Newly-minted Masters champion Scottie Scheffler said he’s “trying to glorify God” through his golf career, giving all the credit to the Lord as he spoke with reporters Sunday about his stunning victory.
The 25-year-old Texan credits prayer for giving him peace on an anxious weekend.
Scottie Scheffler won his first Masters tournament Sunday with a dominant final round, ending the four-day event at 10-under-par and edging second-place Rory McIlroy by three strokes.
“That all goes back to my faith,” Scheffler said after being asked how he balances his desire to golf competitively without letting it define him as a person. “The reason why I play golf is: I’m trying to glorify God and all that He’s done in my life.”
The 25-year-old champion golfer didn’t stop there. He went on to say his “identity isn’t a golf score” and shared how his wife, Meredith, recently offered an encouraging reminder of that reality.
“Like Meredith told me this morning, she says, ‘If you win this golf tournament today if you lose this golf tournament by 10 shots if you never win another golf tournament again,’ she goes, ‘I’m still going to love you, you’re still going to be the same person, Jesus loves you, and nothing changes,’” Scheffler said. “And all I’m trying to do is glorify God, and that’s why I’m here, and that’s why I’m in this position.”
It was his first major championship but his fourth overall in less than two months. In March, he became the world’s No. 1 golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings at a record pace, with a mere 42 days passing from his first victory to being ranked in the top spot. The previous record, held at the time by Tiger Woods, was 252 days.
Asked during a Sunday news conference what drives him, Scheffler pointed to his faith.
“The reason why I play golf is because I’m trying to glorify God and all that He’s done in my life,” Scheffler told media members. “And so for me, my identity isn’t a golf score.”
But on Sunday morning, Scheffler was nervous.
“I cried like a baby this morning. I was so stressed out,” said Scheffler, who lives in Texas and golfed at the University of Texas. “I didn’t know what to do.”
Scheffler said he told his wife, “I don’t think I’m ready for this.” His wife offered faith-centric words of encouragement. Scheffler’s wife, he said, told him that God is in control of his life.
“The Lord is leading me, and if today is my time, then it’s my time,” he said, referencing his outlook on Sunday morning. “And if, you know, I shot 82 today, you know somehow I was going to use it for His glory. … All I’m trying to do is glorify God. And that’s why I’m here. And that’s why I’m in this position. And so, for me, it’s not about a golf score.”
(Agencies. With inputs from CBN, Christian Headlines; Picture Courtesy: Reuters)
