“Jon just beating the cr*p out of me” – Scottie Scheffler could retain the World No. 1 spot from Jon Rahm at the 2023 PGA Championship
The 2023 PGA Championship will see World No. 1 Jon Rahm and No. 2 Scottie Scheffler go up against each other. The two top athletes will once again face off for the top-ranking spot at Oak Hill. Ahead of the competition, the golfers have confirmed that they have their eyes set on the prize.
Masters champion Jon Rahm currently leads the Official World Golf Rankings. The golfer, who has had a near-perfect year so far, seems comfortable on top of the ranking. However, he faces a strong challenge from Scheffler, who could mathematically retain the No. 1 spot at the PGA Championship this weekend. The golfer on Tuesday hinted that he could be looking for revenge as he opened up about Jon “beating the cr*p” out of him in different competitions.
The Texan golfer, who has already won the WM Phoenix Open and The Players Championship this season, revealed that the many defeats he faced this year have been motivating him.
Speaking ahead of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, Scottie Scheffler said:
“I definitely want to play well, and there's various things that can motivate me. I wouldn't say Jon doesn't motivate me. I think any time you see guys playing really good golf, you want to be doing the same thing.
"So, whether it's Jason Day beating me last week [at the AT&T Byron Nelson where he finished T5] down the stretch or Jon just beating the cr*p out of me at a couple of different tournaments this year, it's always motivating when you don't do what you want to do, and that's usually trying to win the tournament.”
One more day of practice.
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Furthermore, Scheffler exuded confidence in his game. The golfer, who could take back the World No. 1 spot this weekend, said that he was focused on the task at hand.
Scheffler said:
“I feel like my game is in a good spot. My swing feels like it normally does, which is good. Just hoping to clean up just a few little things here and there and looking forward to trying to tackle this golf course this week.”
Scottie Scheffler has not finished outside the top 12 since October of 2022.
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T5 https://t.co/AvDZx4GZEW
Jon Rahm favorite to win the 2023 PGA Championship
It is pertinent to note that beating Jon Rahm will be a big task for Scheffler. The Spaniard is in stellar form coming into the major. Having won four PGA Tour titles this year, including the Masters for his second major, Rahm is considered favorite to win at Oak Hill.
Much like Scheffler, Rahm also revealed that he’s mentally locked in for the title this weekend. Speaking ahead of the event, the golfer said on Tuesday:
“I'm confident. I feel good. It's been a great year. It's been an amazing year. I'm just hoping to keep adding more to it. It's been a lot of fun, and hopefully I can keep riding that wave.”
It is pertinent to note that Rahm will become the first golfer since Brooks Koepka in 2019 to win two majors in a season. Moreover, he will also become the first since Jordan Spieth in 2015 to win the first two of the calendar year if he lifts the PGA Championship trophy on Sunday.