He's The Best In The World, But Scottie Scheffler Is Just A Guy Searching For Fulfillment Like The Rest Of Us
Scheffler has been asking himself the simple question of what is the point of it all?
As the No. 1 player in the world, Scottie Scheffler doesn't do a lot of searching when he's on the golf course, but when it comes to life in general, well, he's constantly searching like the rest of us. Searching for happiness, fulfillment, and hope while trying to soak in every second of the memorable moments along the journey.
In other words, Scottie Scheffler is just a normal guy trying to navigate life who just so happens to be the best golfer on Earth.
It's that normalcy factor that makes Scheffler impossible to dislike, and with that normalcy comes vulnerability, which is something the three-time major winner has never shied away from.
Ahead of this week's Open Championship at Royal Portrush, Scheffler let the world have a glimpse into how his mind works, and more specifically, the mental challenge he's currently battling.
Scottie Scheffler is searching for happiness like the rest of us. (Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Scheffler has occupied the peak of golf's mountaintop for nearly three consecutive years, has won 16 times since February 2022, and has earned nearly $88 million playing a game for a living, but has been left wondering what's the point of it all?
"Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about because I've literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport," Scheffler explained. "To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I'm not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I'm not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world because what's the point? This is not a fulfilling life. It's fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it's not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.
"There's a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfill them in life, and you get there, you get to No. 1 in the world, and they're like what's the point? I really do believe that because what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad?," Scheffler asked himself inside the press center.
"That's something that I wrestle with on a daily basis. It's like showing up at the Masters every year; it's like why do I want to win this golf tournament so badly? Why do I want to win The Open Championship so badly? I don't know because, if I win, it's going to be awesome for two minutes. Then we're going to get to the next week, hey, you won two majors this year; how important is it for you to win the FedExCup playoffs? And we're back here again.
"I don't know if I'm making any sense or not. Am I not? It's just one of those deals. I love the challenge. I love being able to play this game for a living. It's one of the greatest joys of my life, but does it fill the deepest wants and desires of my heart? Absolutely not."
Scottie Scheffler Is Not Defined By Golf
Scheffler has often spoken about how golf is an important part of his life, but it isn't what defines him as a person. Ahead of the 2024 Masters, a tournament he won, Scheffler spoke about his Christian faith being what defines him the most. He was emotional in that moment at Augusta National in what was yet another vulnerable and humbling moment for both himself and golf fans out there who, just like Scheffler, are searching for those defining qualities in life.
The perspective he shared ahead of The Open is one that the vast majority of 29-year-old men and young fathers like him share, and if the No. 1 golfer in the world is dealing with those everyday mental hurdles, it should make the rest of us feel a bit more at ease as we ask those same questions to ourselves.
It's normal to struggle, and it's certainly normal to struggle with the challenge of wanting more of the greatest things in life, even if your entire world is telling you that you're right in the middle of the best it has to offer.
Just ask the best golfer on the planet.