THE MODERATOR: We would like to welcome world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler to the interview room here at the 2026 BMW Championship. Scottie, defending champion, coming in off an 8-stroke win last week, No. 1 in the FedExCup. Talk about coming in here this week and getting ready to defend your title.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I had a good week last week. Focused a lot just kind of getting some rest the last couple days. The golf course itself seems to be pretty straightforward this week. So did a good job getting some rest. I'll do a little practice this afternoon, continue to get used to the speed of the greens and bunkers and rough and stuff like that. But overall just focused on rest and the middle of a big three-week stretch for us.
THE MODERATOR: This is your seventh consecutive appearance here at the BMW Championship, but I believe it's your first time at Bellerive Country Club. The last time there was a tournament here was 2018 PGA Championship. I believe, I thought you were on the Korn Ferry Tour, but I believe you were playing somewhere else. But you did win an Evans Scholarship tournament on the Korn Ferry Tour the following year. There's obviously a great connection with that at this tournament. Just speak to that a little bit.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I think the Evans scholars is a really cool organization and I think that's something we're proud to support this week. I won that was my first win as a professional was on the Korn Ferry Tour. And yeah, when the PGA was here I was probably chasing mini-tours at that time Monday qualifiers and stuff like that. But, yeah, it's good to be back at the BMW Championship again. If you're playing in this tournament that means you've had a pretty solid season and so looking forward to getting out and competing this week on a new golf course.
THE MODERATOR: You've come a long way. We'll take questions, please.
Q. Do you care how many shots you win by? Does that impress you at all when you do something like an eight shot win?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, impress me? I don't think it really matters if it impresses me or anything like that. But, no, I think when you do get a lead and coming down the stretch you do have to kind of like reset your thought process a little bit. You don't want to get lackadaisical out there.
Towards the end of last week I just started trying to keep pushing. When it gets big like that, especially with the trouble on that golf course, there's some more conservative lines that I'll take. Like, you look at the drive I hit off 12 and the iron shot I hit into 14, I was playing pretty conservative. But you don't want to just -- like, the guys out here are so good, any cushion you can have is a good thing. A cushion is not something that's scary. A cushion is a good thing. These guys are really good.
Q. What was the thing you were looking for that allowed you to move into the new driver last week?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I've never been one to switch into new equipment unless I actually felt that it was better. If it's the same, why would I switch if something's the same? I already have something that's the same that I'm pretty used to. Getting used to new equipment I think can always be challenging. I felt like this driver throughout all our testing, and when I put it in play, the spin numbers have been better, more consistent, it's been a little bit faster, it was just a matter of hitting it straighter. I didn't drive it my best this year anyways, so going into two weeks at home I felt like my driver was going to get close to where, if it got tested again, it was going to get close to failing. It had been in my bag for a long time, so I felt I needed to make sure the backup was in a good spot. The backup I was using was the Qi4D and I just put it put it in the baga few times last week when I was playing at home -- I guess it's two weeks ago now -- but I liked what I saw, and so I figured give it the old college try in Memphis and, yeah, it seemed to work out pretty well. But it feels like it's a bit faster to me and definitely goes as straight, so I feel like I'm in a good spot.
Q. The head you were using was that the same one you switched into at the PGA last year?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: That's a good question. To be honest, I don't know the answer. Adrian would be the one that knows the answer to those question. He's the one that keeps track of everything, and he kind of let's me know when it's time to be like, Hey, we need to make sure our backup's in a good spot, you know, we're getting close to the threshold. I wish I could remember, but I can't.
Q. What has stood out to you from this golf course here?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It's a big golf course. I think this one has a lot more length than last week's course did. Fairways are a bit wider. The greens are really big, but I think some of the areas you play into are going to play pretty small. They have a ton of pitch to them. You get into the wrong section of these greens you're going to have a lot of up-and-over-type challenging putts. I think fairways are going to be important as well, just because there's certain holes with the length that you have, if I'm not in the fairway, I'm going to have a hard time reaching the green. There's also some holes where there's no real area to run the ball up to. So looking at a little bit of a different style test than we saw last week.
Q. Rory is coming in next, I'd love to get your take on what impresses you about him.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Well, he's competed at a high level for such a long time. Rory's a guy that when you look at when he won his first tournament to where he is now, he's a guy that's just been one of the best players in the world and sustained it for a really, really long time. He works extremely hard. He's a guy that I always see in the gym, on the practice range, he's always doing the things that he needs to do in order to play well. He's definitely a guy that I look up to in a sense just because of how long he's been able to do it for. It's quite impressive.
Q. You mentioned last week about your two weeks at home and finding something kind of in your hands on the club. Just wondering if you could elaborate a little bit on what it is you found and more to the point does it take you time sometimes to realize when things are getting just a little bit off from where they were?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I don't really understand the second part of the question.
