As the echoes of Scotty Scheffler's triumph at the 2024 Masters still reverberate, we take you inside the ropes for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the drama that unfolded on Augusta's hallowed grounds. Feel the tension and glory with runner-up Ludwig Oberg, as he opens up about the rollercoaster of his first major championship appearance, and how his duel with Scheffler sharpened his thirst for the pinnacle of golfing success. Meanwhile, Alex offers a candid recount of the shot that could've changed it all, providing an intimate perspective on the fine line between victory and learning moments in professional golf.
As the echoes of Scotty Scheffler's triumph at the 2024 Masters still reverberate, we take you inside the ropes for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the drama that unfolded on Augusta's hallowed grounds. Feel the tension and glory with runner-up Ludwig Oberg, as he opens up about the rollercoaster of his first major championship appearance, and how his duel with Scheffler sharpened his thirst for the pinnacle of golfing success. Meanwhile, Alex offers a candid recount of the shot that could've changed it all, providing an intimate perspective on the fine line between victory and learning moments in professional golf.
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Speaker 1:Now a special edition of PGA Tour Countdown, along with the Golf Talk America live from the Azalea House at the 2024 Masters. Well, there you have it. Welcome in to PGA Tour Countdowns live from Augusta Sunday night edition. Live from Augusta Sunday night edition. What a day, what a tournament, what a finish. And, of course, mr Inevitable Scotty Scheffler is your 2024 champion. Valiant effort by some others. It was all over at 16, really it was Scotty's, but congratulations, scotty Scheffler. What a performance down the stretch to pull away from the boys that were chasing him. I'm Frank Bassett, live in Augusta, and this is the Sunday night wrap up of the Masters. Let's get to it and play you a few interviews, then I'll wrap a ball around this thing and we'll all go to bed and have a good night's sleep and get ready for another week on the PGA Tour. Here we go.
Speaker 2:Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Please welcome Ludwig Oberg to the interview center. Ludwig, it's your first major championship. It's your first Masters. You secured a runner-up finish, Congratulations.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Could you give us your thoughts on the experience, please?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean. First of all, playing here at Augusta National is a dream come true. Just to be in this situation and to feel the nerves and feel the pressure walking down the last couple of holes is what you dream of. This is what I've been wanting to do for such a long time and it's quite surreal to actually have the opportunity to experience it. But I'm so proud of me myself and all the people in my team and my family and everyone involved.
Speaker 2:Thank you. We'll take questions in both English and Swedish. Yes, please.
Speaker 5:Congratulations. Can you talk about your competitor? You always want to do the best and I guess in your mind you always expect to do the best. But how great a result is this for you? And don't be humble. What do you see in the future for yourself?
Speaker 4:this for you and don't be humble. What do you see in the future for yourself? Uh, yeah, I mean, I think, as a competitor, you should, you should expect those things from yourself and um, and that's the same with me. I felt like, coming into this week, I felt like I was playing well and I was swinging the way I wanted to, and um, but you know there's so much more to golf. There's a lot of things that needs to come together and I felt like we did a lot of good stuff the last couple of weeks. We've been working on a few things me and my team, my coaches and it's it's nice to see that kind of come through on this stage and to know that I'm able to pull off a certain, certain amount of shots and then hit the puss the way I wanted to, and it's just very encouraging and I want to do it again and again, I think.
Speaker 5:Can you talk a bit about what you see yourself doing in the future? What are your goals? What are your dreams?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean, I think you know everyone in my position they're going to want to be major champions, they're going to want to be world number ones, and it's the same. For me that's nothing different and it's been that way ever since I picked up a golf club, and that hasn't changed. I picked up a golf club and then that hasn't changed. So I think I'm just you know, this week solidifies that a lot of those things are there and we just need to keep that, keep doing those things and put ourselves in the positions to win tournaments. I think.
Speaker 6:John Ludwig Scotty's kind of shown himself to be the best player in the world for quite some time. Now has he reached the stage, do you think, where his kind of mere presence on the leaderboard makes a difference to those around him? What did you feel like today?
Speaker 4:um, I think maybe yes and no, um, it is. I mean, obviously, scotty is an unbelievable golf player, um, and and I think we all expect him to be there uh, when it comes down to the last couple holes of a tournament and, um, he's proven it again and again. I think he makes us better, he makes you want to beat him. Obviously. That's the same for me and the same for everyone else in this field, I think.
Speaker 6:You did a better job than anyone else of staying with him. If you like, Were you aware it was him rather than just someone else?
Speaker 4:uh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, I keep an eye on the leaderboard. Uh, every time you see a leaderboard, you look at it, um, and I think it's important to know what's at stake and and how you're standing and all these things, and, um, trying to figure out, like you know, what can you do on 15 and all these things. And that's the same for me. I've always been that that way. It was like that in college too, and you know, it just happens to be Scotty up there a lot.
Speaker 7:Nick Vicky you double bogey 11, and then you come back with a solid tee ball on 12, birdie 13, birdie 14. Could you describe how you were able to regroup Like what was the thought process there to after that, what happened on 11, to then bounce back like you did?
