THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 12, 2023

Scottie Scheffler

TPC Sawgrass

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome the 2023 champion of the PLAYERS Championship, Scottie Scheffler.

Terrific victory out there today finishing, finishing at 17-under par for a five-shot win. Maybe just some opening comments on the day and certainly on the week.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I guess as far as the week goes I just, I played really well the whole week, really solid. I had some times throughout week where I didn't feel like I was swinging my best or playing at a hundred percent, and then I would just kind of wait and pick my moments, and fortunately, I got kind of hot in spurts in each of my rounds, whether it was the my back nine on first round or 8 through 12 this afternoon. I just found a way to choose my moments and get hot here and there and had four just really solid rounds.

THE MODERATOR: Great. Questions?

Q. You seem to play your best when, in terms of the more prestigious tournaments, some of the tougher tracks. What about these challenges brings out your best?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think I get excited for a good hard test. I feel like that I can find a way to make pars and hang in there. And I mean, this week I think I had five bogeys for the whole week. Around this place that's really, really I would say hard to do and that's probably what I'm most proud of is just playing so solid. Yeah, I think I just like the challenge of kind of harder golf courses.

Q. Things got kind of tricky out there weather-wise late and the guys right in front of you got wet on 17. What are you thinking on that tee with a five-shot lead and knowing what is at stake there?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Please, please hit the green. (Laughing.)

No, we were standing there, and when we were on 16, Min Woo had his birdie putt and we were waiting and we got to watch both the shots go in. You saw Cam kind of hit it long left, and Tommy looked like he liked his and it came up short.

The wind on that hole was pretty much straight across. It would kind of help, it would kind of hurt, and it was bouncing back and forth. And when you have that much wind and you have the grandstands and all those variables out there, it's a really, really hard shot, and I just, I hit mine exactly how I wanted to, and I was very relieved when it hit the green because you're not really in control of what the ball does up there. You can only hit the shot and hope for the best and fortunately mine landed on the green and stayed there.

Q. How did you feel like you were playing over the first seven holes? And what did the chip-in on 8 do for you?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I thought I was hanging in there at the start, kind of getting used to how the golf course is playing. There was a lot more wind today, and I knew it was going to pick up as the day went on. It was it felt like it was one of those days where somebody was kind of going to post a score and then they were going to be on the leaderboard, and I was just going to have to beat whoever it was. Fortunately, that chip went in.

That was just a good example of me playing smart there. If you miss it pin high on that hole to either of those pins you're more than likely going to make a bogey. So all we were doing there was just trying to aim for the front edge, and I hit a really good shot and the wind hit it and pushed it a little left.

If I wasn't playing that smart, I would have been in a really tough position. I was in a position where there wasn't an easy chip, but it was a very gettable up-and-down and just fortunate to see it go in.

Q. Any similarities to Augusta where kind of a hole-out in the final round turns things around for you and gets you going?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It definitely got me going. I played great after that. Good birdie on 9 and then just the putt went in on 10 and then great birdies on 11 and 12. We did a good job of staying aggressive, so it definitely kick started me a little bit. I mean, this chip-in was a little bit easier than the one at Augusta.

Q. When you talked about staying aggressive, some of the shots you took on as your lead was expanding, 3-wood on 12, for example, you got a sense at all that you were actually blocking everything out and playing the course? Did you have that sense at all?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: That's what I was trying to feel. By the time we got to 12 I saw Tyrell had posted his score and there wasn't really anybody else up on the leaderboard that could have made a big move at me, I didn't feel like. I don't know if that's correct. I could be wrong on that.

But Teddy and I had a conversation when we were walking down 11 fairway. I was like, Hey, I just want to make sure we're on the same page. We're just playing the golf course like we always do. He said, Yeah, of course. Why would you change anything?

And that was our discussion and we had picked our spots well all week, and I wasn't going to change the game plan just because I had a few-shot lead, especially with the holes coming in. You can't limp in on this golf course. You got to hit the shots.

Q. Does that keep you sharper?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think so. I mean, knowing that 17 and 18 were waiting there and the winds were only going to pick up, you could see the storms coming in, it was forecasted to pick up, and it was so challenging that I wanted to get as big of a lead as I could because you could hit a really good shot on 17 this afternoon and go in the water.

