AUGUSTA:
A year after winning the Masters for his first major title, top-ranked Scottie Scheffler’s life remains pretty much unchanged.
The 26-year-old American swears that trying to match Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only back-to-back Masters champions doesn’t offer any extra motivation this week at Augusta National.
Scheffler says he doesn’t get any confidence boost from being world number one, he kept his green jacket in the closet for most of the past year and his biggest indulgence with prize money is a cold tub that still isn’t running.
Success has come from his fantastic shotmaking but it clearly hasn’t gone to his head.
Scheffler, who won his sixth career PGA Tour title at last month’s Players Championship, said Tuesday he’s not really looking for a major championship legacy.
“Legacy at the end of this is not really why I play,” Scheffler said. “With that being said, any time you can get mentioned in the same breath as a Tiger and a Jack and a Nick Faldo is really special.
“But it’s not a motivating factor for me to come out here and play. It’s so special and cool when it happens, but it doesn’t motivate me.”
Scheffler says all he wants is the chance to play his best and have a good attitude about whatever happens.
“Wherever that ends up in my career, I’ll be happy with,” Scheffler said. “Legacy is just a complicated thing. In 100 years I’m going to be forgotten and it’s not a big deal.”
Scheffler won four titles in an epic two-month stretch last year capped by a Masters triumph and defended his PGA Phoenix Open title this year before capturing the Players.
He takes a matter-of-fact attitude about topping the rankings.
“I wouldn’t say it gives me my sort of special confidence,” Scheffler said. “It’s a math algorithm. So for me to sit here and tell you guys I’m the best player in the world is not really my style.”
Scheffler drives a white 2012 GMC Yukon XL, just like he did before winning $2.7 million last April.
“I haven’t got a new car. Still in the same house,” Scheffler said. “I bought a cold tub. That was a pretty big indulgence. Still not running at home, but we bought it.”
A big deal for Scheffler is buying a bottle of tequila to celebrate a victory.
“That’s pretty much the extent that it gets,” he said. “Eventually maybe I’ll get a new car. I don’t know. I’m not huge on that kind of stuff.”
The green jacket symbolic of Masters supremacy went to NHL and Major League Baseball games but not much more.
“I didn’t do too much with the jacket,” Scheffler said. “It stayed in my closet… Just enjoyed it being in the house.”
Scheffler calls it “a ton of fun” to have more fans backing him at events but insists there’s nothing else much different.
“When people see it happen on TV, they expect you to change,” Scheffler said. “But when it comes to life at home, everything is still the exact same.
“I still have the same friends. I married the same girl I (dated) in high school. My family definitely doesn’t treat me any different.”
So it’s no shock his preparation this week is basically like last year.
“I’ve kept things pretty similar,” he said. “Outside of getting here a few hours earlier on Sunday so I could play more golf.”
