PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — PGA pro Scottie Scheffler wins a lot, which is why he’s the
No. 1-ranked golfer in the world
and a favorite to prevail at the British Open this weekend.
But it appears winning isn’t the answer to everything for Scheffler.
“This is not a fulfilling life,” Scheffler, 29, said Tuesday during a news conference,
ESPN reports
. “It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.”
Scheffler said he loves the pursuit of being the best and definitely enjoys victory. He has three wins in 2025, including the PGA Championship, and 16 during his career. He’s won the Masters twice.
“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 said.
“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?” he said,
according to the Guardian
. “I really do believe that, because what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad?
“That’s something that I wrestle with on a daily basis. 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 and it’s ‘Hey, you won two majors this year; how important is it for you to win the FedExCup playoffs?’ And we’re back here again.”
Scheffler said the joy of success is fleeting and that he is not trying to inspire the next generation of golfers, adding “What’s the point?”
“This is not a fulfilling life,” he said. “It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.”
Scheffler has earned nearly $88 million in winnings during his career. The
BBC reports
his wife, Meredith, gave birth to their son, Bennett, 14 months ago. Scheffler said if golf has an adverse effect on his family he will quit.
“Every day when I wake up early to go put in the work, my wife thanks me for going out and working so hard,” Scheffler said, according to the Guardian. “When I get home, I try to thank her every day for taking care of our son. That’s why I talk about family being my priority because it really is.
“I’m blessed to be able to come out here and play golf, but if my golf ever started affecting my home life or it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or my son, that’s going to be the last day that I play out here for a living.”
(
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
)
