After donning his first green jacket—and winning his first major title—Sunday, golfer Scottie Scheffler spoke about the role faith plays in his sport and life. The 25-year-old, who won the 2022 Masters Sunday at Augusta National, admits to being “so stressed out” heading into the final day of play. He credits wife Meredith with reminding him that “God is in control, and the Lord is leading me. And if today is my time, then it’s my time.”
It definitely turned out to be Scheffler’s time. He kept the lead from Friday on, finishing three strokes ahead of runner-up Rory McIlroy. The Masters win is Scheffler’s fourth victory in the past six events, capping a whirlwind two-month stretch.
Scottie Scheffler: ‘My Identity Isn’t a Golf Score’
Scottie Scheffler, a University of Texas standout, says despite his lead going into Sunday, he “cried like a baby” that morning because “I just felt overwhelmed.” When he expressed doubts about his readiness for the biggest stage yet, Meredith told him, “Who are you to say that you’re not ready? Who am I to say that I know what’s best for my life?” The golfer concluded that even “if I shot 82 today…somehow I was going to use it for [God’s] glory.”
After receiving his green jacket, Scheffler thanked Meredith and his “great support system” for all their sacrifices. When asked how he handles pressure on tour, he said, “It all goes back to my faith. The reason why I play golf is that I’m trying to glorify God and all that he’s done in my life. So for me, my identity isn’t a golf score. Like Meredith told me this morning, if you win this golf tournament today, if you lose this golf tournament by 10 shots, if you never win another golf tournament again she goes, I’m still going to love you, you’re still going to be the same person.”
On Golf.com, Michael Bamberger writes, “It’s easy, when writing any sort of game story, to skip right over any mention of God on the part of the protagonists. … But when Scheffler talks about his faith it’s in the context of balance, and in this year of golfing madness and much noise his priority system is just refreshing. He doesn’t come off as a me-me-me person, or as a golfer looking for more and more and more.”
Scottie Scheffler Works With a Christian Caddy
Scheffler, whose $2.7 million Masters prize adds up to almost $9 million for his past six starts, also had to deal with media hype over the return of Tiger Woods. “We’re so glad to have him back out here,” Scheffler said of the golf legend.
