LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — The question was a little on the morbid side, which Scottie Scheffler enjoyed only because it was different from anything he had heard the last four years while winning a staggering 27% of his tournaments. The answer made perfect sense.
If he were to be cremated when his time on Earth was done, where in golf would he want some of his ashes to be scattered?
It took only a few seconds before Scheffler replied: “The range at Royal Oaks. That’s where I spend most of my time.”
That’s where Scheffler spent his time in the weeks before leaving Dallas to start his season in the California desert, where he lurked around the lead for three days at The American Express and then suddenly — but not unexpectedly — he was up by six shots. That seems to happen a lot with him.
There is skill, yes, but there is work.
Scheffler speaks endlessly about preparation, whether that’s getting stronger in the gym or grooving a swing that rarely misses. When he wins, he picks the ball out of the cup and stuffs it in his pocket like he just finished a money game at Royal Oaks. Then it’s time to go home and get ready for the next one.
“Rinse and repeat,” he said with a grin on the 18th green Sunday at PGA West.
How long can it last? Winning doesn’t get old, but the work that goes into it can. It’s reasonable to wonder if the routine, the grind, can lead to burnout.
But there’s always the range at Royal Oaks, where Scheffler first showed up as a 6-year-old and Randy Smith spent two hours watching the kid’s long swing make solid contact, time after time.
“At certain levels there’s definitely risk of burnout,” Scheffler said after his four-shot victory, his ninth time winning by at least that much on the PGA Tour. “I think that’s why you have to strike a balance. But I like routine. I like practicing. I like working out. I like doing what I need to do in order to play well. That’s still fun for me.
“I think if somebody was making me do it, then it would be a lot harder,” he said. “But I don’t feel pressure from anything external to do the things I do.”
It’s not all fun. But everything has purpose.
“Like when I wake up early, do I want to get in the cold tub every morning? Absolutely not,” Scheffler said. “But it’s something that helps me in order to play well. Did I dread doing cardio? Yeah. But I always love to practice.”
Scheffler uses the word “fun” regularly, and winning makes it more enjoyable. Fun is not so much the art of lifting a trophy but seeing the work pay off.
His latest victory was his 20th on the PGA Tour and 23rd overall — one of those an Olympic medal in Paris — all within the last four years. He joined Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only players with four majors and 20 PGA Tour wins before turning 30.
Jason Day is among those amazed at what Scheffler is doing. He speaks from experience of not only of being No. 1 in the world but winning seven times over 17 starts on the PGA Tour a decade ago. Scheffler has won 14 times over his last 35 starts, with no indication of slowing.
“That is one of the most difficult things to do, to stay hungry to the point of not being satisfied,” Day said. “Because it’s very easy to get satisfied out here. You win a couple of times, you’re like, ‘Well, I’m kind of relaxed and I can coast for a little bit.’ And it seems like he never wants to relax.
“He always does his work, needs to do whatever he needs to do to be able to prepare, and he’s always around the lead.”
Rinse and repeat, along with the range at Royal Oaks.
This is a golf nerd to the highest degree. Maybe the toughest challenge facing Scheffler is how to switch off. He played pickleball a few years ago. He was big into coffee. Those are diversions but also distractions. He needs them.
“I spend most of my time thinking about golf,” he said. “I have to force myself to think about other things or I’ll start thinking about golf. So if I want to take a break, I have to dive in to do something. It’s not just a game. This is my work.”
While it’s a new year, he said at the start of last week it didn’t feel like one. The difference is Scheffler comes into 2026 with momentum, not stitches in his right hand that he sliced open with a wine glass while making ravioli during the holidays in 2024.
Last year he technically missed only two tournaments he normally plays. It felt like it cost him three months considering he effectively had to start over with his offseason plan of conditioning and practice. He didn’t really start hitting his stride until the end of March. That was the last time he finished out of the top 10, a streak now at 16 in a row on the PGA Tour.
Maybe he’s just getting started. What’s next? A week at home, for starters, that no doubt will include time on the range at Royal Oaks.
“There’s nothing better than hitting the ball exactly the way you want to,” Scheffler said. “That’s one of the best feelings ever.”
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On The Fringe analyzes the biggest topics in golf during the season. AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
