The Masters: Humble Scottie Scheffler focused on the serious business of collecting third Green Jacket

My goal was definitely never to be a famous person. I just love playing golf” – Scottie Scheffler.

Destiny’s child. In the case of Scottie Scheffler, fame is something that has come his way whether he likes it or not. How he has dealt with it, though, is by being true to himself. The quiet man who, each year on his return to the Masters, is inclined to rediscover a sunken chair on the first floor patio of the clubhouse and, literally, find some peace by observing those below.

From his vantage point, Scheffler can look out to the first tee and the practice putting green and also down to the area where those patrons with access can shoot the breeze seated at tables under the parasols, sipping their beers or lemonades or whatever.

He’s hidden away, his vantage point a favoured place at Augusta National where Scheffler has twice had the green jacket as champion slipped onto his broad shoulders.

Fame found Scheffler. For good reason. He is the best golfer on the planet, and has been for 134 weeks of his professional career. He has held that position over four different periods, but the most recent of those – which started on May 21st, 2023 – has now stretched to 99 straight weeks with no end in sight.

For someone who is fond of the quiet life, this past year has been one where his character was thrown curve balls.

Of all people, who would have imagined Scheffler being put into a police holding cell (as happened in Louisville ahead of the US PGA last year), his mugshot taken, given an orange jumpsuit to wear and prisoner number 3825869 given to him?

I definitely never imagined ever going to jail, and I definitely never imagined going to jail the morning before one of my tee times for sure,” remarked Scheffler of the traffic incident as he drove into Valhalla, one which he termed a “big misunderstanding.”

All charges were subsequently dropped.

And Scheffler got back to doing what Scheffler does, winning tournaments. Through 2024, the American won nine times, including the Masters and an Olympic gold medal in Paris. His ninth win of the year came in the Hero World Challenge where he finished six shots clear of Tom Kim.

Then, he was back in the news again at Christmas. This time, it was for suffering a hand injury – on a broken wine glass – when rolling out the dough for ravioli. “I had my hand on top of it and it broke … even if you’re like me and you don’t drink wine, you’ve got to be real careful with wine glasses. It broke and the stem kind of got me in the hand.”

The injury required surgery and delayed his return to the PGA Tour until the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am when the tournament started at the tail-end of January and finished in the first days of February. He finished ninth, in a tournament won by Rory McIlroy.