SHRINERS CHILDREN'S OPEN

October 6, 2021

Scottie Scheffler

TPC Summerlin

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome Scottie Scheffler to the interview room at the Shriners Children's Open. Making your first appearance on the PGA TOUR since being part of Team USA at the Ryder Cup victorious effort. So can you just recap that experience for us.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I mean playing the Ryder Cup was a dream come true for me. I dreamed of playing on that team for about as long as I can remember, so to be able to make the team and then also perform well and get a win was exciting. I mean, probably the most fun I've had on a golf course that Friday and Saturday and a lot of good memories from that week, whether it was hanging out in the team room with the guys or playing my matches with Bryson. A lot of good times to look back on.

THE MODERATOR: Looking ahead to this week and the new season the on the PGA TOUR can you just kind of your goals this week and throughout the entire season?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I'll just keep trying to put myself in position to hopefully win golf tournaments, starting with this week. This is a golf course that previously I haven't played well on, but my game feels like it's in good shape and I'm looking forward to the rest of the week. And I don't think I'll play too much this fall, but I'll play a few events, get a little bit of rest. Last year was a long season, but still play a few events and then just get ready for the spring.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. As an individual what can you pull out of a team victory like that at Whistling Straits?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: So I mean as an individual I played well in my matches, it's nice not to lose any matches. I think Friday afternoon we kind of not let a match slip but Tyrell finished with a great birdie to steal a half point off of us. But other than that I feel like I played really solid golf all week, had a nice match on Sunday. It's nice to be able to perform in that environment as well.

Q. Getting up close with Bryson as you did with the four-ball matches, what kind of interest did you have last week in what was going on with him and what was your reaction to what he did at the Long Drive?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Well, I mean, he was definitely pretty interested in last week. We had a great time playing together. He's a great best ball partner and he's a pretty good alternate partner as well because he's such a talented player. We had a good time, had a lot of fun in the team room. And then his performance at the Long Drive was pretty cool. I think he told us his goal was -- at the Ryder Cup -- his goal for the Long Drive was to make it to the final 16, he said that would have been a really big accomplishment for him. So to make it to the final 8 and I think he lost to Berkshire right?

Q. Yeah.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, so lost to the guy who won the Long Drive is definitely not anything to keep your head down about. So I'm sure he's feeling really good about his performance and it was pretty fun to watch.

Q. Staying on that end what was you reaction to the announcement yesterday of Bryson playing Brooks in The Match V?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Not too much. I didn't really know they were, that that was in the works at all. I'm sure it will be a fun match. I was surprised it was only 12 holes, I thought that was a little funny, but maybe they got a few tricks up their sleeve that I don't know about. But they were good in the team room last week, got along very well, everything was really relaxed, so I'm sure they will have a fun match when is it after Thanksgiving? Yeah. Day after Thanksgiving. Yeah.

Q. Can you carry momentum two weeks?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: What do you mean?

Q. From the Ryder Cup, can you carry the momentum from the Ryder Cup into this week?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, for sure. Definitely like to carry off good golf. Yeah, for sure. You can carry off good momentum and confidence and playing good golf. When the game feels good it feels good and hopefully just keep rolling.

Q. As the season starts, are you goal oriented and is there any specific area of your game that you would like to see take one more notch upward?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, there's a few parts of my game that I would like to improve on. I think that's the beauty of the game of golf, there's always stuff you can improve on, you're never going to perfect the game. So I would never say it's making a huge drastic changes to your game, it's just kind of making those little improvements that you'll see work out over time. And there are a few parts of my game that I've been working on really hard especially and it's one of those things you don't ever see instant results, it's more of a gradual results things over time. And I'll just keep working on those aspects of my game and hopefully keep improving.

