THE NORTHERN TRUST

August 19, 2021

Scottie Scheffler

Liberty National Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Scottie, how would you assess your round?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I got off to a good start. I made some really nice putts to start the day. I really wasn't hitting it that good. I just made some really good putts.

Then I started struggling a little bit there. Hung in there pretty good. I just couldn't really get anything going. I had a silly lost ball on 15. It was one I felt like I should've found and we didn't find it.

And then other than that, overall not too displeased. I wish I would've kept it rolling this morning, but under par is never a terrible score.

Q. I didn't see where you hit it on 15, but did you feel like you should have found it?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I mean, we found it, but we talked about it. We thought it was after three minutes, so...

Q. Oh.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah. I mean, I hit my second shot just short left of the green, probably 30 yards short from the front edge. I had like 75 pin, and then we couldn't figure it out. They didn't have data or ShotLink data or anything, so just went with it was over three minutes. Just too long.

Q. How were the conditions out there today? Wind was kind of...

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I mean, it was whipping out there. I thought we were going to get a little bit of an advantage going out early, but it was whipping from the start, so see how it goes the rest of the afternoon.

The course is in really good shape still. A little softer than we hoped, but overall in good shape.

Q. A lot of crosswinds out there, rolls downwind or into the wind?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I mean, there is only really -- trying to think. I can remember hitting only a couple shots straight downwind. I can't remember hitting one straight downwind off the top of my head. I can't remember one that we played straight in.

It was always a little something else other than straight in it. So, yeah, a lot of crosswinds. It's a tougher driving course than I imagined it would be. I heard it was on a landfill and the only other landfill course I know is Trinity Forest and there not a tree on it, so I didn't expect this much stuff.

Yeah, I mean, I don't mean to dis to Trinity. It's a great golf course. There is just no trees.

Q. I know you probably don't want to talk about the Ryder Cup, but seeing as how you're in the conversation, was that something you thought it about growing up?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: That's probably up with the majors for me. I always love representing our country. Any time there is a team match on I watch. Watched the Walker Cup. It's amateur golf. I just love watching our team golf.

That would be a dream come true for me to play on the Ryder Cup team. I have no clue where I stand. I know I'm 14th in the rankings, so if you look at that I'm probably just on the outside looking in right now.

I feel like I got a good chance to make the team, and, yeah.

Q. Are you the kind of player who sets goals for yourself? Like right now do you have a series of goals in mind between now and the end of the year?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Not really. So I try and stay pretty much in the moment. It's never really hard for me. Sorry, I will say it again. It's hard for me when I start setting goals because I look too much into the future. Personally I'm more of a procrastinator, so if I'm always trying to prepare as hard as I can then it keeps things simple for me.

So for me, simpler thoughts, not looking too far into the future has been really good for my career. I have dreams and that kind of stuff and that's totally separate. I dreamed of playing on the PGA TOUR, winning out here, doing all the stuff that you want to do, but I don't sit down and write down goals.

It's always in the back of my head. I just never really put it on paper.

Q. Have you had any communication, even text message or anything, with Stricker in the past month or so?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I mean, they've asked us all a couple questions. I think they sends out the stuff to like the top 20, 25 guys on the list.

Q. (Indiscernible.)

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah. I mean, maybe he text me, Nice playing or keep it up or something like that a few weeks ago. We played together at the PGA this year, but other than that I haven't spent too much time around him.

I have spent time around I think the other guys that are helping him out, so we'll see. I'm not in control of those picks. All I can do is try and go out and play good golf. I'm sure if the won the next two tournaments on the FedExCup I would probably be on the team, so I'm in a position where I can do that.

Q. Do you feel like winning is a prerequisite to making the team?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I don't know. I mean, Steve Striker is the captain. He's what, 52 years old or something like that.

