view success.\u201d<\/p>\n
There is an apparent discomfort with talk of what he\u2019s done, because it has no bearing on what he\u2019ll do. He won 20 PGA Tour tournaments because he hit really good golf shots really often. And the second the event is over, he\u2019s purely worried about the next shot.<\/p>\n