Charlotte, N.C. – His victory at CJ Cup Nelson two weeks ago was his victory at CJ Byron Nelson this week at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Country Club.
“I talked about some of my gaming trends, so it’s great to see a lot of hard work this year and I feel like my game is in a good position,” Scheffler said of his first win of the season. “I think it’s possible to say I can’t win a little momentum in this game.”
Schaffler, who won the CJ Cup after shooting 61, 63, 66 and 63 from TPC Craig Ranch, said Tuesday that he felt he was batting at the start of the season, which brought him back to his form when he won eight games last season.
The two Masters champion missed the first month of the season while recovering from surgery after his hand was pierced by a broken wine glass. Scheffler couldn’t play until Pebble Beach Pro-AM in February, and although he didn’t get a win until Byron Nelson, he was in the top ten.
“I did a lot of hard work in the offseason to make some improvements to my game, and suddenly, when you have to go to a month without spending time at the gym and being able to do my normal practice, you lose that,” Scheffler said. “Is this harder than I thought? I don’t think so. I think I have fair expectations for myself. I know it’s not easy.”
Despite his success in the past two years, Schaffler often likes to say that when he stays for the time being, he is the best and has no consideration of past results or shots. But even he can admit that winning throughout his career often helps success.
“I want to think I won’t start with the cuts I missed or bad, whatever it is. I feel like I’ve been bounced with a decent bounce,” Scheffler said. “When I got my first win in 2022, I quickly won some games after that. So it’s silly to say I don’t ride some momentum.”
As Scheffler slowly returns to form, he watches Rory McIlroy’s season resembles his 2024 run. McIlroy has three wins, including the Player Championship and the Masters, and now his name is Grand Slam. McIlroy frankly said how Scheffler’s success last year inspired him, and now it’s Scheffler who found his place.
“When you get beaten, it’s always very motivated, and in golf you tend to get beaten a lot. You don’t really win many tournaments,” Scheffler said. “Since last year, he’s definitely improved and has made some changes in the game. I always do something to get better, and I think that’s why we keep coming back. Golf is an endless pursuit, hoping to get the best of what we do from ourselves, and I look forward to continuing to do it as the year goes on.”
Despite not winning the PGA title in five games, Scheffler is in the top 10 of four of them, including the runner-up at Brooks Koepka in Oak Hill in 2023.
This week’s victory at Quail Hollow will put Scheffler into the Grand Slam, which he said is a goal he hasn’t set for himself yet.
“I didn’t set these types of goals for myself. I thought of some dreams and aspirations, but when I stayed here, I was always at my best,” Scheffler said. “It takes a lifetime of work to win big titles, not to mention winning all four.”
