Scottie Scheffler enters the Memorial Tournament because the defending champion, however that does not make him really feel overconfident as he prepares for Thursday’s opening spherical in Dublin, Ohio.
“Once you present as much as an occasion, all people’s at even par,” Scheffler instructed reporters Wednesday. “Folks ask, I really feel like loads, ‘What’s it like defending this week?’ I am like, ‘Properly, what does that do for me? Nothing’. I’ve some expertise on the golf course that may be useful, however on the finish of the day, you begin even par, and I need to be in rivalry on Sunday, and also you undoubtedly do not present up too excessive or too low.”
Scheffler, 28, is within the midst of one other unimaginable season. In 11 tournaments, he has gained two and completed within the high 10 eight occasions.
In his previous six tournaments, he has gained the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and PGA Championship, completed T2 on the Texas Kids’s Houston Open, positioned fourth on the Masters Match, was T4 final week on the Charles Schwab Problem, and T8 on the RBC Heritage final month.
The Memorial, based by Jack Nicklaus at his Muirfield Village Golf Membership, is Scheffler’s third consecutive weekly match. He stated he’s “rested sufficient.”
“My third week in a row, however I bought some good relaxation to begin — final week, after the PGA, I bought some good relaxation Monday and Tuesday and had a very good begin at Colonial. Took my break day, got here right here, performed 9 holes yesterday, performed 9 holes this morning, so feeling prepared for the week.”
And he stated as with all occasions, he’s not getting into with a predetermined notion that he’ll win. Final yr, he topped Collin Morikawa by one stroke, ending at 8 underneath par to win the Memorial.
“If you happen to present up with too low of expectations, not feeling like your sport’s in a great place, you are in all probability not going to hit lots of good pictures,” he stated. “And in the event you present up feeling means too good about your self, I believe it may impact your focus. Like, in the event you simply present up and be, like, ‘Oh, I am greatest. I am simply going to indicate up and win this week,’ I believe nearly typically you will get a bit lazy at occasions out on the course. … It’s important to be very centered on what you are doing.”
At the same time as the sector heads right into a $20 million signature occasion, Scheffler was requested to stay up for the Tour Championship in September. The PGA Tour introduced Tuesday it’s disposing of the staggered scoring begin that rewarded leaders in FedEx Cup factors with a extra favorable beginning rating — a change Scheffler had advocated for.
“I believe whenever you’re taking a look at a golf match, I believe the easiest way to establish the very best participant over the course of a match is 72-hole stroke play on a extremely good golf course. I believe whenever you take a look at a very good check of golf and you bought to compete over 4 days, I believe that is the easiest way to crown the very best winner for that week.
“And searching on the Tour Championship, I did not love the earlier format of beginning strokes, and I actually just like the course the place we’re going. I believe the Tour Championship’s going to be troublesome to qualify for. Making the Tour Championship is actually going to be the outcomes from a fantastic physique of labor over the course of a season, after which you might have a possibility to win the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup.”
Scheffler gained his first Tour Championship final season.
