Scott Alexander Scheffler won the 2022 Masters Tournament a couple of weeks ago at the young age of 25, making him the ninth youngest player to win since the Masters’ inception in 1934. But for much of the tournament, Scottie’s lead wasn’t the headlining story.
One thing that most sports have going for them is the constant rotation of new athletes and superstars to keep the game fresh and interesting. As Lebron James, Andre Iguodala, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul (slowly) reach the end of their careers, fans of the NBA can always look forward to up-and-coming talent like Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards, Darius Garland, and Dejounte Murray.
While golf has a similar flow of talented players arriving on the scene, one of the problems with the sport is that the main story always seems to revolve around Tiger Woods, the 46-year-old hobbling around the course. Essayist Wright Thompson wrote that it seems like the buzz around the golf world is perpetually Tiger-oriented and that’s part of the reason Scheffler wasn’t very well-known. But he is now.
Recently on The Cale Clarke Show, Cale discussed Scheffler, his family life, his faith, and how he emotes the qualities of not only a great golfer, but a great man.
In the press conference following his win, Scheffler described the time leading up to the final round on Sunday, April 10th. He said that the night before was easy. He was wiped out, so he was too tired to even be worried about the next day. It was typical. But the next day, we was a wreck. The morning of that final round, he said he was crying uncontrollably. “I was telling Meredith, ‘I don’t think I’m ready for this. I’m not ready…I don’t feel like I’m ready for this kind of stuff.’ I just felt overwhelmed. And so she told me, ‘Who are you to say that you’re not ready?’ Who am I to say that I know what’s best for my life? And so what we talked about was that God is in control and the Lord is leading me. And if today’s my time, then it’s my time.”
Scheffler said whatever happened that day, somehow, he was going to use it for God’s glory. While Scottie and his wife are evangelical Christians, there is no doubt about how dedicated they are to their faith, abandoning all worry to Christ and trusting in Him.
“If you have the blessing to be married to a great Catholic gal as I do, very often our wives are really good spiritual directors for us,” said Cale. “I always say to people, ‘Hey, if you think you’ve arrived at sanctity, if you’re ready for that statue, you’re going to have your own stained-glass window, ask your wife.’ Am I a saint yet? She’ll probably have some suggestions for you.” Jokes aside, the point stands. From the perspective of a Christian marriage, a spouse’s goal should be to get the other to heaven. They stand together through the good, the bad, the healthy, and the sick.
Meredith Scheffler saw her husband standing in the spotlight of the most important tournament of his life and feeling the pressure. He was struggling to find what he needed to go on, and she reminded him of one thing: “It’s not about you.”
That’s a very strange thing to hear as you get ready to play golf in front of millions with the chance to take home a win, a small fortune, TV and endorsement deals, and a significant amount of press and fame. But it’s true. At the end of the day, the choices he makes will only benefit him if they give glory to God and honor His plan for Scottie’s life. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
His wife went on to tell him that it doesn’t matter one bit how well he performed that day. He would still be the same exact person, she would still love him the same, and most of all, God would still love him the same. There is no shame in failure, as long as we do everything to glorify God.
For more segments like this, tune in to The Cale Clarke Show weekdays at 5pm CT