Q. Me neither. Work with it.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I'll answer the first part. Yeah, I think sometimes when my swing doesn't feel the way that I like it to feel, you know, I'm always kind of searching for the feel of the clubhead. I feel like when my hands can feel where the clubhead is I can shape the ball and do the things I want to do. As I start to lose that feel, I'm always just trying to gain it back. So when we were at home just practicing on the range I guess something clicked, just the way my hands were fitting on the club, I kind of felt where the head was at and started to work the ball from there and things felt good. So I just did my best to get out on the course and start to play. I didn't want to practice my way out of a good feeling. Just got out there, play and compete and kind of get a feel for where things are at and went out and played well. And I continued that over the last week.
Q. Let me try again on the second part. When things start to get a little bit off, how quickly can you notice?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I mean...
Q. That was better wasn't it?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, that was better. Pretty quick. I wish I had more patience with myself, and I'm sure I can be a little bit of a tyrant at times, but if things aren't where I feel like they need to be, I have a tendency to get frustrated, and I try not to let it remain that way for very long.
Q. The first time if you recall when you met Si Woo.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: First time I met Si Woo? I have no idea.
Q. First time you kind of really started to get to know him would that have been when he moved over to Royal Oaks?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, he asked me, I guess it would have been the beginning of last year. He stopped me in the locker room one day, he's like, Hey, you're a member at Royal Oak? And I was like, Yeah. Like what's up? And he's like, Can you help me join? I was like, Yeah, of course I can. And it's Royal Oaks by the way. He called it Royal Oak.
But he's a guy, he's always been so popular in the locker room and he's really fun to be around. He likes playing, he likes to go out and compete. It's great to have as part of our games at home a guy that I see out here week-to-week. He's got one son, he's a family guy, and he's just really easy guy to be around. He's really popular in the locker room.
Q. I think there was a clip last week, you and Sam talking about, or some hole on Royal Oaks that he just never doesn't hit driver, even if it doesn't fit. Can you tell that story?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Well, there's the 15th hole at Royal Oaks is, it's not really drivable, but if it gets pretty far downwind, like I can get to the green in two. When we played with Gary last week he can obviously get there. But there's like a little sliver of fairway kind of on the right side of the green where you can run it up. It's maybe 10 yard wide. And he can land it 10 yards short of the green, and there's water short left, and pretty much every time without fail he always tries to hit driver. And he's gotten it in the little sliver of fairway a few times, but that hole is typically a win for me because his drive's not going to end up in a good spot. But he's just so aggressive he loves just hitting driver.
Q. I think he said he's never beaten you at Royal Oak, does that sound right?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: (Laughing). I'll let him answer.
Q. You mentioned how big this golf course is length-wise. Today during the pro-am seemed like you hit a lot of 3-woods, hybrids off the tee. Is that a strategy for the round or just something you were doing today?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Trying to think. I probably hit a couple 3-woods off the tee. Trying to think. I hit 3-wood off of hole 8. Maybe only hit one 3-wood. I think I maybe only hit one 3-wood. Seems like driver's coming out of the bag a lot. Yeah, there's a few pretty long -- I think I maybe hit 3-wood off 1 and maybe off 6, mostly just to get the ball in the fairway. Fairways are always important. I like to try to be in the fairway as much as possible. So, yeah, really depending upon the hole's shaped and what it looks like off the tee, like there are some decisions out there. Like, the third hole was decision whether I was going to hit 3-wood or driver. Sorry, that might have been the second hole. Second hole was a bit of a decision. Sorry, still learning the course. Mostly just trying to get the ball in play I would say that's really all it is, you know, where it's the wider part of the fairway. And if it's a longer hole where I need to be more aggressive, like a couple of the par-4s are like 500 yards, you're probably not going to see me take a 3-wood out on a 500 yard par-4, but some of the shorter ones it leaves you a bit more options.
Q. Couple of stats and your reaction to 'em. The win in Memphis was the 50th time that you have finished first, second, or third in a tournament. Curious what that stat means to you. But before you answer I'll give you the second one. The gold standard on that is Nicklaus. Nicklaus finished first, second, or third 165 times in his career and 46 times in majors. Is that a meaningful stat when you look at a person's career?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: You're really challenging me this morning with the numbers (laughing). No, I think giving yourself consistently chances to win I think says a lot. I talk a lot about how hard it is and difficult it is to win out here on TOUR. The best way to win tournaments is to give yourself as many opportunities as you can. So that is nice for me to have some numbers where I'm giving myself opportunities to win. I think that's most important. Hopefully I'll be able to continue to do that going forward. But I think the consistency of putting myself in contention week in week out is something that I'm very proud of.
Q. The par-3 6th, what challenge does that hole present?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It must have been 7 I hit 3-wood of. I think I hit 5-iron on that hole. It's really long and the green's really small and there's water short right. I can't really elaborate too much on that other than the hole's long and the green's really small and there's water in play. So you got to hit a really, really accurate shot with a long iron there if you're going to want to have a chance for birdie. And really that's a hole each day where I feel like par walking off is going to be a pretty good score.
