Why Ted Scott gambles with Scottie Scheffler on the golf course

Scottie Scheffler had a banner year in 2024, and his caddie, Ted Scott, has been by his side every step of the way.

Scott, who previously caddied for Bubba Watson for 15 years, became Scheffler’s bagman three years ago in 2021, and was immediately impressed by not only the quality of Scheffler’s game, but also his mind.

“The guy thinks through things really well, he handles pressure really well,” Scott said of Scheffler. “He’s super smart, very golf smart, super disciplined. I think that all starts in your head.”

One way Scott like to encourage Scheffler’s naturally competitive nature is to create side bets, one of which involves hole-outs. Each year, Scott challenges Scheffler to execute 10 hole-outs per season, and on this week’s episode of Subpar, he explained why to hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz.

It’s just something that I knew right away, that he was super competitive,” Scott said. “It didn’t take me long to just see the fire that burns inside of him. And so as a caddie, I just try to think of ways to bring that out in him, and sometimes the distraction of competing for something else can distract from the pressure of the big moment.

“If he has a hard chip he’s not thinking about making par, he’s thinking about taking my money. And so that’s the purpose behind it.”

Scott has famously lost the bet early on in the season for the past couple of years.

“I think this year was over in like, May,” he said. “He beat me at the Players Championship the last two years.”

Such are the perils of betting against the World No. 1.

For more from Scott, including how he ended up working for Scheffler, and the chaos of Scheffler’s arrest at the PGA Championship, check out the full episode below.