Scottie Scheffler Focuses on Mindset After Fighting Through Tough Rounds
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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MARCH 12: Scottie Scheffler of the United States plays a tee shot on the 16th hole during THE PLAYERS Championship on March 12, 2026 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl. Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire GOLF: MAR 12 PGA, Golf Herren THE PLAYERS Championship EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260312037829
Scottie Scheffler is exemplifying that a champion's greatest weapon is not his swing. The World No. 1 is grinding through a difficult week at TPC Sawgrass by relying on mental fortitude over a perfect swing.
After winning The American Express at La Quinta in January, Scheffler has faced a downturn. He finished The Genesis Invitational at T12 and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at T24.
So Scheffler's focus was a lot of work at the base of his mental game. "I did my best to stay committed, and I did a good job, I think, of keeping the right attitude and keeping my head on straight in order to grind out a couple rounds that were difficult."
This point of view came after another tough start where Scheffler was not feeling it, saying, "I was a little sharper today" than the previous two days of the tournament.
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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MARCH 13: Scottie Scheffler of the United States plays a tee shot on the sixth hole during THE PLAYERS Championship on March 13, 2026 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl. Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire GOLF: MAR 13 PGA, Golf Herren THE PLAYERS Championship EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260313045355
Despite the initial pressure, Scottie Scheffler stayed calm. Even though he had "pretty low" chances of winning, he considered his success to lie in his dedication to his shots.
The 29-year-old also said he values "doing things the correct way" more than just considering his position on the scoreboard.
Scottie Scheffler Shows Persistence Amidst the Sawgrass Grind
Scheffler recounted the strange feeling of being close to the cut line, saying that it is much more enjoyable to be "fighting to be close to the lead."
He stated that the effort he puts forth does not change, win or lose, because he is "always grinding and working, trying to fight to shoot a good score."
That dogged mentality is what enabled him to find his feel on Saturday, especially when he was "searching for something" in terms of the clubhead feel to execute certain shots.
In fact, Scottie Scheffler even ditched the new TaylorMade Qi4D driver, which he had been testing since the Arnold Palmer Invitational, for his older TaylorMade Qi10.
After scoring a bogey-free 67 on Saturday, Scheffler is 4-under par, 9 behind leader Ludvig Åberg. While his ascent from the cut line finish to T26 is commendable, a considerable effort is needed in the 4th round to overtake the leaders.
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Written by
Abhishek Sharma
Edited by
Sagnik Bagchi