Scottie Scheffler’s first two experiences at the Tournament of Champions couldn’t have been much different.
Two years ago, he got into the traditionally winners-only field courtesy of an expanded field. Scheffler had yet to win on the PGA Tour, but the 2021 event also included Tour Championship qualifiers from the previous year due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tour’s schedule.
This week, he arrived at Maui as a four-time winner on tour and a major champion as part of a 2022 that included ascending to No. 1 in the world rankings.
Scheffler is the highest-ranked player in the field this week at No. 2, which in itself is part of the chaotic landscape in professional golf.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy isn’t at Kapalua, choosing the TOC as the one he will skip among the newly formed group of five “designated events.” Defending champion Cameron Smith also isn’t in the field after signing with LIV Golf — which helped prompt the sea change to designated events and “elevated” purses on the PGA Tour.
The field does include 39 players, however, with the addition of Tour Championship qualifiers now the norm.
“It’s kind of weird this week,” Scheffler said Wednesday. “I get to my locker, and my locker’s next to Cam Smith’s locker, because he’s a past champ here, and he’s not here.
“So it’s a little strange.”
Scheffler admittedly is not the most outspoken amongst his peers on either side of the debate, although he reiterated that he has no intention of bolting for LIV.
“All that stuff is not really for me,” he said. “I can only show up and just try and play good golf. And I’m not going to LIV anytime soon and so it’s not of a concern for me at the moment.”
Of greater concern to Scheffler is regaining the dominant form that saw him win the Masters last April. That was his last victory, although he does have a runner-up and a pair of T3s in his past six starts.
Scheffler does have the Masters Champions Dinner to plan for, which will include several past champions who are now playing for LIV. Among them is Bubba Watson, a two-time champion Scheffler randomly saw on a recent vacation.
“I told him that I was just going to have a separate table for him in the corner by himself,” Scheffler said laughingly. “Only kidding, obviously.”
Scheffler added that he believes the players can put their differences aside when they reach Augusta National and focus on celebrating the history of the event along with the game itself.
“In the world of golf, I think it’s definitely a little sad what’s happening,” he said. “But golf will move on. I think this stuff just takes time.
“Things will heal and we’ll see what happens.”
–Field Level Media