Q. 53.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Huh? 53? I'll underestimate with a 52. Those guys make the decision. He's the captain of the team, and whatever he thinks goes. If I am tenth in the standings going into the Ryder Cup and he doesn't pick me, it's more power to him.

Where I'm sitting I'm fine with whatever he decides to do. He's the captain and he's in control.

Q. There is no added pressure to win the next two weeks?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: No. It would certainly help if I win. There is definitely no add pressure. It's all the pressure I put on myself. I want to win as bad as anybody. Ryder Cup doesn't make a difference in how bad I want to win a golf tournament out here.

That's where I stand on that.

Q. You don't strike me an big self-promoting kind of guy. If there was such a thing as an interview to be on the Ryder Cup team, how would you sell yourself?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It's funny, we filled out some stuff kind of like that. What are you good at, what are you bad at. I think so he can get a feel for all the guys. I'm not going to tell what you I wrote down. He promised me no one else would see it, so it's between us.

Yeah, I mean, I feel like I'm a good player, I would help the team. Like I said before, it's really up to those guys, not to me.

Q. If anyone filled out this form and they were asked what are you bad at, what would they possibly put down? No one talks about what they're bad at.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I care too much. I try too hard. (Laughter.) No, it's a simple question. He didn't ask what are you bad at, he said, What are you trying to improve on? I could talk for 30 minutes about talk with you about how I am trying to improve my game.

That's why I don't set long-term goals. I have the stuff that I know I need to get better at in order to be where I want to be, and that's that.

Q. That questionnaire just physical stuff or did it get to mental anything?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I don't want to give up our secrets. I feel like I've said too much already.

Q. You don't know his age.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, he's 52. He hasn't turned 53 yet. No, it's just a get-to-know-you type deal. That's how I best describe it.

Q. Favorite color?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, favorite movie, all that fun stuff. Like a first date. (Laughter.)

Q. Are you a better match play player than stroke play?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, if you want to look at the statistics I played one match play and I finished second, and my average in stroke play is significantly worse than that. (Laughter.) So maybe so.

Q. Going back to like junior --

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, personally I like the simplicity of match play. If we're going to go out and play it's me versus you and all I got to do is beat you, I kind of enjoy that part.

I feel in stroke play it's a little different. You're competing against, this week, 124 guys. There is a lot more going on.

In match play it simple. It's me versus and you I want to beat and you that's it.

Q. What was your criteria for making the Walker Cup team? How did you get picked? What had you done that year?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: So I felt like for me it was a long journey. So the Walker Cup, I felt like I had a chance making it the year I won the junior, I think what hurt me then I was I played too much junior golf. If you look at the world rankings or whatever it was, I was pretty high up there and felt like I was in a position where I should've been put on team, but I wasn't.

I think that was 2013. Then in 2015 I was an alternate for the team, and then in 2017 I was low am at the U.S. Open and I was like felt like Happy Gilmore, and I was fortunate enough to get picked and it was a great experience. Had a great time. We beat them up pretty good, which was a lot of fun.

For me it was more of a journey. I am hoping that the Ryder Cup is a little bit quicker.

Q. And back to this just for a minute. What are you noticing different about this whole playoff system this year than last time, which was new to you last time?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Last year my expectations I would say were not as high. I try not put those on myself. For me I had never played at Eastlake. It was all new. This year having the experience of last year, like last year I finished I think fourth at the first event, and going into that event I felt like if I finished fourth it would've skyrocketed me up, but it only really moved me up three or four spots on the list.

Then I went into the playoffs maybe 21 and finished at 17 going into Eastlake, and then Dustin beat us by like 10 shots in Boston and then I'm giving him eight shots at Eastlake, which was challenging. I played pretty good and still didn't sniff him.

I think I finished maybe second in the four-day stroke, which was decent, and I wasn't close to winning. This year I'm really trying to do my best to capitalize when I'm playing well.

Q. You shot 59 and finished fourth.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, the other three rounds weren't so good, but the 59 was pretty nice.