Speaker 4:uh, yeah, obviously, um, you know it wasn't ideal to hit in the water on 11. Uh, we, I think we all know that but uh, I mean, I felt like me, me and my team would focus a lot on just keep playing. Uh, no matter what happens, I think if you just keep playing, skills are going to show up, and I think once you stop playing, that's's when the skills are not showing up, and I think we did a great job of that. It was a good example of just keep playing. Just make sure that you keep the ball in front of you and you know there's a lot of holes left to be played, and I think me finishing well after those couple holes were pretty encouraging to see.
Speaker 8:David Ludwig, anybody watching you today who maybe was not that familiar with you, they would have known you were a first-timer here at Augusta and they would have been maybe taken aback, surprised at least, at how positively you played, how you seemed not to have any nerves. Was it the plan to kind of be positive, or was that just you?
Speaker 4:I think I'm always trying to be positive. I think you know this place has so many nuances to it, so many different subtle things on the greens and off the tee that I trust my caddy Joe a lot with and he's helped me tremendously this week in terms of those things. But you know, we felt like we did a great job. We it's a fine balance between being aggressive to the right spots and and not being overly aggressive because you can put yourself in some really tough tricky spots, and I felt like we did a good job all week of making sure that at least you have a chance of getting up and down and all these things. And, um, I I allude a lot to to my caddy joe for that in front, please hello um from a swedish point of view.
Speaker 9:Uh, what would you say is the success that scandinavian athletes are having in sports in general, not just in golf?
Speaker 4:uh, yeah, I mean, I think swedes and and scandinavians are doing quite well in sports and we're we're quite similar in terms of our you know, cultures, and sweden, denmark, norway, finland, uh, we're quite similar and I think we, uh, we work pretty hard and and um, I guess we're just having some success in sports, yeah.
Speaker 11:Alex, obviously everybody's going to look at what happened at 11 and say it was a mistake. Could you kind of talk us through what you and Joe were talking about in the second shot and what were you trying to? Obviously you were trying to keep it on the ground, but what were you trying to do with that shot?
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was 190 meters, I think, a little bit into off the right. So I've been playing that same shot all week where I basically aim just right at the right edge of the green and try to drive it or draw it in there. Um, I tried to do the same thing today and it came out a little bit started just a little bit too far left and the wind caught it and hit it in the water. Um it was. It was probably one of the few swings this week where I really put it in the bad spot. It was probably one of the few swings this week where I really put it in the bad spot where I knew I couldn't miss left and I missed it left. But overall I think a lot of the other things I did this week kind of oversees that one shot, I think.
Speaker 11:Okay, and Peter Hansen said out there that he can't wait to see you in Kentucky for the PGA. Do you feel differently, maybe going into a PGA now, after having this under your belt, than you would have if you hadn't had this experience?
Speaker 4:I think so, I mean this being my first major championship. You never really know what it's going to be like until you're there and experience it, and I think this week has given me a lot of experiences and a lot of lessons learned in terms of those things, and it makes me really hungry and it makes me want to do it again and again. I think.
Speaker 3:Andreas In English if that's okay, sorry, in Swedish. Yes. Can you tell us that you have been Ludvig Åberg's history at home in Sweden during the Sunday evening into the afternoon here? Ludvig Åberg, you've been in Sweden for a while now. How does it feel to have contributed to the interest at home Of?
Speaker 4:course it's super fun to hear all the Swedish people. I've even heard a little out here on the court People who say hello and support us. I've also gotten a few text messages during the week that point to the same thing. So of course it's really cool to get to know all the support from home and hopefully we can give more of those Sunday evenings in the future.
Speaker 3:What do you learn about yourself as a player and person at Augusta Nationals back in the 9th during a Sunday, as a player and person at Augusta Nationals back in the 9th during a Sunday.
Speaker 4:It doesn't really get any more nervous than that. I think it's fantastic fun to be in that situation and to feel those nerves. We talk a lot about how fun it is to be allowed to have the chance to do that, that and be able to play the shots I've done and show them the way I've done them. I've learned so much this week, especially around the greens, on the greens in the greens, and looking forward to doing it again Focus-wise.
Speaker 3:how big of a challenge is this?
Speaker 4:I look forward to doing it again, focus-wise. How big of a challenge is this? No, absolutely. Today I was a little nicer with a little less wind, but especially the first two days I was completely exhausted on the evening when I got home in my head. It's such a nice balance all the time between being aggressive and being on the right side of the flag and giving yourself the easiest shot back. You can't really relax. There's no real hole. You can let down the guard a little bit. Guess I could have an enklest of slag tillbaka. Man kan inte riktigt slappna av. Det är inget riktigt hål. Man kan släppa ner I gardenen lite grann. För hela tiden var jag på fokus, men tyckte att vi gjorde ett ganska bra jobb med det den här veckan.
Speaker 12:Ludvig, a couple of your Ryder Cup teammates this week have suggested that you're a future world number one.
