Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, is once again openly wrestling with his competitive motivation, diving deep into the "whys" of his career right after just missing a cut in a tournament for the first time since 2022. He tried to dial back the intensity he showed last year when he called victory "not a fulfilling life" from the "deepest places of your heart," but it seems that inner dialogue is just too strong to hold back. This year, Scheffler is trying to figure out life's core "whys" for him.
This Is a "Down Year?" Seriously?
This guy is wild, right? Scheffler is out here wondering aloud, "Why am I doing this? Why do I want to win this tournament so badly? Why do I choose to play this sport for a living?" He thinks a solid grip on his "why" is when he feels "at peace the most." And get this: he's doing all this soul-searching during what he calls a "down" year! It's insane. He’s only won once this year, back in January at the Amex, but he’s landed in the top 5 in nine of the 15 events he’s played. His major finishes are 2, T14, and T4. This dude's "down year" would be a career-defining performance for pretty much anyone else on tour, but he says it's been "frustrating at times because I've been close, and I haven't been able to get it done like I have been in years past."The Frustration is Real, Even for the Best
Even in this period of deep introspection and relative "struggle," Scheffler still ranks first on the PGA Tour in overall strokes gained, along with a ton of other categories. He's a machine. But he admits he struggles "on and around the greens," ranking 13th in approach and 14th in putting. You can see the fire, or maybe the frustration, when he barks at his caddie or throws out a sarcastic fist pump. He gets "really into, like, the heat of the moment," which he says is why you see him get frustrated. He gets it, though, saying, "It would almost be easier if I didn't want to win this badly. If losing didn't hurt so much, it might be easier to come out and play." But then he adds that when he retires, he’s "going to miss the feeling of waking up in the morning and not being able to eat breakfast because your stomach hurts because you're anticipating the day." You gotta love that raw honesty! Scheffler will tee off at 4:58 a.m. ET on Thursday, playing alongside Tyrrell Hatton and Bryson DeChambeau. He's walking onto that course with a mantra that sounds so simple, but probably helps keep him sane: "You can't win every single golf tournament. You just can't do it. Nobody's been able to do it. In golf, no matter what, you lose a lot more often than you win." It's going to be wild to see if this "why" search helps him find that peace he's chasing.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.