AUGUSTA, Ga. — Not much has changed for Scottie Scheffler, despite owning the No. 1 ranking in the world.
“Outside of the guys saying congrats, I wouldn’t say too much,” he said, laughing. “My friends are still making fun of me. I’ve still got to do my chores at home, and nothing really changes.”
He comes into this week having won three out of his last five events, including the Arnold Palmer Invitational and WGC Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin. As he enters his third Masters Tournament, Scheffler says his game is in the right spot.
“The last two months have been pretty good. I’ve been playing some good golf,” he said. “Definitely not going to take it for granted and hoping to keep it rolling this week. My game feels like it’s in a pretty good spot. Definitely looking forward to the challenge of playing this golf course this week.”
Scottie Scheffler carries a sack of balls at the practice facility during a practice round of The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Preparation began with a slight tweak to his usual schedule.
“We came in a little earlier than I usually would,” he said. “I didn’t play last week, which I usually play the week before, but I was a little tired after Austin, so we came in on Sunday.”
Scheffler’s coming off top-20 finishes in 2020 and 2021, and he’s been fortunate to be paired up with past champions at different times in Augusta. He said he’s learned about the course from watching those guys.
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“I’ve been fortunate. I played the first two rounds last year with Phil (Mickelson), and then in 2019 I got paired with Tiger (Woods) on Sunday,” he said, although he meant in 2020. “So I got some pretty good experience just watching them kind of manage their way around the golf course and how they play shots and certain stuff like that. So I’ve had some really good experience just being able to watch those guys around this place.”
His first Masters start came in 2020, a November tournament that was unlike any other. Last year with limited patrons will be a stark contrast as things move back to normal this time around. Scheffler’s Masters history overlaps two abnormal years but he’ll take the adjustments in stride.
“I think this place changes a little bit every year,” he said. “November was quite a different Masters. The golf course was significantly different than it was in April. This year the greens have been crazy firm preparing for the weather we’re having today. The practice rounds today were definitely a bit different.
“Yesterday and today were a lot different than they have been in the past for me with all the patrons out there, which is a lot of fun. It’s definitely a little bit different, but it’s still a golf tournament. Like I said, I’ve had some good experience around here, and I’m looking forward to this week.”
Scheffler says he can be a contender this week. He stressed his preparedness and taking it one round at a time, but he’s no longer a newcomer.
“Yeah, I’m approaching this week definitely hopeful that I can contend, but that starts with having a good round on Thursday. For me, I’m just trying to prepare, make sure I’m properly rested,” he said. “Like I said, my game feels like it’s in a pretty good spot, but I’m just going to go through my usual preparation and approach the weeks just like I always have.”
Scheffler is set to tee off at 10:56 a.m. ET Thursday. He’ll be paired with Tony Finau and Adam Scott.