Scottie Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott, has opened up about the devastating family emergency that forced him to step away from his PGA Tour duties earlier this month.
The World No. 1 was without his trusted looper during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship and the BMW Championship. In Scott’s absence, Scheffler relied on close friend and PGA Tour chaplain Brad Payne in Memphis, before turning to Chris Kirk’s caddie Michael Cromie in Maryland.
The pair reunited at the Tour Championship, where Scheffler finished inside the top 10 at the PGA Tour’s $40 million season finale.
In a video posted to Instagram, Scott revealed that his nephew, Joel, had suffered a serious injury. Though he avoided specifics, Scott described the situation as the most difficult experience of his life.
“Many of you know I left the St. Jude Classic early and didn’t caddie on Sunday,” Scott said. “Why? Because we had a devastating family emergency, probably the hardest thing I’ve ever walked through in my entire life.
“One of the things God has taught me through all of this is that we’re helpless. I can’t fix the situation, and I’ve had to watch my family grieve. But while I feel helpless, I’m not hopeless.”
To show support, players and staff at East Lake wore neon yellow ribbons on their hats in honor of Scott’s nephew.
Scheffler entered the final round at East Lake just four shots behind the lead and briefly looked poised to mount another charge. But his challenge unraveled on the 15th hole, where a tee shot into the water led to a costly double bogey. England’s Tommy Fleetwood capitalized to secure his first PGA Tour victory.
Afterward, Scheffler reflected on his season and looked ahead to the Ryder Cup, sending a stern message to his competitors.
“For me, nothing really changes,” he said. “I’m not satisfied with where I’m at. I’m always trying to get a little bit better, and that’s what I love about golf—you’re never done improving.”
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