(The Lion) — Pro golfer Scottie Scheffler dominated the field on Sunday to win the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow by five strokes. But it’s his Christian faith, not his accolades that define him, he says.
“I feel like I’ve been given a gift to play golf, but at the end of the day, the golf tournament is over,” Scheffler said in a post-round press conference. “You take your hat off, shake hands, and you move on. And so, my faith is such an important part of my golf game because it’s not only an important part of my life, but it’s what helps me kind of realize that it’s not that big of a deal.
“I’m called to compete; I’m not called to go win every single golf tournament. Do I want to win every single golf tournament? Of course. But at the end of the day, that’s not what’s going to satisfy my soul.”
Scheffler’s win is his first major since becoming a father. His wife Meredith and son Bennett were there to celebrate with him – something Scheffler called “really special.”
Yet, Scheffler kept returning to his walk with Christ when asked what keeps him grounded.
“Walking with the Lord can be really tough sometimes if you’re out there doing it all by yourself,” he said. “We were designed to live in community with other believers, and I’ve been fortunate to be able to find that on tour.”
He added that his life has improved since putting his faith first.
“When I started really prioritizing quiet time in the morning – reading Scripture – and setting my mind each morning to things that are true and things that are good, that was really when I could see significant change in my life,” he said. “And that’s why I talk about [the Christian life] being a daily battle, because if I go a couple days where I’m walking around trying to do things on my own, I can feel a difference and my wife can definitely see a difference. … Getting the Word in first thing in the morning, reading God’s Word and just trying to live like Jesus did the best way we can.”
As the U.S. Open approaches next month, Scheffler will be one of the favorites to win once again. However, regardless of the result, he plans to stay faithful.
“We have a Creator. God created the earth, and He sent His Son to save us,” Scheffler said. “The Lord covered our sins on the cross and victory was secured over death. We will live forever with Christ when we eventually pass on from this earth, and Jesus died and saved us from our sins. It’s really just as simple as that.”
