After a vacation hiatus, PGA Tour returns this week to Hawaii. The boys brought some jokes and quips to the island.
Jon Rahm joked about the tension at the Masters Champions Dinner because of the presence of a few players who have made the leap from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Scottie Scheffler (defending champion at Augusta National) joined the fun at Kapalua’s Wednesday presser with a story about Bubba Watson, two-time Masters champion, and shared his experience of seeing him while on vacation in Tennessee.
“I haven’t seen many LIV guys. Scheffler laughed as he saw Bubba Watson on vacation.
He is still working on his menu for this year’s gathering, which could include six LIV players: Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson. Charl Schwartzzel and Phil Mickelson.
Scheffler believes that the players will be able put aside their animosity for a few weeks of the year, especially since Augusta National is so rich in history.
Scheffler said, “I think that stuff just takes some time, things will heal, and we’ll watch what happens,” adding that golf will undoubtedly move on. “All that stuff doesn’t really appeal to me. I can only show up to play and try my best golf. It’s not something that I am concerned about at the moment.
This week, Scheffler returns to PGA Tour action with his fourth start in the 2022-23 season. Scheffler finished in the top 10 at the World Wide Technology Championship (Mayakoba) and Cadence Bank Houston Open(T-9), his two fall starts. He was also runner-up at the Hero World Challenge, Tiger Woods’ unofficial event held in the Bahamas.
Scheffler won all four of his PGA Tour titles last year, winning six starts starting at the WM Phoenix Open in Feb and ending at the Masters in April. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, and was in the top 25 in 16 out of 20 starts in 2022. This includes a trio of second-place finishes at the Charles Schwab Challenge and U.S Open. Scheffler rose up to No. Scheffler rose to No. 1 in the world, and held that title for 30 consecutive weeks between March 27th and Oct 22nd. He set a single-season PGA Tour record with $14,046,910 of official prize money. His earnings included bonuses totalled more than $24,796,910.
Scheffler acknowledged that despite his success, Scheffler didn’t earn the respect that comes with the title “world’s best” as compared to other players who reached the No. 1. He never felt that he had to live up.
“Successful weeks look different for me. A successful week is one where I can be myself, have a positive attitude, and play golf correctly. I won’t be able to get caught up in the hype of who the best player might be. Instead, I will have to focus on what it takes to succeed and how I approach the game.