And then you got to go to the drop zone and it's the hardest shot to that pin from the drop zone and it just gets harder and harder from there. So it was a little bit of extra motivation to just build up as big of a lead as I could, and so even if did get a little bit unlucky down the stretch, I could still close it out.

Q. After you hit the third shot on 18 and got onto the green, it seemed like you and Ted had a little bit of a moment that seemed like it was an exhale moment there. Hat came off, a little bit of a crouch. What do you recall of that moment? What was going through your mind and your body and what you said to Ted?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Gosh, I think I just told him I was really tired. (Laughing.) Yeah, the walks up 18 are always so nice for both of us when you have the tournament in hand. It's really, those are moments that you can never get back, and a lot of the enjoyment of the win is having that walk up 18 where everybody's cheering and we already knew that we have it in hand.

So it was just a fun little moment there for both of us to just kind of sit there and enjoy the hard work that we put in all week and reap the rewards.

Q. Talking to Randy, he said that whether you're playing out here or playing at home that you just really love the game of golf, and I was wondering if you could speak to that, just how much enjoyment you get out of it wherever you're playing.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I really do. I love playing golf at home, I love social golf, I love going out and gambling with my buddies and just having fun and cutting up with each other, and I love to practice. I enjoy being able to try and shape the ball and the challenge of the game. It's been a huge part of my life since I was probably three or four years old.

Just trying to continue to enjoy it and I've been fortunate for a long time to be surrounded by people that let me do that. Randy and I don't take ourselves too seriously. I don't know how well you know him, but he's a little bit of a goofball, and so we have some fun together and some of my favorite memories of this game are just hanging out on the range with Randy.

Q. When you're just playing the golf course like you said you were down the stretch, talking to Teddy about that, is that sort of maybe the theme of what you've been doing over the last 13 months is just playing the golf course?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I would say a little bit, yeah. You got to play the field as well, but certain times you get into situations where you are just playing the golf course, especially when you build up a lead, and I didn't want to focus on a four-shot lead. I wanted to focus on beating the course.

Basically, that was treating every hole with par and trying to beat it, and with the odd case probably being 14, where I was like, I just need to get this ball over the hazard on the left and just get it up there somewhere. I was very happy with a five there. But, yeah.

Q. How does it, with all the errors that happens, especially with like a windy day, how do you stay in your head and make sure like you don't like get the feeling like, don't choke, don't choke? How do you stay positive through it all?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think the tougher conditions were probably a bit of an advantage for me. I like it when things kind of get hard, and today was definitely one of those moments. So I just tried to stay focused and beat up on the golf course and not worry about what everybody else was doing. Fortunately, I was in a position going into today where I was in control of the tournament, and Min Woo got off to a good start and then made the mistake on 4, and he wasn't able to get too close after that.

So I just tried to stay patient and continue to hit good shots and not worry about what other people were doing and just going out and taking care of my own business.

Q. Last year at the Masters on Sunday night when you talked about the, crying like a baby and the stress of telling your wife you don't know if you can win this thing, that's one of the greatest quotes in the history of golf because it was so revealing about what that tournament meant. I know this is very different kind of tournament, but what would be the similar kind of emotions approaching, or different kind of emotions approaching today's play?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, this tournament feels like a major championship to me and this morning was tough. I would say that East Lake at the end of last year was pretty challenging for me just to handle. It was obviously very sad and hard and I didn't expect things to finish that way. So this one's a lot sweeter now.

Q. You must have read my mind. I was going to say, how did you respond to that defeat at East Lake? And kind of what did you learn from that experience that you're taking into 2023?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, I feel like a lot of that stuff is just what you go being a professional golfer. It's a really hard sport. And I had put myself in a position all year to where I had a chance to win the FedExCup, and I wasn't able to get it done. And by the time I got home, I was worn out. I was mentally, physically drained, emotionally drained. Meredith and I, I think, both were. So we were pretty sad after that, but the hard times make the good times that much sweeter.

Q. You gave your grandmother a shout out on national TV. What's the inspiration she provides?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, it's pretty impressive she's walking so many holes out here. She's a trooper. We've been coming here to spend time with her for long time. And I mean, I really don't know what to say. She's had a rough last year with Grandpa passing away, and we have an uncle that's pretty sick, and I'm just happy that we're able to kind of enjoy all this together.

Q. Kind of kidding with you, but you called the World Ranking No. 1 an algorithm. What's 4.5 million check mean to you? What would you call that?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I don't really know. I haven't thought about it too much, to be honest.

