The Untold Truth Of Scottie Scheffler
In April 2022, Scottie Scheffler proved he isn't going anywhere when he was crowned the winner of the Masters — his first major championship. The golf star has all eyes from across the globe on him, including earning himself heartfelt congratulations from none other than legend Tiger Woods, who went so far as to say he was outplayed by his adversary. "I didn't play my best out there, but just to have the support and appreciation from all the fans, I don't think words can describe that," Woods wrote on Instagram following the Masters. "Congratulations to @scottie.scheffler on an outstanding win. It's been a special run." High praise indeed.
But it's safe to say Scheffler is living his life with nowhere near the public attention Woods gets (at least for now), which means there's plenty still to find out about the popular young athlete. So, what makes him tick? What does he like off the green? And what's the real truth about the golf superstar and his family? Well, let's take a swing at learning more about this intriguing sportsman.
Faith is important to Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler is a man of faith. The golfer is a devout Christian and has opened up about how important religion is to his life and career, giving God the credit for his success on the green. Speaking during a press conference at the Masters in April 2022, Scheffler opened up about how he manages to keep his cool thanks to his faith, sharing, "God is in control and, you know, the Lord is leading me and if today's my time, then today's my time." He also explained that his unwavering faith is the reason he actually plays the sport, noting, "All I'm trying to do is glorify God and that's why I'm here and that's why I'm in position. So, for me, it's not about a golf score."
The star has also shared how his faith has impacted what he values in life as he shared some advice with PGA Tour in 2019. "I'm a Christian guy, so that's important to me. But even if you're not a Christian, life is important to spend with people you enjoy. If you don't have close, quality friends, I don't think whatever you're doing is important," he said, noting that the best advice he can give is to find something to be passionate about and surround yourself with the people you love. And we certainly can't disagree with that.
Scottie Scheffler married his high school sweetheart
An ace kind of love. Scottie Scheffler and Meredith Scheffler (née Scudder) have a super sweet relationship after finding each other in 2014 when they both attended Texas's Highland Park High School, per Golf Monthly. These adorable High School Sweethearts proved just how strong they are by embarking on a long-distance romance after that. He attended The University of Texas and she was at rival university, Texas A&M, which put around a two-hour drive between them. As if that wasn't enough, Meredith later went on an internship in Zambia, putting them a little more than two hours apart!
But nothing can stop true love, and they reunited back in the U.S. where Scottie proposed to his love at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Texas. Meredith confirmed the news on her private Instagram account (via Golf Monthly), writing in June 2020, "YES! I can't believe God gave me my best friend to spend the rest of my life with, can't wait to be your wife, Scottie!!!! Blown away at the Lord's faithfulness and goodness to us. [LET'S] DO THIS!!"
These two were certainly keen to head down the aisle, seeing out the year as a married couple by tying the knot in December 2020, and Scottie shared gorgeous photos from their big day on Instagram in December 2021 to celebrate their first anniversary. Photographer John McCain also shared a few snaps from their Winter Wonderland themed big day too if you fancy a snoop.
Two very special caddies
If you needed any proof of just how supportive Meredith Scheffler is of husband Scottie Scheffler, look no further than the Par 3 event at the 2022 Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club. Meredith was by her man's side as he took on the challenge, caddying for him as they looked totally loved up while out on the green. Scottie shared several photos to Instagram on April 7, 2022, which showed them cuddling as they walked while Meredith appeared to clean his clubs. "First timers at the Par 3 & it definitely lived up to the hype. Mere is still working on cleaning the grooves..." he quipped in the caption.
But her love for her partner during the event didn't stop there. A few days later and Meredith was in tears as her husband began to dominate the huge golf event, with Sky Sports footage showing her getting visibly emotional as Scottie was welcomed to the 18th green.
That's actually not the first time Scottie has got a family member in on the action though, as he has also had his sister Callie Scheffler caddie for him during the U.S. Open in 2016. "There was a lot that we had to go through today with the weather and everything, the stop and go and trying to stay loose and stuff like that, so it was very important to me [to have her caddy]," he said at the time, per Boston Herald.
Scottie Scheffler the multi-millionaire
Scottie Scheffler is a very rich man. The pro golfer made a serious amount of cash in a seriously short amount of time, with Golf Monthly reporting his net worth is estimated at around $4 million — though it's likely much more than that after a slew of seriously successful runs in several competitions. It's thought he could have made as much as $17 million in earnings from the PGA Tour in 2022, plus another $1.4 million for winning the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February 2022. That's not all, though. There could be another $2.1 million on top of that following his success at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March 2022, while it looks like he's also signed a deal with Taylormade. That's a whole lot of cash for just a few months.