Speaker 4:It's obviously not an easy thing to achieve without that expectation, but how do you feel when, when people like Rory McIlroy or Shane Lowry say these things about you? Um well, it's very flattering, it's very um nice of them to say those things. They don't have to say those things, um, but I think you know, to me it just tells me that we're doing some, some good things me and my team and um we're probably not going to change a whole lot, um, but obviously hearing those things from from Rory and those guys is very, very encouraging.
Speaker 7:Nick walking walking up 18. It looked like Max turned around and said something to you at one point. Would you mind sharing what he said? Maybe about like 200 yards off the tee or so. It's like it looked like you guys kind of laughed at it.
Speaker 4:I can't really remember. I think we said something about the drives. I actually can't remember. It was something like that, I think.
Speaker 9:Yes, Ludwig.
Speaker 2:Yes, Eric.
Speaker 9:Yes, you seem remarkably accepting of everything that happened to you today, the good and the bad, smiling and joking at times. But I'm just wondering when you were walking off the 18th green, you appeared to be quite emotional. Did it just hit you then what you'd achieved and what had happened during the day as you greeted your family and walked away?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think so. I mean, obviously it's a challenge to play. I guess the national and you, like I said before, you can't really put your guard down, you. You got to stay focused all the time and I think once you hold that your last putt on 18, you can kind of breathe a little bit. I think and that's what I did, and obviously, coming up and and seeing my family and my girlfriend and all these things coming up, 18 is it was really cool brian in the back, sorry in the back there, no question yes.
Speaker 3:How much do you look at climbing, the world rankings and scoring points? How much do you look at climbing there it's very exciting to see that you climb the rankings.
Speaker 4:On the other hand, I don't think that's what drives me. I just want to play well in competitions, get as high as I can, and then it becomes a bit of a byproduct of the result. Of course, the goal is to get into all the final competitions and play all the majors. The more chances I give myself to do that, the happier I get Alex please.
Speaker 11:The media has the task of usually singling people out after successes like you've had today, even though you didn't win. Are you comfortable with being the guy that's going to be, maybe A the face of golf, to some extent going forward? B knowing that people are going to talk about you from now until the PGA Championship and being one of the favorites?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean I wouldn't consider myself the face of golf Absolutely not. But obviously I'm okay with all these things that comes with it. Obviously, my main focus is to play good golf, and all the media things that comes with it is not really up to me. All I try to do is make sure that for the next tournament that I come prepared, and I think the experience that I've had this week solidifies that we're doing a lot of good stuff and that we're not going to change a whole lot.
Speaker 2:Ludwig, congratulations on your runner-up finish Very impressive, and thank you for your time with us here today. Thank you.
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Speaker 13:o slash countdown. Yeah, really good. I thought I handled myself great. Didn't make any putts. Really didn't feel like I blinked. Would love you know the ball on 12 not to go in the foot of Ivy, but I mean I hit a good shot and I just think I did that all weekend. Scotty's an amazing golfer. It's really impressive. Obviously I was going to need to play some spectacular golf today Did not, but I thought I played some really good golf, so I'm proud of that and it was a really fun weekend. Is it a case sometimes of David trying to get something picked out there and then no, I had nothing backfire really. I mean, 12 is just hard. The wind isn't where it feels, where it's supposed to be.
Speaker 13:I hit it a foot to three feet left of where I'm looking, not trying to be perfect, just trying to hit it to the left center of that green. So I felt like I did. I was very proud of that. I didn't fear off of my game plan. But you just know that he's gonna play well and you're going, he's going to be there and you're gonna have to do something special at some point, chip in, make a long putt, and I just didn't do that.
Speaker 15:Did it make?
Speaker 9:it easier, knowing that he felt it so well Easier to like swallow.
Speaker 13:Yeah, like swallow just fine, I'll be right. Max some people would say that Scotty's life will change even more today. What advice do you have for him If?
Speaker 12:he will experience life changes. It would probably be the greatest thing that could happen. Yeah, I think kind of like he will today.
Speaker 13:Just soak it in. It goes by real fast Each moment you have. You will not get again, so just appreciate kind of each step along the way, because it's crazy but it's fun and you build some amazing memories with your wife and yeah, it's chaos. It's beautiful chaos. It's very similar to golf in a way. Would you be a little?
Speaker 13:different than any other round you've played before, or not as different as you might think. Yeah, I think this morning was tough. Oddly, once we started getting going it felt back to golf again. I've always leaned back on that and the success I have had that many times. Although it's new and crazy and kind of hectic, when the golf clubs in my hand I feel like me and I've always really appreciated that about myself and I did kind of have that feeling today.
Speaker 7:What was some of how you feel now leaving this week?
Speaker 13:It's bittersweet, I guess because I feel accomplished, but I feel like it doesn't really mean anything in the grand scheme of things.
Speaker 13:But I just feel like I learned, I feel like it took a big leap. You know the rhetoric on me and and this is from myself as well as I have not performed in these things and I performed for all four days, I didn't throw a 65 in there and sleep my way and I was, I had to sleep on this every single day, this feeling and kind of this monkey on my back. So for me I think it'll change some things and then, in other ways, will change nothing at all. I don't think it ratchets it up. I actually think it might calm me down.
