Major champions on Scheffler’s ‘what’s the point?’ soliloquy

When Scottie Scheffler arrived at The Open earlier this week, he started an existential debate about nagging unfulfillment, the fleeting euphoria of sporting victories and the point of being good at golf.

Last week, the world number one attracted praise for his eloquent response to a question about the various challenges of links golf.

This week, his musings in the media tent were far more philosophical.

Towards the end of an otherwise unremarkable news conference on Tuesday, Scheffler began to question why he even plays a sport which does not give him “fulfilment from a sense of the deepest places of your heart”.

He said: “There are a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfil them in life, and you get there, you get to number one in the world, and they’re like, ‘what’s the point?’

Given his standing in the game and the perception that he takes everything in his Texan stride, Scheffler entangling himself with the great imponderable of his existence has naturally caused a stir around Royal Portrush.

First up in the media tent on Wednesday was JJ Spaun. Just 31 days removed from winning the US Open, the 34-year-old was well-placed to offer his view on Scheffler’s comments on the ephemeral sensation of winning.

“I believe there’s some truth behind Scottie’s words,” said Spaun.

“Yeah, you do have these high aspirations, these dreams to accomplish things in golf at the highest level, and then you do and it happens so quick. You’re so elated, and then all of a sudden it’s like, now what?

Justin Rose was the next player into the news conference room. Like Scheffler, the Englishman has been the world’s leading player, has won a major and an Olympic gold medal.

In his 27 years on tour, Rose has developed a reputation as one of golf’s most compelling talkers, and when asked about Scheffler’s perspective, he said he could certainly relate.

“I’ve been in that similar situation in terms of getting to world number one,” said the 44-year-old who won the US Open in 2013 and the Olympic title in 2016.

“It’s something you strive and strive and strive and strive for, and you achieve it and you’re like, oh OK, it’s not necessarily what you imagine it to be, but the work and the journey to get there is the thrill. That’s the exciting part.

“What keeps me going is just be better tomorrow as a person and as a golfer than I am today and that’s enough.

Padraig Harrington has been around even longer than Rose. What, then, did the three-time major winner make of the Scheffler soliloquy?

“I don’t want to compare myself to him, but I genuinely still have a real love for this game and enjoy every bit,” he said. “It brings me tremendous satisfaction and I don’t think I have to shy away from that.

“Just because I love golf doesn’t make me a bad father or bad parent. They’re separate entities, you can enjoy everything there is about golf and still be good elsewhere. I just love playing golf.

When pressed about still feeling fulfilled on the course, 30 years after turning pro, he said he still “loves practising, hitting shots and dreaming of what can be”.

Going back to Scheffler, two-time Open champion Harrington added: “He was being honest, but those people are going to ask him about that for a long time.

“He obviously loves to practice, I just don’t think he loves the grind of it. I don’t think he needs to separate it.

“I’ve often said this later on in my life, I wish I’d spent more time enjoying my wins when they happened.”