If there is one thing we can be fairly certain Scottie Scheffler doesn’t like, it’s noise.
The greatest golfer alive at the beginning of 2026 has not seemed bothered by many things. Not bogeys, not losses, and certainly not other golfers slinging for the throne of World No. 1. (“I think it’s inspiring,” he said Wednesday of World No. 3 Justin Rose.) But if there is something that clearly does get under his skin, it’s noise — or, as you might refer to it, chatter, drama, the rumor mill, tea.
Scheffler has been impressively adept at avoiding third-rail topics during his regular media appearances, his radar for tabloid-fodder questions apparently attuned to the same frequency as a nuclear submarine. He will not speak in specifics about his aspirations and dreams. He will not address pro golf counterparts with anything other than genuine admiration. He will not speak about hot-button issues in a way that suggests even a passing interest in golf’s more macabre topics.
But Wednesday at the WM Phoenix Open was different.
On Wednesday, Scheffler addressed the press for the first time since the biggest development of 2026 in the golf world: Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed’s sudden return to the PGA Tour after several years with LIV.
In the past, such a news story might prove the perfect opportunity for a classic Schefflerism: “I’m just focusing on my own game right now.” But on Wednesday, Scheffler addressed the situation head-on.
“When you look at a lot of the discussions we’ve had and when you look at what a lot of the fans are saying, I think people want the best people playing together again,” Scheffler said. “So when it comes to great players like Brooks or Patrick Reed, Patrick Reed is a major champion and I think Brooks Koepka has won five majors, so having those guys competing out here is great for the Tour, great for the fans, and great for our sponsors.”
OK — it wasn’t exactly a People-worthy soundbite from the World No. 1, but it reflected a change that came into clearer focus throughout the rest of Scheffler’s press conference from Phoenix in his second start of 2026. The change? Scheffler’s status as unquestioned World No. 1 has turned him from a guy interesting for his golf to a guy interesting for his opinions about golf. His words hold more weight in 2026 now that the historical significance of his last five seasons has settled in. In turn, the questions facing Scheffler have changed, too. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy hold similar roles in the sport — but they might be the only comparisons.
It was telling, too, that Scheffler picked this topic to address with a more assertive tone. What topic would better speak to Scheffler’s proclivity for drama-avoidance than two of LIV’s most important players returning home with a sincere mea culpa — lowering the temperature in the sport and placing the Tour directly on the front foot? If LIV has fewer headlines, then Scheffler has fewer landmines — and that’s good news.
“I think the last few years — there’s just been a lot of noise, and so I think getting those guys back is another step towards us just being able to play golf again,” Scheffler said. “That’s what I’m looking forward to the most.”
The other good news facing Scheffler in the winter of 2026? Even the landmines aren’t too treacherous. The questions facing the golfer are broader, but that’s because Scheffler’s golf has proven so singular. He enters February with 20 career PGA Tour wins, four majors, a stranglehold on the World No. 1 position and a U.S. Open date for the career Grand Slam.
That’s a resume that needs no hype, which is just how Scheffler likes it.
