ATLANTA – World’s No. 1 golfer Scotty Schaeffler is not going to begin this week’s Tour Championship with a two-stroke lead on the sphere, as he did final season earlier than successful his first FedEx Cup.
With the PGA Tour being discontinued with the beginning stroke of the season-ending championship, Schaeffler will begin additional with par, like the opposite 29 golfers on the sphere.
“I do not suppose I will have a punching bag for me anymore on the finish of the 12 months,” Schaeffler joked Wednesday.
“I wasn’t a fan of it,” he added. “For quite a lot of causes, I did not suppose it was a great way to complete the 12 months. I am way more happy with this format. I feel it is crucial to have a extremely good golf match on a extremely good golf course to complete the season.”
Final 12 months, Schaeffler started the tour championship at 10 below. He himself beats two-time main champion Morikawa with 4 strokes, over 72 holes at 20 below.
Schaeffler urged that successful could be much more troublesome by gaining a lead on the sphere earlier than the match started.
Earlier than final season’s tour championship, Schaeffler caddy Ted Scott informed him he had been sleeping on the lead since February as he led the FedEx Cup Factors rankings all through the season after successful six instances in entrance of Eastlake.
“I used to be main the entire 12 months within the FedEx Cup, and all of it got here all the way down to a four-day match on the golf course. “It was a difficult week. It was a worrying day.”
Two years in the past, Schaeffler wasted a six-stroke lead within the last spherical, dropping to Rory McIlroy on a one stroke at East Lake.
“It simply irritated me,” Schaeffler mentioned. “(Former NBA coach) Phil Jackson (WHO) mentioned, “You simply succeeded whilst you had been doing one thing that was profitable.” It ended a 12 months like, “Hey, sorry the way it ended,” and I completed with a extremely dangerous end.
“It was like, ‘What have you learnt, man? I gained the Masters this 12 months and several other different tournaments. It was a fairly good 12 months.”
Schaeffler has already raised a $23 million bonus this season. Eastlake prices one other $40 million. This consists of $10 million to the winner.
The four-time main champion has gained 5 instances in his final 10 begins, together with final week’s BMW Championship on the Caves Valley Golf Membership in Owings Mills, Maryland.
What retains him motivated to proceed successful? Schaeffler mentioned displaying up each week was a stolen from the one spherical he performed for 15-time main champion Tiger Woods.
Within the last spherical of Masters in 2020, Schaeffler performed with Woods and Eire’s Shane Raleigh. Woods is known for making 10 on the twelfth of the par 3. He made a 4-over 76 card with birdies on 5 of his last six holes.
“What is that this man nonetheless taking part in for? He gained the Masters 4 or 5 instances,” Scheffler mentioned. “The perfect end he has seems to be in twentieth at this level.”
Woods in the end tied for thirty eighth place with 1 below. Schaeffler positioned nineteenth in his Masters debut with a 6-under.
“I admired the power he introduced to every spherical, and that is what I am making an attempt to emulate,” Schaeffler mentioned. “Taking part in a golf match just isn’t straightforward. If you are going to take every week off, perhaps you are simply staying dwelling. I am not going to return right here to take every week off. When you’re taking part in in a match, I will give all of it.