All those big wins have Pro Golf Now estimating Scheffler could well have made more than $10 million in the first four months of 2022 alone, putting him in the company of golf's multi-millionaires like Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, and Jordan Spieth.
But it's not just Scheffler making bank. His huge success on the course has also translated into dollar signs for his caddie, Ted Scott, with Golf Data analyst and founder of RickRunGood.com, Rick Gehman, speculating Scott could earn 10% of what Scheffler makes. You don't need a calculator to conclude that isn't so bad a haul.
Scheffler family values
If there's one thing you can say about Scottie Scheffler, it's that he's all about family. Reflecting on how his parents shaped him into the man he is today, he told the AP in April 2022, "They didn't parent perfectly, obviously, but for me, they did the best they could all the time, and I love them for that. You know, I can't speak highly enough of the hard work that they have put in. I can't put it into words, I really can't."
In a 2019 Q&A with PGA Tour, Scottie said his mom, Diane Scheffler (who actually went to high school with none other than James Gandolfini), and his dad, Scott Scheffler, are also two of his biggest role models. Per the AP, his mother, who worked as a higher-up at a big law firm, was the sole provider for the family, while his dad was at home with the kids and took them to many extracurriculars, including — you guessed it — golf events.
And it seems like the family is just as close today as ever. Scottie's parents and two of his sisters were on hand alongside his wife, Meredith Scheffler, when he got that Masters win in April 2022, and Scottie and Scott even shared a few touching moments. After Scottie won the WGC-Match Play in March 2022, his dad told, per NJ.com, "I'm more proud of who you are than your golf. Proud of you, buddy. Congratulations." Aww.
Dwight Scheffler?
"Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." It turns out that's what we could have heard Scottie Scheffler saying if he morphed into one of his favorite TV characters. For those unfamiliar, that's a classic line from Dwight Schrute in the NBC sitcom "The Office," which ran 2005 until 2013. Scheffler, on the other hand, is very familiar with the show. "I constantly binge watch 'The Office,'" he shared in a 2019 PGA Tour Q&A. As for his number one character? Why, that would be Jim Halpert's nemesis. "Tough to beat Dwight. Dwight is a character," he said.
The star has also revealed that he got his wife, Meredith Scheffler, into The Paper Person's Paper People and their date nights often consist of a "The Office" marathon (which, we're kind of jealous about). "So, my wife used to not like the show, and it's by far my favorite show. I love it," he told Golf Digest during the 2022 Masters. "She used to watch random episodes with me and she's like, 'This show is stupid, why do you watch that?' I finally convinced her to start it from the beginning, and she loves it and she's cracking up."
Scottie Scheffler's early run-in with the law
Though Scottie Scheffler would likely be welcomed to literally any golf course now, there was a time he found himself having a bit of a run-in with the law when he was just starting out as a golf-loving kid. Scottie, his dad, and his sisters would go to the course so that he could practice, where Scottie would end up hitting them with the balls as he perfected his swing. "The police would kick us off, and we'd come back on, then the police would kick us off again. Then one day, the guy [at the course] finally came out and I said, 'Could you just watch for a minute?' And he's like, 'Wow. He's really good at this!' Then they wouldn't bother us anymore," Scott Scheffler recalled to NJ.com.
Those early days didn't exactly run smoothly for the Scheffler clan, though, despite Scottie's undeniable talent. According to the New York Post, his parents apparently took a huge swing (get it?) and borrowed tens of thousands of dollars so their kid could join a country club to work with a certain instructor. And this certain instructor is a very big deal. And as PGA noted, golf legend Randy Smith started training Scottie when he was still in elementary school, and he's coached the golf champ ever since. After seeing Scottie's net worth today, you could say borrowing that stack of cash was a fruitful financial move.
What's on Scottie Scheffler's playlist?
Growing up in Texas, it's probably not all too surprising that Scottie Scheffler is a big fan of country music. The star has been pretty candid on multiple occasions about liking a bit of a twang in what he listens to, even sharing some of his favorite musicians with PGA Tour in 2019. "We saw Josh Abbott Band last winter, they were pretty good. Pat Green was good, saw him this summer. He's probably my favorite," the pro-golfer revealed in a 100-question Q&A session.
While he spent many of his formative years in the Lone Star State, Scheffler was born in New Jersey and lived there until he was six years old. Naturally, the golf megastar happens to be a huge fan of one of Jersey's biggest rock stars: Bruce Springsteen. In a 2022 chat with NJ.com, Scheffler shared that he enjoys the musical stylings of the Boss thanks to his dad, who was a superfan of the rocker.
When asked about how his two hometowns have shaped his taste in music, he said in Golf, "I do have influences from both. My dad, he loved Bruce, so I like Bruce, too. Most of what I listen to is Texas country. Then I listen to some kind of older rock from like the '70s maybe." He's a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, and all golf.