WM PHOENIX OPEN

February 13, 2022

Scottie Scheffler

TPC Scottsdale

Press Conference

DOUG MILNE: We'll get started with a very sincere congratulations, Scottie Scheffler, first-time PGA TOUR winner comes right here at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open. Obviously it's been a long time coming. Congratulations. Just some opening thoughts on your initial reaction to having become a TOUR winner and here at the WM Phoenix Open.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, initial thoughts, I don't really have too much. I'm just very pleased how today played out. I kept telling myself there would be some bumps in the road, and I definitely gave myself a few of those with the bogeys, but I hung in there tough and had a nice finish to the round to get in a playoff, and from there just tried to hang in there and execute some shots, and I'm very pleased to see that putt go in.

At the time I thought it was just to keep the playoff going, and so I guess it was nice seeing Patrick's putt not go in, and then able to celebrate a little bit.

DOUG MILNE: With this win you move to No. 4 in the FedExCup, and I know we kind of ambushed you with interviews and you said you haven't had a chance to let it sink in. Moving forward, I guess the answer will reveal itself as time goes on, but how much does this do for your motivation and confidence going forward?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, it's great. Definitely nice to get my first win under the belt, and I think the first one is probably always the hardest, and I definitely made it pretty difficult on myself today, and going into the playoff and having to beat a player like Patrick is pretty tough.

Just very pleased that I was able to do it.

Q. You mentioned some bumps in the road; you had a guy, Ted Scott, who's got like 13 of these victories or something like that on TOUR. There has to be a little regrouping in every round. How did you guys regroup with those bogeys that you made, and how did you regroup after missing the five-and-a-half footer on the last hole in regulation?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, it's just a battle out there, and Teddy does a really good job of keeping me level-headed, and I think we work really well together. We had a lot of fun together even through all the bogeys and stuff. We never felt totally out of the golf tournament, and I looked at him on 14 green, we were only I think maybe two back at the time, and I think I was a little bit surprised still to be that close to the lead.

He just did a good job keeping me in it mentally and keeping me focused on the task at hand.

Q. Seems to always come down to the last three holes in this tournament because you can make anything on 17 especially. How do you feel like you played those three holes?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I feel like I played them well. I hit a really nice shot on 16 and a good putt. Both of them didn't go as far as I thought they were going to; the 9-iron didn't and neither did the putt.

17 I got it out there in play and put it in position and made a nice up-and-down.

Then 18 I did everything I could to make a birdie to close it out. I think I just hit the putt a little bit firm through the break. Other than that, it was a decent putt. It wasn't a great putt, obviously, because it didn't go in, but hit it decently solid, just a little firm.

Q. There was talk that the 16 green might have been affected by all the beer cans and debris coming down. Did you notice anything when you were playing 16 the last two days, any limitations that affected your putting line or anything like that?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: No, I don't think so. I mean, it was pretty funny to watch that yesterday with all the beer cans flying -- did someone make a hole-in-one again today?

Q. Carlos.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Oh, Carlos did it? Okay, that's funny. Good for Carlos. Maybe that's why my putt didn't get to the hole, I don't know.

No, I mean, it's such a fantastic hole. Whatever they're going to do is whatever they're going to do. Watching the videos of the guys throwing the beer on the green is pretty funny.

Q. Do you like playing the same hole over and over again in a playoff or would you prefer it be a mix?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Honestly in the playoff I would prefer a hole that would go left to right because Patrick likes to draw the ball off the tee and I like to fade it, so I would have liked for it to have been a different hole. But obviously I performed well in the playoff, so I'm still pleased with that one.

Q. When you're as great a golfer as you are, do you think that first win is going to come, or do you think when is that first win going to come?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: To be honest with you, I don't really think about it too often. For me, I just like trying to improve. I like trying to get better. I like playing golf out here. It's fun for me. I feel like it's where I'm meant to be. So for me I'm just trying to prepare and get ready. The only time I really think about it is when you guys ask me these kind of questions.

I think Meredith, my wife, does a good job of keeping me level-headed and not placing too much emphasis on golf, so when we're at home we're at home and we're having a good time, and when I'm out practicing I'm out practicing and trying to get better.

Q. WM Phoenix Open has been one of the rowdiest and out-of-the-ordinary TOUR events. Would you like to see more TOUR events adapt to this sort of nature and make the game more energetic and fun for the audience?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think it's a pretty fun event. It's definitely different than a lot of the other events we play out here, but it's certainly a lot of fun. I think if it was like this every week, it would be pretty draining. But to have it a couple times a year would be pretty fun. I think with the stadium hole at Sawgrass, the 16th here, I think the Byron Nelson at home is trying to do a little something with the 17th hole there. The environment is really fun to be around.

Q. Was there anything missing from your game pre-Teddy to now? Looks like the ball just kind of finally went in at the right time and there wasn't any really huge change. What's been the difference with you guys' partnership since the RSM?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, you know, it's tough to really say exactly what's going on between us, but I think we kind of sit on the same wavelength. We get along really well. He does a good job keeping me level-headed and making jokes and having fun.

He's a really, really hard worker, which I appreciate. I have a lot of faith in him as a caddie and I trust him on the golf course, and it really helps me kind of believe in myself. Just having him out there by my side is extremely helpful.

Q. What are your thoughts on Theegala's future? Do you think he can make it out here? What do you think about his potential?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think he's got a ton of potential. He's obviously really talented, hits a lot of different golf shots, which on firm, fast major championship tests, that's kind of where you can separate yourself with being able to hit all kinds of shots.

It's tough getting started out here. It's tough playing with leads. It's tough playing in this environment, and he handled himself great today, just didn't execute there towards the end. Got a really, really bad break on 17 to have that ball go in the water. So the sky's the limit for him and I'm excited to see where his career is going to go.

DOUG MILNE: Scottie, congratulations. You're good to go.