One would think, coming off the year that he had, Scheffler’s quiet fall would have been focused on recovery and maintaining his status quo. Instead, Scheffler showed up to the Albany Course with a new putting grip on shorter putts, something between a “saw” and “claw” depending on your preferred nomenclature. That may seem ill-advised on the heels of his tour de force ’24, especially since Scheffler is a relatively solid putter from mid-to-short range. Yet Scheffler was also not obtuse to what was happening inside 10 feet (139th on tour), so he waited until his offseason to address his stroke, switching his grip depending on distance.
“I would say I’m always looking for ways to improve and I felt like this was something that we had looked at last year when [putting coach Phil Kenyon) and I first started working together, but it was really our first time working together and it’s something that’s different than what I’ve done in the past,” Scheffler said Thursday. “You know, this year I had thought about it from time to time and it was something that we had just said let’s table that for the end of the season, take a look at it. Took a look at it this offseason and figured this is a good week to try stuff just because you can practice and practice and do all the stuff at home, but there’s just something different about being in competition.”
The move worked: Scheffler ranked third in putting this week, gaining over 3.8 strokes on the greens against the field.
But then there was the event itself. This week is more of a celebration than competition for most players. To gain entry into the Hero means you’ve had a solid campaign, with a guaranteed six-figure payday, a generous world-rankings boost, and—most importantly—a laidback, de facto vacation for yourself, family and friends. Scheffler used the Hero as a lab to experiment the new grip in a game-like situation, and asserted earlier in the week that it’s not the money or points or fame that spurs him on, but the challenge the sport presents. Be it during an exhibition, practice in Texas, or against the world’s best, Scheffler is only interested in the battle.
“As far as I’m concerned, I don’t play golf for money,” Scheffler said. “I’ve been playing golf my whole life for free and the money’s just a bonus. If somebody wants to pay us to come out here and play golf, that’s great, I’m not going to say no to it. I’m going to do the best I can in my community to steward that money well.
“If we’re getting paid to play—should we be getting paid the money we get paid to play in these tournaments now? We get paid pretty dang well to play in golf tournaments. I want to win just as bad for zero dollars as I do for whatever millions of dollars it is. The money’s not my motivation, it’s not something I think about, it’s just a bonus that happens when you’re out here playing tournaments. It’s a very nice thing to have.”
For those scoring at home, he did pocket a million for the Hero, pushing him past $30 million in prize money this season. Counting bonus pools—including $25 million for winning the FedEx Cup—his total haul was $62.5 million. Yet monetary figures is no way to encapsulate Scheffler’s season.
