World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has opened up about the physical and mental toll of being under constant scrutiny, revealing that the stress of competition once left him unable to eat for a week before a major tournament. In a candid interview, Scheffler discussed his indifference to legacy and the challenges of living in the modern golf spotlight.
Scheffler on Legacy: Not Playing for History
Scheffler, who made headlines before last year's Open with his 'what's the point' speech, elaborated on his views about legacy. 'I don’t really play for a place in history. This is going to sound a little morbid, at the end of the day, I’m going to live my life and it’s going to end. When it ends, I’m going somewhere else and I’m not going to be here anymore,' he said. 'Legacy and all that stuff was never really something that motivated me. For me, it was always competition.'
He added that understanding his 'why' brings him peace. 'My why hasn’t really changed. It would almost be easier if I didn’t want to win this badly. If losing didn’t hurt so much, it might be easier to play.'
Physical Impact of Stress: Stomach Issues Before Majors
Scheffler recalled the physical symptoms he experienced early in his career, particularly before the 2017 US Open at Erin Hills. 'The week before, I got this indigestion in my stomach where I wasn’t able to eat and your body responds to stress in certain ways. So going into US Open at Erin Hills, I almost couldn’t eat for like a week before it. My stomach hurt. I was burping up chunks of food. They were giving me stuff so I could digest things,' he revealed.
Despite these challenges, Scheffler has learned to cope. 'I think I’ve gotten to a better place mentally where it doesn’t stress me as much.' He also noted that he will miss the intensity after retirement: 'When I retire and I sit back, I’m going to miss the feeling of waking up in the morning and not being able to eat breakfast because your stomach hurts because you’re anticipating the day.'
The Burden of the Spotlight in the Modern Era
Scheffler also spoke about the constant recording and lack of privacy at tournaments. 'Especially in this day and age, there’s just a lot of noise all the time at golf tournaments. For instance, this week, I show up on Sunday thinking there’s not going to be any fans out there. We get out there on the first and there’s fans out there. I love being able to play in front of fans. That’s a tremendous amount of fun. But like I get to the bunker on the first hole and I turn around and within six feet of me there’s literally like two cameras right in my face.'
He added, 'I think, just being in the spotlight all the time puts a burden on a player in this day and age. Everything is being recorded. When they say hello to you, they’ve got their cell phone out. Sometimes you can be like you’re walking on eggshells a little bit and that can drain people. I’m very far from a perfect person. I’m trying to find the right words, but I think just sometimes it can be hard when you’re being recorded all the time.'
