AUGUSTA, Ga. — Late last season, Scottie Scheffler was frustrated. The putts weren’t going in, and he felt lost. He was leaving wins on the table. Something needed to change.
The change he needed was a putting coach, Scheffler explained. Specifically, the renowned putting coach Phil Kenyon, who teaches a host of players on the PGA Tour.
We’ve seen the results of that change. Kenyon flew to Texas late last year for a two-day session, and together the pair began making changes to his technique. The results are clear for all to see: Scheffler is the best player in golf, one who collected both his second Players Championship and green jacket within a month.
But how did that change actually happen? That’s what Scheffler candidly discussed during his champions press conference:
“I had watched Phil before and watched him coach players. When you’re out here as long as I’ve been, I just see stuff, and I loved the way Phil coached his players. You look at a guy like Fitzy who lines up his putts and uses a putter that has a lot of swing to it, and you look at a guy like Keegan Bradley, doesn’t use a line on the ball, uses a big giant putter 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. And we kind of hit the ground running in the fall.”
Before he did, though, Scheffler wanted to discuss the idea with his longtime coach, the legendary Randy Smith. Smith loved the idea, Scheffler said, which left him relieved and grateful.
“It’s hard to describe what it’s like, having somebody like Randy. He 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 it’s the right time.”
He continued.
“Phil is also a guy that doesn’t have a big ego. He just wants what’s best for his players. I’m really, really fortunate to have those two guys as part of my team.”
A team of great minds, focused on a singular goal, leaving ego to the side. And now, with another green jacket to show for it.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
