Scottie Scheffler details the “state of mind” he tries to stay in amid all the noise and expectations ahead of 2024 Masters
Scottie Scheffler is the world's top-ranked golfer and is generally the most covered athlete in the sport save for a few legendary players. Aware of the amount of coverage and attention he has on him, he tries his best to tune it out.
Ahead of the Masters this weekend, Scheffler spoke on what he does to keep himself focused.
Scheffler said:
"When I first came out, there wasn't a lot of stuff being written about me. There wasn't a ton of hype surrounding me, I was just one of the guys that was coming out. If you have success out here, more and more people have stuff to write about you, some of it good, some of it bad. I just try to do my best to not see any of it."
He continued, adding that each sort of coverage affects him differently, so he prefers tuning out people's opinions of him and just focusing on his game:
"If I see too much of the good, I'll probably start thinking too highly of myself... If I'm reading the bad, I'll try to focus too much on proving people wrong. I've always been at my best when I wasn't thinking about what people thought of me, I was just executing shots and doing my best out there. It's the state of mind that I try to stay in as much as possible."
Scheffler is becoming known for his even temperament, part of that being his refusal to look at what anyone is saying or thinks of him. He doesn't get arrogant because he read a few puff pieces that paint him as the greatest, nor does he get too discouraged and off his game because something else implied that he was overrated.
The PGA Tour star is one of the most talented golfers in the world, and he's the highest-ranked one, too. And to stay that way, he's focusing purely on the sport in front of him, not the noise around it.
When does Scottie Scheffler tee off at the Masters?
Scottie Scheffler will have a ton of eyes on him during the Masters. At Augusta National, he will be the favorite. He's not the only noteworthy or interesting player there, as Jon Rahm the defending champion, and Rory McIlroy in search of a career Grand Slam come to mind as well, but he's the betting favorite and expected to win.
Scheffler is slated to tee off at 10:42 AM EST tomorrow (Thursday, April 11) and is part of one of the most interesting pairings in the tournament, with both Xander Schauffele and McIlroy teeing off at the same time as him.
Scheffler is in top form heading into the Masters. He won two straight starts and was a short putt and a potential playoff away from winning a third in a row. The two he won were a Signature Event (Arnold Palmer Invitational) and the Players Championship, both of which boast deep and talented fields.