Q. For the last decade, dating back to your high school days, it seems like you've been checking off some pretty significant milestones along the way, whether it's being successful in your only TOUR event as an amateur, Walker Cup team, Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year, PGA TOUR Player of the Year. At what point along that timeline did you maybe start to feel like you could be as special as things are going for you now?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I don't really know. I never really thought that much of myself. I always just tried to stay in my own little bubble. I did a good job of being a good junior, and then I was a pretty good college player, and then I played good on the Korn Ferry Tour, and I just keep trying to get a little bit better. I never really looked too far ahead.

I always believed that I could make it out here and play well on TOUR, but I never expected it. It's kind of hard to describe the feeling, but I just, I never really looked that far ahead I just tried to get a little bit better and just go through all the proper steps.

Q. As a follow-up to that, will being the only reigning Masters and PLAYERS champion besides Jack and Tiger in any way cause you to raise expectations at all?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: No, probably not. I got Austin coming up next week -- or I guess I got week off and then Austin's coming up and then another week off and the Masters. So I'm just going to celebrate tonight and then just try and get a little bit of rest and go from there.

Q. What compelled you to beat balls until there was no daylight left last night with the range session?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I hit like 10 balls. I did not quite beat balls (laughing.)

Q. Why did you decide to go there? What were you sort of trying to fix?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It's usually just part of my routine. I usually practice a little bit after the round, and I just wanted to get a good feel going into tomorrow and -- or going into today, and it's just part of my routine. Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don't. But I just wanted to hit a few shots, get good feels, and make sure my lines were good, just so I could sleep better. I wasn't thinking about it.

Q. As you look at the last 12, 13 months of your life, what's different for you now as a pro golfer than it was then?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Professionally, I would say there's just more going on at tournaments. I come in here and talk to you guys a little bit more than I did probably a year and a half ago. It's a lot fun. It's all good stuff.

It's a little bit busier. There's more fans. It's always fun to have people cheering for you. I'm very grateful for that. I haven't made, I don't think, many enemies out there, and so people are still cheering.

But, yeah, professionally, a bit different. At home things are pretty much still the same, though.

Q. Do you think at all about how the sport has changed in the last 12 months?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Not really. I wouldn't say it's something that occupies too much of my thoughts. I'm focused on being out here on the PGA TOUR. I don't worry about what's going on elsewhere. I'm doing what I can to help improve our TOUR, and I think the TOUR's done a great job of continuing to improve, and they're improving at a rapid pace.

The elevated events have been a lot of fun. We've had great, great leaderboards, good finishes. And, yeah, I mean, it seems like it's been a success so far and we're hoping for more of it in the future.

Q. It's been documented that you count your chip-ins with your caddie, Ted. I was wondering if you could share kind of the inspiration of that counting, when that started, and just the context of that.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: You got to ask Teddy that one. That was his idea. I can't even remember exactly when it was, but it was toward the beginning of last year where he said something about a certain number of hole-outs for the year, and I'll give you a little something at the end of it and it's just kind of a fun little deal for us out there on the course. Probably a bit more fun for me than it is for him because I get to chip in, and he has to owe me for it. But, yeah, just kind of Ted just being Ted.

Q. Last year you could sneak up on some people a little bit, at least at the beginning. Now you're really not able to sneak up on anybody. You're in the marquee groups, etcetera. You're coming in here. You're talking to us. From the outside it seems like it's made absolutely zero difference to you. What does it feel like on the inside?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think just out here I've had to do a better job of managing my time. I think I got a little bit spoiled just being able to spend all day out here when I was a rookie and it's just not really possible anymore. That's not a bad thing. It's probably better for me in the long run that I'm going to be more rested at tournaments.

It just takes a bit more energy to go from place to place and to practice. It's all good problems. It's fun having people out there on the practice round. It's nice, those relaxing times and it's fun getting to come in here and talk to you guys.

But as a person, I don't feel any different. I still feel the same as I did in college. I still feel like I might even be in high school. I mean, you know, nothing much changes.

Q. How are you going to celebrate tonight?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Good question. I don't know what time it is. Daylight savings has got me all flustered. What time is it?

THE MODERATOR: 7:17.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: 7:17. I don't know. Maybe Grandma's got some food at home. I know she has some desert and so, yeah, we'll see what's in store.