Speaker 13:I don't feel like I need to prove anything else to myself. Obviously I would love to prove I can win, but I know I can play in these things well. Now, the last two majors I've played quite well. So obviously I need to prove that I can win one. But winning's fickle. I know how. The way I played today is good enough to win If the putts don't go. The putts don't go. So I actually think it'll put me at ease a little bit for the majors to come.
Speaker 13:He's a commitment his mind. He is pretty amazing at letting things roll off his back and stepping up to very difficult golf shots and just training like their own, and he's obviously a tremendous talent, but he's I think that is his super power. How much did you hit on Troy?
Speaker 18:A nine iron. When you got up to the bushes, were you tense?
Speaker 13:The honest answer is it didn't feel fair. I hit a really good golf shot and it didn't feel fair. I've seen far worse just roll back down the hill. But yeah, the other I mean the professional answer is you know these things happen. What do you think tomorrow will feel like? What do I think tomorrow will feel like? I haven't drank in a really, really, really long time. I've been playing, planning for Sunday after the Masters, so probably not great. It'll be all right. Thank y'all.
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Speaker 15:Doesn't help starting two over through three in the final round of the Masters. But you know what? There's? A positive step in the right direction for me out here, learned a lot about my game and, knowing that I can do it out here, just got to conquer the putting a little bit more and make sure my speed control is better, because I'll be right up there where Scotty is now. Just went to three putted and made a few more putts.
Speaker 15:Ball striking has to be just a little bit better. Have to take advantage of the par fives. I did not take advantage of the par fives this week. That was a big weak point. Felt like I played par fours nicely and uh, the tough holes that I usually struggle on 10, 5, 11, even, um, I did my job this week with that and uh, just really disappointing on the par fives, especially with where I drove it today. All week um 13 was a little weird. I got a mud ball today. But just that's golf and you're not gonna to have everything perfect. A lot of good experience that I gained this week. I'm very proud of myself.
Speaker 11:Did you say you questioned if you belonged out here For?
Speaker 15:this tournament. Yeah, I played well here as an amateur. I had that kind of looming over my head a little bit. Everybody's talking about it's my lowest um finish. Got that out of the way, but I'm looking forward to next year. I really am. I think there's a. There's a few more things that I need to dial in with my equipment, but I'm super close it is, it is and I hope, um.
Speaker 15:It is, it is, and I hope. I don't know what the future holds, but one thing I do know is that if I get invited, I'd gratefully come back after my exemption's up.
Speaker 7:What did this week make you?
Speaker 5:feel when you step away and look back at what you felt this week.
Speaker 15:Make me felt like I could do it. There was a few moments out there where I got the tingles. It's a weird thing to say, I know, but you get the, I don't know. It's like goosebumps almost. It was early in the week too and I was like whoa, I've got to calm that down, it's too quick, too early, and so I didn't shoot under par the rest of the week and that was kind of a disappointing factor, especially after shooting seven under the first round.
Speaker 15:Yesterday and the day before were very difficult rounds.
Speaker 15:I've never seen the greens that fast, and so I'm going to make sure to go to a place where I can practice that coming into Augusta, if that does happen again, because I've got to have a better understanding of what the greens are doing at that speed and I just don't, I don't, we don't really play, and under those conditions and other than that, I felt like um, it's a lot uh to take in right now, but I'm excited for the future.
Speaker 15:I can definitely say, oh, I mean when I shot 58, that was cool. I mean that kind of was definitely a day when I, when I made that putt, it was a 40 footer I knocked that one in and I felt it when I won live Chicago as well on the second hole, when I made birdie and I striped one down the fairway on the third hole and, um, I finished on the third hole. Uh, yeah, we shotgun, obviously, um, but I finished on the, yeah, the third hole and and I just felt like that drive just gave me like the tingles. It's just, it's a sensation of like, wow, you did something really really good and really cool and um, I just got to do it for a lot longer, um, come next year, but it's definitely a step in the right direction. I'm I'm disappointed, but I'm positive. My mindset's really positive.
Speaker 17:I'm sure this week's tingles about being at a tournament with this history, this prestige, following the footsteps of legends in the game.
Speaker 12:Do you? Think you'll find it hard to get up for your next event, which is clearly an event that doesn't have that history or legacy.
Speaker 15:I mean, look, I'm always trying to win an event and even if it's a different tournament and I'm doing something really cool out there and I'm playing really well and I'm hitting it well, I'm still going to get that goosebump feeling. The history obviously plays a big part in it. I try to take it back to the fact that it's golf, even though it's difficult to do out here, it's grass, it's wind, it's a golf hole and green and got to make putts, got to hit it straight. It won't be that difficult for me. It was a lot of fun this week. I can tell you that it was a super thrill for me to experience being near the lead, being in the lead, holding the lead overnight. All that is great experience for the future for me. Thanks, guys.
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Speaker 18:Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It's a privilege to welcome our 2024 Masters champion, Scotty Scheffler. Scotty, congratulations on your great victory. Two years after your breakthrough here at Augusta National, here you are again in a green jacket as a two-time Masters champion. Can you describe your emotions as you hit your final putt today?
