The secret to beating Scottie Scheffler has emerged at last: place him in a duel against a 10-handicapper.
Scheffler’s domination of professional golf has led to him winning 18 times since early 2022. He is the undisputed world No 1, who this week will chase a third Arnold Palmer Invitational in four attempts. The Texan used pre-tournament media duties at Bay Hill to reveal he is fallible, including in dramatic circumstances to an amateur friend with whom he faced off in Dallas at the weekend.
“He holed a bunker shot on 18 to win,” the 28-year-old explained. “I got out of the way because I thought he could potentially shank it and he ended up holing it. So it was kind of one of those.
“I didn’t like losing. I handed him the money and then I told him: ‘Thanks, man. Now I got to go play a golf tournament next week so I appreciate the confidence boost that I just lost to a 10 handicap.’”
It should be noted that the double Masters champion was laughing in self-deprecating fashion when recounting this tale. “I still love cutting it up with my buddies on weekends, playing money games and gambling,” he added. “That’s kind of one of the great things about golf, I can go out with a guy who is going to shoot 90 and I can give him enough strokes to where we’ll have a good competition. That’s what makes it so fun about the game of golf. I don’t think my position has ever changed on that, it’s always just been really fun.”
Professional golf finds itself in such a pickle that it requires these light-hearted episodes. Another past Arnold Palmer champion, Rory McIlroy, sounded distinctly downbeat on the prospect of imminent reunification between the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV circuit and golf’s traditional tours. Talks between the relevant parties took place at the White House last month; the word around the Bay Hill campfire is that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund was not altogether enamoured by what appeared on offer.
“It takes two to tango,” said McIlroy. “So if one party is willing and ready and the other isn’t, it sort of makes it tough. I don’t think it [unification] has ever felt that close but it doesn’t feel like it’s any closer.”
The Northern Irishman believes the PGA Tour now has sufficient margin for error that concluding a successful negotiation may not be required. “I think the narrative around golf would welcome a deal in terms of just having all the best players together again,” McIlroy explained. “But I don’t think the PGA Tour needs a deal. I think the momentum is pretty strong.
“TV [ratings] have been good, TGL [the tech-infused golf league launched by McIlroy and Tiger Woods] has been hopefully pretty additive to the overall situation. I think it would still be the ideal scenario for golf as a whole. But from a pure PGA Tour perspective, I don’t think it necessarily needs it.”
McIlroy has made some equipment changes as he glances towards Augusta National and the opening major of the year, which is now little over a month away. Bay Hill’s demanding setup will offer those clubs little time to bed in.
“Arnold would write me a letter pretty much every year from when I was eligible to play the event, I think in 2010, and I didn’t make it here until 2015,” said McIlroy of Palmer, who died in 2016. “I think there was one point where he said he was going to break my arm if I didn’t come, so eventually I did. As soon as I got here and saw the golf course, I instantly regretted that I didn’t come a little sooner, because it’s a golf course that sets up really, really well for me. I’ve obviously done pretty well here with the win and a lot of other good finishes. It’s a great event.”
