After his opening round at the Paris Summer Olympics, Scottie Scheffler provided a blunt response about he views his place in history.
Scottie Scheffler has often talked about his desire to stay in the present during his historic 2024 season, a year in which he has won six times on the PGA Tour. He focuses on the task at hand and fails to get distracted by all the buzz surrounding a top-ranked golfer, let alone the reigning Masters champion.
He employs that same principle when training in the gym, practicing on the range, and now parenting alongside his wife, Meredith. Not only should all athletes admire this trait, but everyday people should, too.
“I try to do my best to be present where I am,” Scheffler said on Monday, three days before the Men’s Golf Competition kicked off in Paris.
“But you know, at the end of the day, I’m just a golfer, and I’m just out here trying to compete. That’s really all there is to it, and sometimes I’m good at it, and sometimes I’m bad at it. I’ve talked about it a lot. It doesn’t define me as a person. Doesn’t define my life, and I’m just happy to be here.”
Scheffler has undoubtedly turned in more good performances than bad over the past 36 months, a stretch that has seen him win twice at Augusta National and ascend to the top spot in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). But he is a man of devout faith and is dedicated to his family, two facets of his life that are way more important than whatever he accomplishes on the course.
“I don’t focus much on legacy. I don’t look too far into the future. Ultimately we’ll be forgotten. I mean, it’s true,” Scheffler said after his opening 67 on Thursday at the Olympics.
“When it comes to competing, I show up as prepared as I can and do my best, and that’s really all I’m trying to do. So, would it be awesome to win a Gold Medal? It would be really cool, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t define me, it doesn’t define my life. I’m here to compete and do my best.”
What defines Scheffler’s life instead is his Christian faith and his commitment to his wife, Meredith, and son, Bennett. These priorities—and his mindset of staying in the present—have helped shape Scheffler into the man he has become—an individual with great moral clarity who also happens to be a terrific golfer.
Maybe this is why Scheffler has dominated so much, so often, in recent years. He has his priorities straight, only tries to do his best, and is not concerned about what other people think of him or his legacy.
So yes, although time will eventually pass everyone by, leaving all of us forgotten in the droves of history at some point or another, we should not lose sight of our priorities, whatever they may be. Staying in the present, focusing on what is in front of you, and doing that task to the best of your ability helps wash away the anxieties and problems that could loom in the future. Being prepared will allow you to confront any issue, tackle any roadblock, and succeed against all odds—both on the course and in life.
Hard work and preparation go hand in hand. But concerning yourself with how you will be perceived, especially in the age of social media, distracts you from your preparation and focus, thus forbidding you from achieving your goals and keeping your priorities aligned.
Hence, Scheffler does not care about his legacy or trophies; perhaps you should not, either.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
