World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler puts all of his success behind him and starts each tournament with a clean slate at even par.
But even the consistently even-keeled Scheffler admitted Tuesday that he has momentum going into the PGA Championship this week at Quail Hollow. To say otherwise “would be silly.”
“When I got my first win in 2022, I won some tournaments pretty quickly after that,” said Scheffler, 28. “So it would be silly to say that I don’t ride some of that momentum. But I do try to do my best to treat each week as their own tournament, but it’s silly to not ride positive momentum.”
Scheffler captured his 14th career title on the PGA Tour, and his first in more than eight months, in dominant fashion at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on May 4 in McKinney, Texas.
The Dallas native won by eight strokes and tied the PGA Tour record for lowest 72-hole score at 31-under 253.
“I think there’s definitely a balance there,” he said of transitioning from one tournament to the next. “It would be silly to say that I can’t ride the positive momentum from a good week like that. To finish off that tournament the way I did and have it not really be too close on the back nine, I played some really nice golf.
“I talked a little bit about how I felt like my game was trending, so it was nice to see some results from a lot of hard work to start the year, and I feel like my game is in a good spot. I think it would be silly to say I can’t ride a little bit of that momentum going into this tournament.”
He called his ability to “stay in the present” during a round of golf a skill that he honed playing for the University of Texas team, and it applies to his entire life, whether when he was a student or as a husband and father.
“We have certain time throughout the day,” he said, “and I think when you’re in the present, you’re able to make the most of those situations, whether it be enjoying them to the fullest or getting the most out of the work that I put in when I’m at the golf course.
“I think it’s a constant battle.”
After a hand injury requiring surgery slowed his 2025 start, Scheffler has six top-10 finishes and is fourth in the FedEx Cup standings.
He has two majors to his credit — the 2022 and 2024 Masters — and won seven official PGA Tour events in 2024, as well as the FedEx Cup championship and a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. As much as the spotlight is on him now, Scheffler reflected on a lower-profile start to his career.
“I didn’t really have that great of an amateur career,” Scheffler said. “When I first came out, the guys that were being looked at — I came out about the same time as Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa and Matthew Wolff at the time was a really good prospect as well. I kind of flew under the radar when I first came out.
“Every time you win out here, there’s definitely a feeling of that burden being lifted just because it’s such a great accomplishment. It’s not easy to win out here on any level, and every time you win a tournament, it’s a pretty cool feeling.”
–Field Level Media
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