October is Scottie Scheffler’s downtime, as the world No. 1 takes an annual break from competitive golf. It also happens to be, in some ways, the time of year we learn things about Scheffler we never knew.
Take October 2022, when Scheffler and Jordan Spieth starred in a pickleball pro-am event in Dallas, and Scheffler showed just how damn good he is at that sport. Or take this week, when on Tuesday it became clear that Scheffler has at least a buyer’s passion in professional fishing.
You read that correctly — Scottie Scheffler is the sole owner of Texas Lone Stars Angling Club, one of 14 teams in the Sport Fishing Championship, an upstart saltwater fishing league. The league is expanding to 16 teams next season.
Scheffler got in early, becoming the sole Lone Stars owner 13 months ago, in a move that didn’t get widely covered. He was joined by a handful of other well-known athletes, like NFLers Randy Moss or Raheem Mostert, who also bought ownership stakes in angling clubs. Then there’s LIV golfer Talor Gooch, who used part of his immense LIV earnings to buy the Mississippi Blues Angling Club. He is a co-owner alongside fellow LIV golfer Harold Varner.
Most of that group is jealous this week as Scheffler’s Lone Stars won the season-ending championship, the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs, which wrapped up Monday in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Scheffler posted about it on his Instagram, saying, “Congratulations to @lonestarsac – thanks for having me out.” On the SFC website, Scheffler is listed as a member of the team’s front office alongside the general manager, Justin Lamonica.
Ownership stakes in pro sports have exploded in recent years as more niche sports have increased popularity, earned TV rights deals and created greater platforms for engagement. Scheffler himself bought in to the Texas Ranchers, one of the leading clubs in Major League Pickleball. Gooch spent even more money on a Pro Bull Riding franchise in Oklahoma. Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth were part of the consortium that bought into Leeds United Football Club two summers ago.
As for the Sport Fishing Championship, its organizers seem keen to mention Scheffler as much as possible. The Lone Stars were one of four teams competing in the two-day finals competition, and when they were introduced for the first time, lead analyst Robbie Floyd announced, “Their team owner, Scottie Scheffler, he’s watching.”
Whether or not Scheffler actually was watching, the competition employs a handful of golfy elements, with a shotgun start announcing when lines could be cast, as well as a rules official regularly joining the broadcast to explain that the size of the dorsal fin helps determine if a fish is a striped, black or blue marlin. (If you think the Rules of Golf are complex, tune in to the SFC, where teammates can help adjust a catcher’s seat, but cannot touch the rod, reel or line.)
In short: certain fish are worth more points than others, which we learned with about 90 minutes left as Scheffler’s squad caught a blue marlin, worth the most points because its not as common in that area. We’ll call that the equivalent of making eagle on the 72nd hole to post the clubhouse lead. Moments after time expired, Floyd brought it back to Scheffler:
“Scottie Scheffler, congratulations — you’ve got another title in 2025,” which prompted color commentator Peter Miller to jump in with an esoteric question: “I wonder if Scottie Scheffler has ever kissed the crystal? I know he’s kissed a lot of cups, but maybe not the crystal?’’
Miller was referring to the marlin-shaped crystal trophy awarded to the Lone Stars. Seconds later, an AI-generated image of Scheffler holding the angling trophy flashed on the screen. If that wasn’t enough of the broadcast getting out a bit over its skis, Floyd added: “Man, I’m a golfer. I live in the Dallas-Forth Worth metroplex. I’d love for him to take me out someday.”
That’s a Hail Mary cast, mate. It’s unclear if Scheffler is a “fish-head,” as the angling-obsessed are called, or if this is a more passive ownership stake. But the team hopes to get Scheffler out for a fishing day this fall, once scheduling allows for it. He did offer a quote via press release:
“I could not be more proud of the club for winning the season championship in our inaugural year of competition,” Scheffler said. “It is a testament to their talent and determination to overcome the pressure of the moment, and for their resilience to overcome a tough start to the season to even be in the hunt. There’s no ‘quit’ in this team.”
