Scottie Scheffler continues to look to improve after winning The Players by five strokes and returning to world number 1; The 26-year-old says the collapse at last year’s Tour Championship made the win at Sawgrass “so much sweeter”; Jordan Spieth hopes his compatriot’s form will continue for a long time to come
Scottie Scheffler offered an ominous warning to his rivals by saying he still hopes to improve after his victory at The Players.
Scheffler, whose win at Sawgrass saw him replace Jon Rahm as world number 1, finished five shots ahead of England’s Tyrrell Hatton for his sixth win in the last 13 months.
The 26-year-old’s trophy-packed year has included triumphing at The Masters at Augusta National last April and winning the WM Phoenix Open twice.
He said: “I just hope to get better. I just try to get better a little bit at a time, not overthink things and luckily I’ve been able to see some good results and enjoy some wins.”
“I think I feel comfortable with my game. I feel like I’m getting better. I’m definitely learning more and more as I get into contention. I would say maybe I feel a little more comfortable knowing what I’m doing.” I need to do.
“I get excited for a good tough test. I feel like I can find a way to par and hold on. I like the challenge of tougher golf courses. This tournament feels like a great championship to me.”
Scheffler blew a six-shot lead with one round remaining at last August’s Tour Championship and says the disappointment makes his victory at The Players “so much sweeter.”
Scheffler added: “It’s a really tough sport. I put myself in a position all year where I had a chance to win the FedExCup, and I couldn’t do it. When I got home, I was worn out.
Scheffler: Tour Championship loss left me ‘drained’
“I was mentally and physically drained, emotionally drained. East Lake was a huge challenge for me.
“Obviously it was very sad and hard and I didn’t expect things to end that way. But the hard times make the good times so much sweeter.”
On his success, Scheffler added, “I never really thought much of myself. I always tried to stay in my own little bubble. I keep trying to improve a little bit. I never really looked too far.”
“I did a good job being a good junior, then I was a pretty good college player, then I played well on the Korn Ferry Tour.
“I always believed that I could do it here and play well on the PGA Tour, but I never expected it. It’s a little hard to describe the feeling.”
Jordan Spieth, who finished tied for 19th at Sawgrass at 6-under, doesn’t expect Scheffler’s form to slow down any time soon.
He said: “I play against [Scheffler] a lot at home and is constantly shooting very low rounds. Arguably, he is the best player in the world right now. His golf is pretty amazing. His top 10 are off the charts. He’s just playing that well.
“He is extremely grounded. He has very good parents, a great family structure. [Scheffler’s coach] Randy Smith has been around a long time, he’s been with him forever.
“I don’t see him changing. He’s in a good position to be able to keep doing this for a while.”
Watch more PGA Tour action live on Sky Sports Golf from Thursday when the Valspar Championship kicks off in Florida. Early coverage begins at 11:30 am
