Scottie Scheffler has already earned more than $90 million on the golf course and plenty more off it, but if we know anything about the World No. 1, it’s that he’s a man of simple tastes.
He plays golf because he loves the competition and the grind to get better and, well, because he’s really good at it. He likes his Chipotle and his routine. He values his faith and his family. He’s also not one, we have learned, to splurge on anything too lavish.
Although apparently there is at least one thing he’ll overpay for.
On Thursday at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, fresh off an opening-round 67, Scheffler was asked if he was superstitious. “A little,” he said, adding that he’s had the same yardage book cover for the last four years and often uses the same divot tool and ball marker every round.
He even likes the divot tool so much he went to great lengths — eBay! — to purchase a replacement when he lost the original. But this wasn’t just any divot tool.
“It’s from Cypress Point,” Scheffler said. “But I don’t use it because it’s from Cypress Point. It’s just the right size and it’s metal, so they don’t really make those types of divot tools anymore, so I found one there and I’ve stuck with it.
“I bought it in the shop,” he continued. “I bought one last year or maybe two years ago, and I lost it at some point, and I literally could not find another divot tool like that. Then I went on eBay, found a Cypress Point ball marker, paid like 50 bucks for it. Then I went back this year, and they were a little cheaper on-site so I got a couple extras.”
Any particular, deep reason he likes this one so much?
“Just habit. No reason to it. I like it,” he said. “It’s good size, it’s got USA on it. I think it’s pretty cool.”
And if you are wondering, yes, someone out there sent a ball marker directly to Scottie Scheffler, who said he used his real name when purchasing.
“He sent it to me and wrote me a little note and everything,” Scheffler said. “He was a nice guy.”
In non-ball-marker news, Scheffler’s 67 on Thursday put him five behind the first-round lead set by Akshay Bhatia, who fired 62. Scheffler’s second round is already underway, although the current FedEx Cup leader will have no problem advancing to next week’s BMW Championship or the following week’s Tour Championship.
“Today was a good day,” he said. “I did some solid stuff. Felt like I was close to playing a really great round but ended up with a solid round. Overall a decent start.”
