Masters champ Scheffler sets sights on RBC Heritage

Scottie Scheffler took a little time out to celebrate winning his second Masters title on Sunday, but the world number one American is ready to buckle down again at the RBC Heritage in South Carolina.

Scheffler, famously undemonstrative on the course, flew home from Augusta National, checked in on his pregnant wife Meredith, and wore his Masters green jacket to meet up with friends at a Dallas bar.

“Took a few photos, had a drink and then went home and went to bed,” Scheffler said Wednesday, reckoning he spent all of 20 minutes at the bar.

Now he’s at Harbour Town Golf Links at Hilton Head, where he’ll seek to add to his tally of three titles in 2024.

Scheffler, who hasn’t played a round over par since August, admitted he was feeling the fatigue, but wasn’t letting that affect his expectations for the elite PGA Tour Signature event, which features eight of the top 10 players in the world.

“I left my pregnant wife at home to come here and play in a golf tournament. I am here to play and hopefully play well,” Scheffler said. “I’m not here just for fun.”

That’s a sobering thought for the rest of the field.

Reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark said Scheffler’s season — including wins over Clark at Bay Hill and the Players Championship — was enough to make him reassess what he was doing.

“I think everyone looks at themselves in the mirror and goes, ‘What do I need to get better?’

“Because you feel like you’re playing good golf and you’re not beating him.”

Max Homa, who was among those to challenge Scheffler at the Masters before settling for a share of third place, noted that the “gap seems to be quite large” between Scheffler and everyone else.

“He’s gone first, first, second, first. Three of those events are the best fields we’ve got,” Homa said. “I think we’ve seen people do this over the years as far as excellence over a little bit of time.

“His seems to be sustained a bit longer than I can remember from a lot of people.”

Ludvig Aberg, who finished runner-up to Scheffler, was still absorbing the lessons from his first major start at Augusta.

“You don’t really know what it’s going to be like to play your first major until you really play it,” the Swede said. “I felt like we handled that really well, and it makes us really excited about the next one.”

He’ll continue to focus on improving his own game — and try not to worry about what Scheffler might do next.

“I’m always trying to make sure that the things that I’m working on are going in the right direction,” Aberg said. “I can’t do anything about Scottie. He’s an unbelievable player and a person, and I respect him so much.

“I think it’s good to have him here because he’s pushing everyone else to get a little bit better, as well.”

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AFP

(NAMPA / AFP)