Speaker 19:Yeah, I'm glad I brought my stroke average, my putting average, down on 18. That was nice. Down to, you know, five strokes. Two and a half is my average, so that's not bad. No, it's uh. It's hard to put into words how special this is. I, uh, it's been a long week, a grind of a week. The golf course was so challenging, and to be sitting here wearing this jacket again and getting to take it home is, uh, it's, extremely special.
Speaker 18:Great. Let's open up to questions, john.
Speaker 17:Scotty um two part question One I see you've got some kinesiology tape on. I assume that's from your neck. And two, how was this Sunday morning different than the Sunday morning two years ago?
Speaker 19:Yeah, yeah, the Sunday morning was definitely different. Yeah, instead of just me and Merritt, the house had a couple of my buddies with me and we sat and relaxed, Tried not to think about golf, but it was increasingly difficult. But you know, they were great support for me this morning and, yeah, it was a long morning, but it was well worth it. I'm glad to be sitting here now, Don.
Speaker 20:Cody, many congratulations. Your rivals will be hoping that at some point you're going to take your eye off the ball. By the time of the next major in a month's time, you'll have a baby in your arms. What are the chances that you think you will take your eye off the ball?
Speaker 19:Well, I'm definitely not going to intentionally take my eye off the ball. I will go home soaking this victory tonight. We'll definitely enjoy the birth of my first child, but, with that being said, I still love competing. My priorities will change here very soon. My son or daughter will now be the main priority, along with my wife, so golf will now be probably fourth in line. But I still love competing. I don't plan on taking my eye off the ball anytime soon, that's for sure, doug.
Speaker 9:Buddy, what do you consider the most important shot you hit today?
Speaker 19:The most important shot. I would say that the best momentum turner that I had today was the birdie putt on eight. I had two really good shots in there along the green. I had an extremely difficult pitch that I hit up there about 10, 12 feet from the cup and it was a challenging read because it turned early and it was really straight at the end. So it was a putt that you really had to start on line and hope it held its line. And I poured that one in and then it kind of gave me some good momentum and I used that to birdie nine and ten and um, you know, keep pushing because I knew I knew there was birdies out there on the back nine I had a lot of really talented players trying to chase me down and, um, I knew pars weren't going to get it done can you explain the difference of how it feels emotionally between four putting the last screen and one putting?
Speaker 19:um, one putting is significantly easier. Um, yeah I I tried not to let my emotions get the best of me this time. I kept my head down. I don't even think I took my hat off and waved to the crowd when I was walking up 18. I did my best to stay in the moment. I wanted to finish off the tournament the right way, and I got to soak it in there after one putting instead of four putting, which was a little bit better. Chris.
Speaker 16:it in there after one putting instead of four putting, which was a little bit better. Chris Scotty. Colin was talking about how much farther you were than him on a couple of holes and how much of an advantage that is. Do you see it as just a massive mental advantage when you're a couple hundred yards, or 50, 100 yards ahead of Colin?
Speaker 19:I mean I don't know if I was that far ahead. 50 yards, 30 yards Colin may have exaggerated a little bit, but yeah, I drove the ball really well this week. I was hitting it hard. Today was a day where I was able to swing freely and around this place. I mean, distance is very important around this golf course. The fairways are fairly wide and when the greens are this firm you have to have short clubs going into these greens, especially with the little areas there are to where they put the pins. And so I would say I was swinging a bit harder this week than I would in a normal PGA Tour event, just because there's a bit more room off the tee. At a regular tour stop or US Open or something like that, my tee height may be a little bit lower and I may be hitting more different types of shots, but a lot of the drives I hit this week I was just teeing it high and hitting it hard. That's pretty much it.
Speaker 21:Ann. Congratulations, Scotty. I know you said you kept your head down all day, basically, but at any point did you allow yourself to enjoy the lead you had.
Speaker 19:Enjoy the lead. No, I think, just like any human would would, your mind starts to wander a little bit out there on the golf course. I mean, we're out there for, you know, four or five hours at a time you got to let your mind wander. Um, I tried to soak in stuff around me today. I looked up at the trees at times. I looked up at the fans occasionally and tried to soak in, you know, some of their energy, but did not ever let myself get attached to the lead, I just tried to keep pushing.
Speaker 19:I mean, I think if I would have played a little bit defensively it would have been a significantly different finish. You know, I went for the green and two on 13, was able to make birdie. I attacked the pin on 14, was able to make birdie, went for it again on 15, was able to make a nice par and I hit a really good shot there into 16 to make birdie. And so you know, if I was just trying to play for pars the whole back nine, I would have been standing there on 18 having to make par and hoping Ludwig would only make a par. And so around this golf course you have to stay aggressive, you have to hit the right shots. There's no way. There's no way around it. Out here you can't play too defensive and you can't play too aggressive. You just got to hit the and fortunately today I was able to do that, sean Martin.
Speaker 8:You say constantly that your identity is not in your golf scores. What is it about winning and competing, then that you find satisfying you?
