The intense life of a professional golfer, continually searching for answers to impossible questions, rarely allows time to reflect.
Scottie Scheffler has found more answers than anyone in the last few months by winning at Augusta National for the second time and on the PGA Tour for the 10th time.
But even a figure who can walk on water must stop to paddle on occasion which is finally what he was allowed to do last week when his wife Meredith gave birth to their first child and son Bennett.
The 27-year-old took a three-week break from the fairways to ensure he could welcome his first little human to the world. Despite initial panic that Bennett’s arrival might interfere with his tilt at the Masters last month, Scheffler managed to squeeze in another trophy presentation at Harbour Town before their family trio was formed.
Scottie has benefitted from the constant of Meredith in a career full of change. Items ingrained in the folklore of golf have been appearing in their living room for the last 24 months. A Green Jacket here, an Arnie red cardie from Bay Hill there. These sweethearts from high school are living the life they wanted while the shape of a golf legend snowballs in front of them.
This high school romance has blossomed into a marriage and now parents, but the Texan still sees him and Meredith as children, despite the addition of an even younger and smaller person to their household.
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“As far as my career goes, I think there were just thankful times mostly. Like I said, I’m sitting there with Meredith, and we started dating in high school, and I think a lot of the time we still feel like children,” he said.
“So to be sitting at home awaiting the birth of our child and then bringing our child home was definitely a very interesting feeling because I think sometimes we both see just the kid in each other, and being responsible for another life form is a pretty interesting thing for us to be responsible for.
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“I think that’s mostly what it was, just being thankful for where our lives have gone and where this game of golf has taken us. It was definitely nice. I can’t really describe the feeling of dreaming of just coming and playing on the PGA Tour, to be sitting at home with the girl I dated in high school with our child and then the Green Jacket sitting in the closet is a pretty insane feeling, and I just wanted to be as thankful as possible.”
Scottie Scheffler: Child-like and innocent nature will grow his bond with the fans
The bond between a professional athlete and their fanbase is never stronger when said athlete is prepared to make themselves vulnerable, to lay their emotions bare.
He revealed he cried with Meredith the morning before he won his first Masters, riddled with anxiety and fear. Scheffler told Meredith he loved her and he was coming home after he won his second Masters. He is a bag of emotion that is full to burst once he has notched yet another triumph.
Scheffler said he didn’t want to say goodbye to Bennett when he shut the door behind him and headed to Louisville, Kentucky for the second major of the year, showing how a bond between a parent and their child can become so tight only a week into their relationship.
His ball-striking and brutality down the stretch are Scheffler’s clearest qualities, but his innocence and vulnerability are his most likeable. They are traits that will connect the fanbase. Similar to what he has been saying at Valhalla, he is like a child walking around a shopping centre with an untouchable ability to pick up whatever treasures he wants, except he now has one of his own.
“I feel like I haven’t really gotten too much unsolicited advice, which I’m a bit thankful for,” he added. “Every kid, I’m sure, is a lot different, so I think you manage them each differently. Right now I’m literally just standing there changing diapers and handing him back to Meredith so he can feed, and just letting him sleep on me.
“It’s exciting. I couldn’t imagine it being the way that it is, and it’s a lot of fun. I miss him like crazy. It was not easy to leave the house Monday morning. But like I said, I told my son as I was leaving, I was like, I don’t want to leave you right now, but I need to.
“I’m called to do my job to the best of my ability, and I felt like showing up Wednesday night wouldn’t really be doing myself a service this week when it comes to playing and competing in the tournament, so I had to show up, especially with the weather forecast, showing up, being prepared.”
The birth of Bennett Scheffler has been on the minds of the media at the PGA Championship so much so that they asked fathers Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth and Max Homa what advice they would give the World No.1, not that he needs their advice to golf-related matters right now.
“Get some sleep,” Tiger said. “Mum is the one they need,” Rahm said. “Don’t tell someone else how to parent,” Spieth said. “Be really nice to your wife,” Homa said.
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Perhaps Scheffler should seek counsel from Prince William or Prince Harry, or anyone else whose child’s birth has garnered such public interest. But this is a sign of his superstardom. With each victory and each word he utters, more people are starting to care.
Meredith and Bennett are healthy as Scheffler reported on Tuesday and even considering the nail-biting, tension-filled scenarios that he has endured in his career thus far, he watched his wife go through something last week that he doubts he would ever be capable of.
“I think it’s just wild watching Meredith go through that. It’s just nuts. I don’t really know how to describe it, watching the little dude come out of Meredith, and we waited, and it was a surprise for us whether it was going to be a boy or girl, so being able to tell my wife that it was a boy, yeah, it was a wild ride.
“Extremely proud of Meredith after watching her go through that. It’s nuts. I’m glad it was her going through it and not me because I don’t know if I could have done it. It was pretty nuts. Extremely proud of her, and the look on her face right after birth, she was just glowing, so proud of herself and so excited to have our little boy.”
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The Scottie Scheffler family just got bigger! How will he play at the PGA Championship? Tell us on X!
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