Q. How do you think your game compares to a year ago? I mean, obviously there's a fine line to winning and everything but are you playing better than you did then and does that change the way you might be thinking going into your title defense at Augusta as opposed to going in there coming off a hot streak last year?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think I'm just comfortable with where my game is. I feel like I'm improving. I'm definitely learning more and more the more you can get into contention and be in the moments. I would say that's probably the most valuable thing is knowing what you feel like and being able to prepare for it.

Going into the Masters, it's going to be a fun week. Champions Dinner, there's going to be a lot of fun stuff that I get to do that week, but by the time we tee it up Thursday everybody starts at even par so it probably doesn't have much of an effect.

Q. It doesn't look like you're nervous on the golf course at all. I just noticed that during your celebration on 2 that you wear the Whoop on your upper arm.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I do.

Q. Can you track -- do you get nervous? Does your --

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah. Yeah, I track it just activity. I don't know what it will say today. I tend to have probably a higher strain than when I don't play well. My worst rounds are usually when I'm -- or my strain is the lowest, I don't know exactly what that means, but the better I play I guess the more excited I get.

Q. It's been 392 days since you walked off in Phoenix taking your first PGA TOUR win. If you were to describe the last 392 days in one word what would it be?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Fun.

Q. Secondly, you're the only one except Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods who have won, who have held the Masters and THE PLAYERS, been the Masters and THE PLAYERS champion at the same time. What does that say?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, quite a special group of people. We could add all our majors and PLAYERS together and I have two now and they have a lot more than that. (Laughing.)

But any time you can get mentioned in the same breath as Tiger and Jack it's very special. I'm very grateful for that.

Q. Can you remember like 13 months ago when some people wondered if you could finish and get it done and then how much winning that first time at Phoenix open it up to where you feel like you can close every time now?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I guess the experience helps. I think I talked a little bit last year, I didn't feel any different, but I would say I maybe am a bit more comfortable knowing what I need to do. I think before Phoenix I had this idea that I had to play perfect on Sundays and hit nothing but good shots and that's not necessarily how golf is played. Very rarely do I hit it exactly how I want to and maybe only a couple times a tournament. Most of it is just managing your way around a golf course. Teddy has been a huge part of that just helping me stay patient and just kind of grinding things out and trusting ourselves. He's been a huge part of that on the golf course.

Q. When you were winning a lot at this time last year and you talk about how fortunate you are to have results go with the improvements, etcetera, what was it like from like May until you won again when you were still playing some good golf you just weren't winning? Did that get frustrating at all when you had been winning so much?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean it's always frustrating to not win when you feel like you can. Like U.S. Open was challenging. I felt like I had a good chance to win that tournament and came up short. Colonial the same way. But all you can do is just continue to put yourself in position. It's like volume shooting, I'm just going to try and get up there as many times as I can and see what happens. It's a lot more fun being in that arena than it is finishing a few hours before the leaders finish. It's more fun going down the stretch when you make a putt and people are cheering, and going out there and competing against my friends out here, it's a lot more fun. Just hoping to do more of that in the future.

Q. One quote that's always kind of stuck out is when Brooks described you as a big-game hunter at the Ryder Cup. And it kind of denotes like someone who has a very competitive side to them and things like that. We kind of see more of a, I don't know, like happy-go-lucky type version of you. Like can you describe what your competitiveness is like at the biggest moments?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I can try. I'm very competitive in whatever we're doing. I like beating Meredith at board games. (Laughing.) No, when it just comes -- when it comes to sports and being out here I want to win and I think I get excited when we get to the biggest tournaments and the best players are there and that's a lot of fun for me as a player is being able to compete against those guys.

I had a good track record in the majors before the Ryder Cup, and I was very fortunate to be on that team. I got a vote from a few of the guys in that room that were already on the team and I'm very grateful for that. I'm in debt to them just for a long time just for letting me be a part of that special team. We had a lot of fun that week and I learned a lot about myself as a player and just getting able to be with the guys.

There's so many great memories, and I've always had a hard time describing myself. I don't know, we can get Meredith or my dad up here and they can tell you a little bit more. (Laughing.)

Q. Can we bring them up?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: That's probably going to be a no from them on that one.

THE MODERATOR: 2023 PLAYERS Champion Scottie Scheffler. Congratulations.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Thanks, y'all.