Q. Curious about your philosophy on these fall season events, how many of them you plan to play and if you wish there was a longer off-season for you guys?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: We'll get a decent off-season. I wish there was more time where there was no tournaments going on just because if FedExCup points are being accrued and guys are out here playing and winning tournaments I feel a little bit weird sitting at home for, it would be, I guess, almost four months when everybody else is playing tournaments. So in my head I guess I wish there was a little bit more of an off-season, but I also don't really mind the way the schedule is now. I'll play a decent amount of events this fall and I like playing tournaments, so for me it's still fun.

Q. Can I ask about next week, playing a course that nobody's really ever seen before, except maybe Collin, who is a member out there, what's your mindset going into an event like that where nobody knows the course really?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I mean, it will be a little bit different. Luckily, we're in the same city already, so I won't be in a rush to get out there and I'll have plenty of time to get used to the course and the environment. For me I've seen a lot of new courses my first few years on TOUR so for me it's pretty regular to see a new place. I'm sure the course will be in great shape and look forward to next week.

Q. Going back to Ryder Cup, I'm sure that was a bucket list item for you to make the team. Does it feel odd to you to be a Ryder Cup member when you don't have a win yet on the PGA TOUR, kind of a flip-flop of bucket list items there?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, for sure. I think for me it was definitely a dream to make that team and now that I've been a part of one team I want to be a part of everyone of them for the rest of my career. As far as not winning on TOUR I think if I wanted to do something to where I could win a random event out here I would go play a week weaker schedule than I do. For me I like playing tournaments against the best players in the world and that's what our PGA TOUR's about and so I like competing and I'm not going to change my schedule I'm just going to keep trying to put myself in position to win tournaments.

Q. We always hear about these group chats during the Ryder Cup where the team bonds and talks to each other. I'm curious, do these things die down after the Ryder Cup or are you guys still kind of shooting the breeze and having banter with each other?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: There's still a little bit after the Ryder Cup. Honestly, our group chat was a little bait of a pain in the butt because Bryson is the only one who does not have an iPhone. I know that's a really shock that Bryson's the odd man out on that one. But we gave him some crap about that in the beginning of the week. There's still a little bit of action but not too much.

Q. I was going to ask, do you feel, we didn't really get to talk to you a whole lot after Sunday, you drew the big guy and took him down. What was your reaction when you saw the pairing and did you feel that event as a whole kind of elevated you as a player?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I would say it may have elevated y'all's perception of me, that's kind of how I look at it. I've always perceived myself or I've always perceived that if I was put into a position at a Ryder Cup or a major championship that I would perform well I've always kind of had that faith and confidence in myself as a player. So it may have changed y'all's perception of me, but for my, for me it doesn't change too much. My life still feels the same I don't feel any different as a person or player. It's always nice to perform in those moments but with the way I prepare for events and practice as hard as I do, those are the places where I want to be and I always feel like with the way I prepare that I'll perform well. So for me I have full confidence in myself to perform and I think it changes y'all's expectations of my game more than myself.

Q. How did you get the news that you were playing Jon? I guess everyone was waiting to see who drew him and what was that like? How did you get that news and what were your initial I guess your initial excitement level?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I was excited when the parings came out. I think I was laying -- I think I was getting some treatment after playing Saturday's matches. We were all chilling back at the hotel and I think D.J. got a picture of it first on his phone and started looking and then he was very excited for me that I got that pairing. I think everybody on our team wanted to play Jon in singles. He got the better of us for the best part of that week so it was nice to be able to get a win against him on Sunday.

Q. You've won at every level, I know you're going to win at this level, what's the fine line of wanting to win badly and kind of being patient to let it happen?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: So naturally I feel really patient, I don't feel like I was saying earlier I don't feel a huge rush that I have to win a golf tournament out here. I feel like I'm going to play out here for a long period of time and I enjoy the way my life is now and for me I just want to continue to put myself in position to win tournaments and honestly, I think what has probably held me back is not being in a that position enough, I feel like I don't focus hard enough on these smaller tournaments on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to where I'm locked in the entire week I think I do a better job of that at major championships, I feel like I've had more chances to win majors than I have regular PGA TOUR events and so for me I just try to get that focus level from here and take it to there (Indicating) on Thursday through Sunday.