NAPA, Calif. – World No. 1 Scotty Schaeffler said Wednesday that he is doing something different this year after entering the 2023 Ryder Cup, which the US lost to host Europe.
“Looking back at the ’23 Cup, I think we lost two games by half, so I think we left there without winning one match. “I think I was able to do a bit more keen in that tournament. That was a learning experience for me.”
“It sucked,” US teammate Colin Morakawa said he lost in Rome. “It’s sitting with you for a while.”
This time, Schaeffler includes the Procol Championship – playing alongside Morakawa and eight other members of the US team – as part of the preparations for the Ryder Cup, which will be held from September 26th to 28th. The four-time major winner said that despite some of the team members scouting trips to Rome ahead of the 2023 event, there is nothing comparable to a sharp stay by playing competitive golf.
“It would be unusual for me to have four or five weeks off before the Master or the US open or something like that,” Schaeffler said. “So there’s no reason to do something about getting into the Ryder Cup.”
Schaeffler said he began preparing for the match at Beth Page Black as soon as the Open Championship ended in July, and praised Captain Keegan Bradley for the work he did to organize and invigorate the team.
“You can practice and do everything you can at home, but there’s something different about competing and preparing for tournaments,” Schaeffler said. “Everyone is excited to be here… I feel like I’m going to go to this year’s Ryder Cup. I’m going to be as prepared as possible and go outside and compete.”
Schaeffler may be the best player in the world at the moment, but his role on the team is not as broad as expected. He said he didn’t think about his particular position as anything more than scoring points for his team.
Bradley praised Schaeffler’s egoless approach and the fact that he couldn’t keep him away from big moments.
“I think he wants to come back to him with a single,” Bradley said of Schaeffler. “I’m sure he’s dreaming about it. That separates Scotty from the others.”