Speaker 19:know that's a really good question. I was sitting around with my buddies this morning. I was a bit overwhelmed because I told them I was like I wish that I didn't want to win as badly as I did or as badly as I do. I think it would make the mornings easier. But I love winning. I hate losing. I really do. And when you're here in the biggest moments, when I'm sitting there with the lead on Sunday, I really, really want to win badly. And my buddies told me this morning you know my victory was secure on the cross and that's a pretty special feeling to know that I'm secure for forever and it doesn't matter, you know, whether or not I win this tournament or if I lose this tournament. Um, you know my identity is secure for forever. James.
Speaker 13:Scotty.
Speaker 18:I'm wondering what did you learn?
Speaker 21:about leading at this golf course. From your previous major masters went to this one.
Speaker 19:I think it's a difficult golf course to close out a win on. I mean there's, like I said, you can't play overly defensive. Like 12 is a good example of a hole where if you play overly defensive like where the pin is today you're trying to hit it right over that bunker, right there in the middle of the green, and if you pull it for a righty it goes further. Like you can see, max Holman the group in front of us maybe pulled his a touch and it flies into the bushes long. I mean I've hit it in the bushes long there multiple times. So you can't just sit up there and play overly defensive. You have to play to the correct spot and hit really good golf shots and I did that to the best of my abilities today and was fortunately able to hit some really key shots and make some nice birdies there on the back nine Really, from hole eight on. I just I played really really nice golf, andy.
Speaker 20:You're speaking about your faith there, scotty. Could you just tell us a bit about how much it features in your head when you're actually out there on the course? Does it help you cope with the sort of vicissitudes of the wind and things like that?
Speaker 19:Does it help you cope with the sort of vicissitudes of the wind and things like that bad breaks. Yeah, I mean, I believe that today's plans were already laid out many years ago and I could do nothing to mess up those plans. I've been given a gift of this talent and I use it for God's glory. That's pretty much it. So when I'm out there, I try to compete to the best of my abilities. Like I said, I really want to win. I feel like that's pretty much it. So when I'm out there, I try to compete to the best of my abilities. Like I said, I really want to win. Um, I feel like that's how I was designed. I've been that way since I was a young kid. Um, that's always been a part of me and I don't think that should be going away anytime soon, and I don't believe there's anything wrong with that either. But at the end of the day, win or lose, my identity is secure, Kyle.
Speaker 7:How much do you struggle with just the idea of discontentment, of needing whether it's more wins, more money, more fame to be satisfied, and when do you find yourself most content?
Speaker 19:Gosh, that's a good question. I feel like playing professional golf is an endlessly not satisfying career. For instance, in my head, all I can think about right now is getting home. I'm not thinking about the tournament, I'm not thinking about the green jacket. I'm trying to answer your questions. I'm trying to get home. I'm trying to get home. I wish I could soak this in a little bit more. Maybe I will tonight when I get home, but at the end of the day, I think that's what the human heart does. You always want more, and I think you got to fight those things and focus on what's good Because, like I said, winning this golf tournament does not change my identity. My identity is secure and I cannot emphasize that enough. Kevin.
Speaker 7:You mentioned, you know your life is going to change. Coming up. What are you looking forward most to about being a dad?
Speaker 19:Well, looking forward to the next couple weeks, hopefully getting a bit of sleep, and then a couple months of probably not getting any sleep. No, but I mean I'm excited. I think it's funny when you get married, a lot of people tend to make jokes about like, oh, your life's over, yada, yada, yada. My friends were always very excited for me to get married, but you get some people offhand just making jokes and stuff like that. 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. So I cannot. Marriage has been such a tremendous aspect of my life I cannot even imagine what being a parent is going to be like. Brian.
Speaker 21:Scotty, you seem like you're in total control right now of your game in the zone, whatever it might be. How do you feel out there and do you feel like you're playing your best golf right now?
Speaker 19:I feel like I'm playing really good golf right now. I feel like I'm in control of my emotions as I've ever been, which is a good place to be. I feel like I'm maturing as a person on the golf course, which is a good place to be. I think it's hard to argue with the results of the last few weeks. I've been playing some really nice golf, but I really try not to focus too much on the past. I, uh, I'm going to go home and reflect on this week and soak it in as best I can, but, um, you know, like I said, it's not, uh, it's not a very satisfying sport because I'm supposed to tee it up again on Thursday. So, um, back to the grind, pretty quick, adam.
Speaker 11:Scotty, was there anything Meredith said to you this morning that helped you on your way to victory today?
Speaker 19:She just asked how she could pray for me and I actually wasn't able to talk to her for very long this morning, which was unusual. But she sent a lot of prayers. My neck was bugging me a little bit and so prayed for some healing and just prayed for me to have a lot of peace out there. Had a good conversation with my buddies that were here this morning about victory and that victory or being secure. So yeah, it was a longer morning again than anticipated this year, but I would say it wasn't as long as it was a couple years ago, but still a long morning. Is that the only time this week?
Speaker 11:that your neck bothered you this morning.
Speaker 19:Yeah, I think it was. I think when you get stressed out, I think your body just reacts to it, whether or not it's a stomach ache or your body starts aching. I think my body was just reacting to the stress and yeah, that's pretty much it, Ryan.
