Scotty Schaeffler arrives in northeastern Florida in rare air. He is the first player in PGA Tour history to have the opportunity to win a player championship for three consecutive times.
He also became the first player to defend the title at TPC Sawgrass last year, shooting an 8-under 64 on Sunday, bringing Wyndham Clark, Brian Herman and Zander Shaufele into the storm one by one.
The previous year, Schaeffler won with five people.
He knows how to win on this golf course and does so under two completely different circumstances. He explained the secrets behind his success in TPC Sawgrass and how players will attack it ahead of this week's Player Championship.
“You can't forge that around this place,” Schaeffler said.
“I think there are a lot of geniuses in how golf courses are designed. There is some volatility in terms of danger. This provides a lot of volatility in terms of how the golf course can play, especially in strong winds.”
Schaeffler then discussed how the golf course moves the ball to the player in both directions.
“There are a lot of geniuses on the golf course. Fade off from the tee is drawn green as you see a hole like No. 1. You look at No. 2, that's a draw from the tee. No. 4 is fade from the tee. No. 5 is fade. No. 6 is a draw. No. 7 is a draw. Each hole needs a different shot,” Scheffler said.
“You have to play a shot. If there's no condition, you can play a bit of robot golf, but at the end of the day, I think you have to show up, take a shot, do something different.”
However, TPC Sawgrass can change year by year based on conditions.
“If it's soft and windy, I really control the golf ball, hit a lot of chippy shots, control the spin around the green, and if it's solid and windy, I control the spin, but at different heights,” Schaeffler explained.
“And if it's windy and not strong, you know that the green is solid and you had to pin the ball. The golf course can challenge you in many ways, and I think that's a great test.”
Schaufele more or less agreed with this feeling.
“For those who get the whole package, it works well here,” Schaufele said.
“You're hitting a lot of fairways, you can shape the ball from the tee, the evil thing in the short game, you can feel a little more at the green. To play very well in Sawgrass, you don't have to put out the rights from it. If you can hit it on the premises, you can feel a little more at ease.”
Ball strikes and accuracy from the tee are always helpful in TPC Sawgrass. But in the end, players who have the best week overall and have all the shots in their bags win.
“It's not suitable for one type of player,” Schaeffler added.
“For those who aren't horses like the horses on the course, I think some of the results you've seen here are just the people who play their best on Sundays and they're going to be on the leaderboard. That's simple and simple.”
Jack Mirco is a golf staff writer who plays SB Nation. Follow him with x @jack_milko.
