The veteran caddie has been laughing all the way to the bank this season as his boss, Scottie Scheffler, banked more than $62 million. But he also has Scheffler’s back and on Saturday he took offense to a fan making crude comments about the Texan’s spouse, Meredith.
We won’t stoop to repeating this bonehead’s words but it wasn’t cool, totally uncalled for, not to mention inappropriate. It also sent Scott into a rage. He went outside the ropes on the 16th hole at Royal Montreal during Saturday’s afternoon foursomes match to confront the fan.
Gabby Herzig of The Athletic first reported the story on her social media. She also noted that Scheffler’s father confirmed that the fan was kicked out of the tournament. But not before Scott went to get to the bottom of it. A member of the International Team’s inner circle witnessed the scene and said that Scott yelled, “Who’s the (jerk) who said that?”
Asked after the match if he was distracted by what transpired on 16, Henley said, “No, not really. Once it happened, we just kind of refocused and got back in it.”
LOUISVILLE — After answering questions for the better part of April on the pending birth of his first child, Scottie Scheffler officially became a father. He and wife have Meredith welcomed son Bennett to the world last week.
“It’s a pretty amazing feeling,” Scheffler told Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis. “It was fun times at the Scheffler home, for sure.”
The world No. 1 won the Masters and RBC Heritage back-to-back in April before shutting it down and heading home to Dallas as to await the birth of their first child. While Scheffler hasn’t announced publicly the date of the birth, he was on site at Valhalla Golf Club on Monday just as PGA Championship week is getting underway with a field of 156 golfers gathering for the season’s second major.
Scheffler said he told his father he didn’t want to leave, but he knew he had to honor his commitment to play this week.
“I’m called to come out here to do things to the best of my ability and so showing up this week especially with the forecast the next couple of days (for rain) I knew I had to be here today to get some practice in,” he said.
Making his way to the range early Monday afternoon, Scheffler stopped on the practice green for a few minutes to chat with Jon Rahm, a former World No. 1, a fellow Masters champion, and most importantly, a fellow member of Scheffler’s newest club. Rahm is a father to two young sons, Kepa and Eneko, and he and his wife, Kelly, announced in March that a third child is on the way.
PGA pool reporter Jeff Babineau noted that on his way to sign a few autographs, Rahm was asked if he had given Scheffler any good tips on first-time fatherhood. Rahm laughed. “I’m sure right now, he welcomes talking about anything but golf,” he said.
Scheffler, who skipped the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in his hometown of Dallas and withdrew from last week’s Wells Fargo Championship, played the back nine with Sam Burns and Wyndham Clark. Scheffler is expected to speak to the media on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Speaking after winning the Masters for the second time, Scheffler said during his news conference, “What I’m looking forward to most, I think, about being a parent is being able to love my child like my parents loved me.”
“When it comes to having a kid, every single person says that it changes your life and it’s the most special thing in the world,” he added. “Marriage has been such a tremendous aspect of my life, I cannot even imagine what being a parent is going to be like.”
Scottie Scheffler walks the first fairway with his wife, Meredith, during the Par 3 Contest ahead of the 2023 Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Network)
Now that wait is over and the real work begins.
Asked how long it would take before he put it a plastic club in his child’s hand, Scheffler said, “You know, it’s funny. I watch my nephew a lot. My older sister had her first child, and he turns two in June. Some people want to be like their parents and some people don’t want to be like their parents, and Hayes is a kid that wants to be just like his dad, and his dad loves grass, and I got a video from my sister the other day of Hayes following his dad around in the backyard. His dad was mowing the lawn, and Hayes was following him with his plastic lawn mower. And Andrew loves to play golf; Hayes loves to play golf.
“What’s my kid going to like? Who the heck knows. Who knows what they will pick up on. But whatever it is, you know, I’m just, I just want to be there to support him. Doesn’t matter what they are doing.”
Congratulations to the Schefflers.
Scottie Scheffler arrived at the PGA Championship after the birth of his son.
With a late April due date, it’s possible that Scheffler may play a limited schedule ahead of the PGA Championship.
ORLANDO — Scottie Scheffler and his wife, Meredith, are expecting the couple’s first child in late April. NBC’s Dan Hicks mentioned the pregnancy on the air on Sunday as cameras showed a very pregnant Meredith, who walked the Bay Hill Club & Lodge course during the final round along with Scottie’s parents.
The 27-year-old Scheffler, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational for his seventh career PGA Tour title, tied the knot in 2020 and had this to say to PGA Tour Sirius/XM Radio about expecting their first child.
“It’s going to be pretty wild. I don’t think it’s hit either of us quite yet, maybe sometime when the baby is moving around in her stomach a bunch, but it’s an exciting time for us as a family,” he said. “It’s been a pretty exciting last seven months or so and we’re looking forward to hopefully getting the baby out of there nice and healthy and with a healthy momma and then we’ll go from there.”
Scheffler said he will play this week at the Players Championship and do his final pre-Masters prep in Houston and take the week off before the Masters, which begins April 11. With a late April due date, it’s possible that Scheffler may play a limited schedule ahead of the PGA Championship in Louisville beginning May 12.
After Scheffler finished his radio interview, he headed back to the 18th green at Bay Hill for the award ceremony, where he received the red alpaca sweater that Palmer made famous. He turned to Meredith, who was some 50 feet behind him and said, “Hustle up.”
“I’m not exactly fast these days,” she replied.
Here’s wishing the Schefflers well in the final trimester.
