New dad Scottie Scheffler still feels 'extremely prepared' for PGA Championship

A little later than had been expected, Scheffler’s wife, Meredith, gave birth to a son named Bennett last week, with dad somewhat reluctantly leaving the family home in Dallas on Monday morning to get back to work.

Scheffler has already won four times this season, including the 88th Masters in April, and the game’s top-ranked player is the man to beat at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville later this week,

Speaking to Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis after playing nine holes at the Kentucky course on Monday, Scheffler said of becoming a parent: “I had pretty high expectations of what I would feel like and I think those were far exceeded. I didn’t really know exactly what it would feel like. I thought it would be pretty great and it’s a pretty amazing feeling,

“You know, it was fairly challenging leaving the house this morning, but I’m here, I’m committed to playing this week, I’m excited to be out here competing. I told my little man when I was leaving, ‘I don’t want to leave but I gotta leave’.

“I’ve called to come out here to do things to the best of my ability and, with the weather forecast the next couple of days, I knew I had to turn up today to get some practice in. It would have been challenging if I left on Wednesday night and it was definitely challenging this morning.”

Scheffler won the RBC Heritage the week after claiming his second Green Jacket in three years at Augusta National before withdrawing from last week’s PGA Tour signature event, the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina.

“Yeah, it’s been pretty decent actually,” he said of his preparations for this week’s Wanamaker Trophy test. “You know, it took a little longer than anticipated for him to come out of mum, but I was able to get some good prep work in. Obviously not my usual stuff with him being born in the middle of last week.

“I took a more significant break than I would have, but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything as it was so fun getting to be at home and spend time with him and Meredith and be a dad for a few days. Yeah, it was a fun time in the Scheffler house for sure.”

Valhalla is staging this event for the fourth time, having produced wins for both Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in 2000 and 2014 respectively when they were both the game’s dominant forces. “Golf course is in good shape,” said Scheffler. “The rough seems pretty healthy and, with the rain coming in the next couple of days, it should continue to get even healthier.

“It seems like it will be a good test of golf and hopefully I’ll be able to get out there and see the front nine either on Tuesday or Wednesday. We’ll see, weather permitting. what I’m able to do the next couple of days.”

By the time he tees up on Thursday, the 27-year-old is confident he’ll be focused on the job at hand, “There was a lot of congratulations going around today,” he said, smiling. “It was obviously a huge moment in Meredith and I’s life, so it was nice to get a lot of stuff out of the way and share the joy of that moment together with friends I’d not seen for a few weeks.

“I think as the week goes on I’ll get more immersed in what I am doing and just do my best to stay as present as I can on the golf course and then when I get off it I’ll be calling home as much as possible.

“I talk a lot about how it’s all about my prep work. You know, I want to be as prepared as possible going into an event and, standing here today, I feel like I am extremely prepared and I feel like my game is in a good spot. I’m excited to get a couple more days of prep work done and getting on the golf course and looking forward to competing this weekend.”