CHARLOTTE, N.C. — World No. 1 Scotty Schaeffler said his victory at CJ Cup Byron Nelson two weeks ago was another indication that his swing is “coming” as he “comes” and heads for this week’s PGA Championship.
“I talked a bit about how I felt my game was trending, so I’m glad I was able to see some results from a lot of hard work to start this year. I feel my game is in a good place,” Schaeffler said of his first victory of the season. “I think it’s ridiculous to say we can’t take a little bit of momentum into this tournament.”
Schaeffler, who won the CJ Cup with eight strokes after filming rounds of 61, 63, 66 and 63 at TPC Craig Ranch, said Tuesday he felt that ball strikes were preventing him from returning to the form he showed when he won eight times last season.
The two Masters winner missed the first month of the season, recovering from surgery after his hands were drilled holes in a broken wine glass. Schaeffler didn’t tee it until Pebble Beach Proam in February, but he couldn’t secure a victory until Byron Nelson, but he had six top-10 finishes.
“I spent a lot of hard work in the offseason and I suddenly lost them when I had to go for a month without spending time in the gym and doing my normal practice,” Schaeffler said. “Is it harder than I thought? I don’t think so. I think I had pretty fair expectations of myself. I knew it wasn’t very easy.”
Despite his success over the past two years, Schaeffler often likes to say he’s the best when he stays in the moment and doesn’t think about past results or shots. But even he can acknowledge that throughout his career, removing victory has often helped spark success.
“I like to think we haven’t gotten a lot of momentum from the cuts we missed or poor start. “When we got our first win in 2022, we won a few tournaments right afterwards, so it would be ridiculous to say we’re not getting into some of that momentum.”
As Schaeffler slowly returns to form, he sees Rory McIlroy having a season similar to the 2024 run. McIlroy has three victories, including the Player Championship and the Masters, and now has a Grand Slam in his name. After McIlroy was open about how Scheffler’s success last year was motivated, it’s Scheffler who is now in that position.
“When you just get a beat, it’s always motivating, and in golf you can’t win many tournaments,” Schaeffler said. “He definitely improved and has made some changes to the game since last year. There’s always a small thing I’m trying to do to improve, and I think that’s why we’re coming back. Golf is an endless pursuit of making the most of ourselves.
Despite not winning the PGA Championship in five starts, Schaeffler finished in the top 10 in four of those appearances, including runner-up at Brooks Coepka at Oak Hill in 2023.
This week’s victory at Quazur Hollow will put Schaeffler in the middle of the Grand Slam. He said that was the goal he hadn’t set for him yet.
“I don’t actually set these types of goals for myself. I have some dreams and aspirations that I think about, but when I stay in the present, I always try my best,” Schaeffler said. “It takes a lifetime of work to even have a chance to win a major championship.