FORT WORTH, Texas – Scotty Schaeffler is skipping some of the usual prep work for the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial after winning the PGA Championship last weekend.
The world’s No. 1 does not want to be misunderstood with a focus on rest and recovery.
“It wasn’t just a show-out in Fort Worth to walk around and celebrate last week,” Schaeffler said Wednesday. “I’m here for the reason I’m here. It’s not just about playing some ritual rounds and then riding the sunset. I’m here. It’s about competing.”
Schaeffler’s third major set him as the first player after Dustin Johnson won the PGA Tour three times in a row in 2017.
He won his hometown CJ Cup Byron Nelson, north of Dallas two weeks before the PGA, skipping the $20 million signature event at the Trust Championship before winning the Cool Hollow.
Colonial is not at the level of Schaeffler’s Nelson, who attended the event for years as a child and made his professional debut 11 years ago. Still, Colonial is located in Texas and isn’t too far from family and friends in Dallas.
“I think you can sleep in your own bed and play golf tournaments, but that’s a good thing,” Schaeffler said. “I love the golf course here. I think it’s a great test. It’s also one of the big reasons why I try to come to this event every year, and it’s just because of the golf course.”
This is the fourth time Schaeffler has had a chance to score three consecutive starts since 2022. Another important feat in that span is taking part in Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to win 15 wins before turning 29.
Johnson’s 3 peats in 2017 include Genesis Invitational, WGC-Mexico Championship, and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
Now that he’s returned to his crazy soccer hometown, Schaeffler was asked if his unusual show of raw emotion when pounding the cap on the green after winning the PGA was his version of soccer spikes.
“When I played football, I didn’t get too many touchdowns, so I didn’t go through that much,” Schaeffler said. “I have nothing to say about it. I think I just let my emotions come out a bit, and I think that’s where my brain decided it wanted to go.
Only one player celebrated by Byron Nelson and Colonial’s 18th Green in the same year. Hogan from 1946.
This report uses information from the Associated Press.