Speaker 21:Gotti, can you take us?
Speaker 7:back to the decision that you and Randy made to hire Phil.
Speaker 19:Kenyon, and what that meant to you at the time and what it means now after Eastlake last year riding home on the plane and um sitting there talking to Blake and I, we kind of look at each other. I think we both were thinking the same thing and we both kind of looked at each other. I was like you know, I think I want to see a putting coach and Blake goes, goes. I think that's a good idea. Let's talk to Randy, and I had watched Phil before. I watched him coach players and I think when you're out here for as long as I have been, I just see stuff and I loved the way that Phil coached his players. You know, you look at a guy like Fitzy who lines up a lot of his putts and uses a putter that has a lot of swing to it. Then you look at a guy like Keegan Bradley, who Phil also teaches, who doesn't use a line on the ball, uses a big giant putter with cross-handed and he putts good. As I watched Phil, I could tell that he was open-minded and that's the type of people I like to work with. We kind of hit the ground running there in the fall. I can't speak highly enough of the decision that Randy also made to just be open-minded, not take an ego to it, just sit there, watch us work, watch Phil do his thing.
Speaker 19:Phil is also a guy that does not have a big ego. He just wants what's best for his players. And you know, I'm really, really fortunate to have those two guys as part of my team. Fortunate to have those two guys as part of my team. I can't. It's hard to. It's hard to describe what it's like. You know, having somebody I mean Randy had taught me for almost 20 years every single aspect of the game, and so for me to have to bring in somebody else could have been a shot to his ego, and he may not have wanted me to do it, but Randy sat there and he said you know what? I think this is the right time. And so we called Phil and about a week later he came in and had a visit.
Speaker 18:We worked for a couple of days and yeah, now we're here, mike Keegan in the back.
Speaker 10:Hi, scotty. I just wondered, when you talk about your own parents and your upbringing, if there was one thing from that that you will definitely use when you become a father, and also how long you think you're going to leave it until you put a plastic club in the baby's hand.
Speaker 19:Um, I guess, starting with my upbringing, you know my parents always wanted what's best for me. Um, I swear, my dad, I think, would, would lay in front of traffic if it means that I wouldn't get a scratch on my arm. I mean he would. He would die for any of his kids. I mean both my parents would. There's. There's such special people, um, and so, first and foremost, I think, how much love they had for us growing up. I mean, that's what I'm looking forward to most I think about being a parent is being able to love, love my child, like like my parents, love me.
Speaker 19:Um, how long will it take me to put a plastic glove in my, my kid's hands? Um, you know, it's funny. I I watched my nephew a lot. My, my older sister had her first child and he turns two in June, and 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 with his dad was mowing the lawn and Hayes was following him with his plastic lawnmower, and Andrew loves to play golf. Hayes loves to play golf. Um, what's my kid gonna like? Who the heck knows? Um, who knows what they'll pick up on? But whatever it is, I just want to be there to support them. It doesn't matter what they're doing.
Speaker 18:Jeffrey.
Speaker 11:Buddy, when you look across your game and the week as a whole, what do you think you did best?
Speaker 19:I would say the two aspects of my game that were probably the best were short game and driving. I think Probably short game being the most. I mean just looking at a day like today, first two holes, or first three holes really, for that matter. First hole Teddy and I got the wind completely wrong. I hit a good shot and we missed our target by like 25 yards and that's the kind of stuff that happens around here. But I hit a nice chip up there at about four or five feet, knocked it in.
Speaker 19:Number two, we get the wind wrong again, didn't hit a great shot, but I didn't hit that bad of a shot. It should have still been on the green and instead I airmail. And now I'm in a really tough spot and hit another really good pitch to about four or five feet. And then, on number three, hit a good drive, ends up there in the bunker and it's not an easy bunker shot. It's not an easy bunker shot. You're going up the slow direction but the bunker is extremely deep and hit a great bunker shot in there at about three feet, knocked that one in.
Speaker 18:So I'd say I think probably the short game was most important.
Speaker 5:Steve, Congratulations. You are doing some remarkable things right now. I know it's a humbling game, but you haven't had one round over par the entire year. You win your second major here. Can you talk about what's allowing you to play so well? You talk to the other golfers. They say you're here and the rest of them start there. Do you sense that?
Speaker 19:you're doing something different and something special. Right now. I try not to think about the past or the future too much. I love trying to live in the present. I've had a really good start to the year and I hope that I can continue on this path that I'm on. I'm going to continue to put in the work that's got me here. I mean, yeah, that's pretty much it. I'm just going to continue to put in the work. Keep my head down. I like, when I step up on the tee at a tournament, being able to tell myself that I did everything I could to play well and the rest isn't up to me. And so when I step on the tee next week, I'm going to be thinking about the preparation, what it took to get there and I'm going to go out and just try and play as freely as possible.
Speaker 5:Are example, the no rounds over par this year I mean no rounds over par is great.