Q. A lot of talk in the last couple weeks or whatever that you're on the cusp of overtaking Tiger in the career earnings. Wonder if you could share any thoughts you could possibly cobble together. Meaning, I don't have a great question. But it's interesting, he's held it for 26 years, and I understand purses have gone up and all that good stuff.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, like you said, I mean, that has a lot to do with the purses and all that. I'm not really too close to him in terms of career wins, so.
Q. Getting there.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: What, am I like a fourth of the way there? Something like that (laughing). No, I mean, Tiger did a lot for the game of golf and he put us in a position where we're able to earn some pretty good stuff financially, so that's something we're very grateful for. Tiger's contributions to the game, when you look at where the purses were at before he came out on TOUR to where they're at now is a pretty stark difference and we're very thankful for his contributions to the game and hopefully we'll see him back out here competing again soon.
Q. There's been stories from players over the years about their very first check or the first time they checked their account. And you've said repeatedly that money's not a big issue with you. But was there ever a time, early days, your first cut you made as a pro?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Not really. I signed with Nike right when I got out of school and was able to give me some money that I needed going forward to where I didn't have to worry about like a place I was going to stay or, like, can I afford these Monday qualifiers, Q-School, stuff like that. Nike was a partner of mine growing up and they were a partner right from the beginning when I turned pro. I was able to have some freedom when it came to flying across the country. Doing Monday qualifiers and fighting for your career and your job is not an easy thing to do. So I was in a position early on where I was able to have a little bit of financial freedom and, like Mark said, when I turned pro in 2018 I spent most of that time -- I had a start in Memphis, I didn't play that great, but made the cut, was able to make a bit of money. But after that you lose a lot trying to make it in this game. Flying across the country, playing Monday qualifiers, shooting 64, and then turning around and coming home and not qualifying, those things hurt. I don't remember my first check or anything like that, but.
Q. I do.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: You do? What was it?
Q. 25.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: 25? That's good.
Q. And change.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: And change. No, but, I mean, I just remember early on in my career just trying to find my place in the game. And I have some fond memories of just driving around the country playing golf tournaments. I think Doc Redman and I were driving around the Midwest for a few weeks playing Monday qualifiers and mini-tour events. I went with a buddy from Dallas that I grew up with we went and played Q-School in Mississippi, drove 10 hours in the car. I played I think three mini-tour events, and a couple of them I traveled with my mattress pad in my car because I could sleep on the floor, it was going to be more comfortable than the hotel bed, so I slept on the floor in the hotel rooms. I think it was maybe in, I think we were in Lufkin, Texas, I stayed at this house and I just brought my mattress pad, I just slept on the ground, it was just easier. I knew it was going to be a quality bed. Just little stuff like that. Like, good memories and fun stuff and good buddies I still have from this day that I met just from playing golf.
Q. Who paid for gas when you and Doc drove?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think it was me. Doc and I actually we had to -- I think my car was running out of oil, it was the old Yukon, and I literally had to call my dad, because my dad is Mr. Fix-it, so I never had to fix anything growing up. We were somewhere in Nebraska, and I had to call him and say, Hey, dad, this is embarrassing, but can you help me figure out how to check the oil in this car. Like, it says it's run out of oil, but everything's fine. Like, where is it in this car. It was easier than me trying to Google it in the middle of nowhere, I was like, I'll just call my dad, he'll help us figure out. But fortunately now I know how to check the oil.
Q. Are there any changes coming to the TOUR in 2028 that you voiced some concern about?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think if it was -- I think any concerns that I had, I'll probably just go directly with those. But I like the direction that the TOUR's heading. Getting the best players competing against each other more often is I think what everybody wants. For us as players, that's what we want. I assume that you guys in the media, that's what you'd want to see. I assume that's what the fans want as well. I assume that's the direction that we're heading. Making things a bit simpler in terms of who is going to be at what tournament at what time. Golf has always been a difficult game to rank when you're not playing head-to-head, and so getting the best players playing head-to-head more often than not, in a proper golf tournament, I think is the best way to do things.
Q. Along those lines there's chatter again about LIV maybe not having as many events next year and some of the guys wanting to come back. Would you be welcoming to the TOUR offering the same opportunity that Brooks took up this year?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I think, like, when we talk about the best players, you know, LIV has a few players that are really good. I think the depth that we have on our TOUR is bit unmatched, but I think when you look at the higher levels of LIV Golf there's definitely some players that would provide a lot of value to the Tour, and guys that I love competing against as well. So I think going forward there obviously has to be, I think, some sort of penalties. What those are, I'll let Rolapp and all those guys figure it out. We have great leadership within the TOUR now. But I think having those guys come back and competing with whatever happens with LIV, whether those guys want to leave, I mean, you got to ask them. But I think for me being able to compete against the best players in the world there's certainly some guys on that TOUR that can compete out here and I look forward to the chance to compete with them more often.
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