Speaker 19:I mean I hate shooting over par. I can't tell you how much I hate shooting over par, so it's nice to have to not experience that yet this year claire hi scotty, have you talked to meredith yet and what was her setup for watching today?
Speaker 19:I. I did facetime her, although it was very brief, um. She was at her aunt's house. They just built a new house in dallas where she actually stayed most of this weekend, um, and so they had a nice, nice little group there watching. I saw maybe seven or eight people um in the background, but honestly, my head's been spinning since I got off the t. I can't even really tell you who was in that in the film or in the video, other than other than meredith just a couple more questions.
Speaker 21:Uh, let's go to reeves first of all, scotty, right back here to your left congratulations. Second of all, when you take a look back at your win here in 2022 and your win here today, what stands out most to you between getting your first green jacket and your second, other than just adding a green jacket to the collection?
Speaker 19:yeah, I think. I think when I look at the tournament from two years ago, I built myself a lead on Friday afternoon and was able to I mean, cruise isn't really the right word for how it went over the weekend, but I was able to just play with the lead and play comfortably, whereas this week I felt like I was battling the whole week. You know you go out there on Thursday and it's so windy and was able to shoot a great score and then the next two days were really just a fight. I mean I was fighting this golf course the last couple of days. I mean I think it was Friday afternoon we went out.
Speaker 19:I can't even describe to you how difficult the conditions were. I mean I hit driver three iron, so 15 was into the wind on Thursday and I had driver three iron on the green. 15 was into the wind again today and I had driver four iron onto the green and I took some off the four iron. On Friday afternoon I hit driver three iron. I had 70 yards left to the pin. I mean it was insane how windy it was and it was just a battle. It was a long week, you know. I had to battle some ups and downs and, um, you know, I'm just, I'm very fortunate to be sitting here, but yeah, it was definitely a different type of week and last question.
Speaker 17:Andyty, when you got on the back nine, was there any point where you decided, no matter what, I'm not leaving, even if you got a call? Oh, oh, I was like what are you talking about?
Speaker 19:Of course I'm not leaving. No, no, you know, I guess that's a testament to how good of a head space I was in. I wasn't thinking about that much. I was doing my best to stay in the moment, stay calm, execute shots. I was very focused out there today I felt like I did a really good job. Teddy did a great job of making sure that we kept the golf course in front of us. I didn't get off to the best start, but had some key up and downs.
Speaker 18:Teddy once again did a great job of keeping me in it and uh, yeah, we, we had a great week well, scotty, before we go, could you take us through which clubs you use when you made your birdies and bogeys today? So we have that for the historical record okay, birdies and bogeys.
Speaker 19:So number three I use a driver and a lob wedge and a putter. Um, no, I uh. And then I bogeyed on four. I hit a three iron over the green parred five, parred six. Seven was unusual because I hit driver four, iron lob wedge and then missed the putt for par. Number eight was driver three, iron lob wedge. Number nine was driver lob wedge. Ten was driver pitching wedge. Eleven was a bogey. That was driver seven, iron lob wedge. Thirteen was driver pitching wedge. 11 was a bogey. That was driver 7-iron lob wedge. 13 was driver 4-iron. 14 was 3-wood wedge. 16 was an 8-iron and then, yeah, those pars Great.
Speaker 18:Well, scotty, thank you and congratulations on your incredible second Masters.
Speaker 19:Thanks, y'all Appreciate it. Thank you guys, See y'all Thank you Well.
Speaker 1:Okay, there you have it. You've heard the interviews. You've heard from there's that music. You've heard from everybody that we need to hear from. Right now it's late, everyone's pretty worn out. You can probably tell from my voice and having a struggle horse and tired, absolutely worn out. You can probably tell from my voice and having a struggle horse and tired, absolutely worn out, but exhilarated, from what we saw this week. It was a great Masters and a great champion in Scotty Scheffler, with eloquent an eloquent interview and eloquent acceptance of the green jacket. Congratulations to Scotty Scheffler, his wife and his soon-to-be baby and his family. We are thrilled for them. And Ted Scott, of course. That makes four for him. Wow, that's pretty strong.
Speaker 1:I want to thank NetSuite by Oracle for being such a great presenting sponsor this week. I want to thank Rowe and you need to go check them out R-O and Factor Thanks for being great sponsors for us this week. And last but certainly not least, I can't say enough about our friends at PXG the crew at PXG, the fitters around the country that I've met, the people I've met from the corporate headquarters. I've met from the corporate headquarters. We're proud to have PXG as the official equipment sponsor of Golf Talk America and PGA Tour Countdown. Nobody makes golf clubs the way that we do, period, and that's a fact. The new Gen 6s I have from them, and then the new Gen 6s Chrome that they sent me for the Masters, as well as the new Black Ops driver and the series of woods and hybrids Check them out, go, get fitted.
Speaker 1:Pxg. Thanks everybody. We appreciate you listening to our show and please tell your friends to listen in. We had a good time and we have a good time bringing these to you For everybody at PGA Tour Countdown, the Golf Talk America Network, our friends at the Approach Shot those weekend golf guys, all the Golf Talk America Network shows that are out there. We bid you a pleasant good evening. Thank you.