r/sports • u/No-Environment6103 • Jul 15 '25
Golf World #1 Scottie Scheffler with an incredibly deep answer on what it means to win / be #1 and what’s the point of it at all the end of the day.
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u/SirChopsalot Jul 15 '25
New slogan just dropped:
Nike - What’s The Point
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u/dickfartmcpoopus Jul 15 '25
scottie's on the verge of a buddhist breakthrough. attachment is suffering/everything is impermanent/the hedonic treadmill/etc.
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u/MyPhilosophyAccount Jul 15 '25
This. It reminds me of that video of Mike Tyson staring at all his boxing belts and saying something like “this is all garbage. It’s all garbage.”
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u/KyleShanaham Jul 15 '25
Can you imagine someone saying I want my legacy to be this way - you're dead, you think someone really wants to think about you? I want people to think about me when I'm gone, Who the fuck cares about me when I'm gone
-Mike Tyson
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u/thore4 Brisbane Broncos Jul 15 '25
-Mike Tyson to a child interviewing him
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u/soulsnoober Jul 15 '25
^ this is real, that interview was WILD stuff https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wJNlBt3voHE
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u/coochie_clogger Jul 15 '25
When I die just throw me in the trash
-Frank Reynolds.
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u/ScroatyMcBoogerwolfe Jul 16 '25
I mean I don’t give a shit, if I was dead you can bang me all you want. Who cares? A dead body’s like a piece of trash. I mean shove as much shit in there as you want. I won’t feel it.
- Frank Reynolds
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u/stereothegreat Jul 16 '25
That is something I had not heard before
- young girl interviewing Mike Tyson
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u/Tuxhorn Jul 15 '25
I started to genuinely study Buddhism like 3 months ago, so this is quite a wild/cool thing to hear from one of the most accomplished people in their field. It made me think of exactly those teachings about a minute in.
A lot of introspective people eventually figure this out on their own, if even for just a moment. But few I think genuinely start to ponder it and slow down. Usually what happens is you get to where you want, and then it eventually just becomes the day to day, and then you're off to chase the next thing to fill your craving.
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u/redditpossible Jul 15 '25
It sounds to me like he is just fending off losing, and the feeling of losing. A sense of failure. I wonder how long that feeling lingers when he loses a tight match.
It’s his career. It isn’t what defines who he is. It has defined who he is to all of us, but not to him.
It’s easy to think we know a public figure because of their very public profession. They are a swimmer, or an actor, or a musician and that is how we simply define them on the whole.
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u/LordFUHard Jul 15 '25
You get to that point by having millions of dollars in the bank.
Reminds me of the CEO in that movie Baby Mama.
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u/SandmansDreamstreak Jul 15 '25
Money is not a prerequisite to spiritual breakthrough and awakening. But it’s definitely when you’d expect to see it happen, for sure.
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u/droppinkn0wledge Jul 15 '25
Attachment to money is decidedly anti-Buddhist.
There are monks in Tibet with zero wealth who achieve this kind of peace.
Keep yearning for money and stay miserable.
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u/dustinfoto Jul 15 '25
He definitely does a nice unintentional breakdown of the hedonic treadmill (something I'd recommend everyone looking into).
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u/IA_Royalty Jul 15 '25
"Just do it"
Yeah but why?
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u/Whywipe Jul 15 '25
“$5 million dollars”
“Oh yeah I remember now”
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u/mickjerker Jul 15 '25
Never mind just making the cut for Saturday is a huge deal as a pro. You’re still in the money if you’re playing on a Saturday never mind a Sunday.
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u/franker Jul 15 '25
I'm 56 years old. My life pretty much corresponds starting with every super bowl ever played. When I was like 10, I knew all about the super bowls, because there were only like 10 of them. Now if you asked me what teams were in some random super bowl, like super bowl 27 or super bowl 19, I'd have no idea. I don't think many casual football fans could tell you either without googling. And yet, the dudes that won those super bowls treated winning it like it was some immortal feat they sacrificed a lot of good years of their bodies (and probably minds) for. Now if they're still alive no one even remembers or cares unless they choose to brag about it to someone. It's all completely meaningless.
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u/CelerMortis Jul 15 '25
Which can be good or bad depending on your perspective. If you build life up to be this epic thing that only counts if you rock the world and change the shape of history than you’re almost guaranteed to be depressed and feel useless. There are more stars in the sky than grains of sand on earth, to say nothing of planets. So no matter what it’s all useless.
Or we have this brief moment of conscious experience and awareness during the vastness of time and space to enjoy. Ideally we bring some joy to others along the way, but we should appreciate it and not take it too seriously, after all it’s fleeting.
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u/allothernamestaken Jul 16 '25
The realization that nothing matters is simultaneously the most frightening and most freeing thing imaginable.
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u/LebowskiVoodoo Jul 16 '25
“If it’s the ultimate game, how come they’re playing it again next year?” - Duane Thomas, Dallas Cowboys
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u/UncertainTeenager Jul 15 '25 edited Jul 15 '25
Sponsors not happy about this answer lol but I love honest answers like these
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u/Seltzus Jul 15 '25
every sportsperson makes some corporate PC bland comment, this was refreshing
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u/Cheehoo Jul 16 '25
He’s earned it and the sponsors won’t care he’s still gonna be out there winning tournaments. Most fans watching his last putt on the 72nd hole not the Tuesday press conference even if this one is getting more coverage than usual
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u/beneye Jul 17 '25
Hey y’all he said he loves to compete, and he wins. Thats good enough for us here at Nike
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u/Arborgold Jul 15 '25
And that’s the real crux of it. It’s everyone surrounding him. The PGA, beat writers, espn; they all have to put on those ruse that somehow sports are so important, but they’re just not.
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u/chumbubbles Jul 15 '25
Which is why it’s kind of upsetting to see all these athletes not speak out about real issues in the world. Somehow, because of the money and sponsorship, they are discouraged from speaking their real mind. Seeing the Muhammad Ali story about not going to Vietnam was amazing.
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u/rickychewy Jul 15 '25
I’m more likely to respond favorably to someone supporting a product with this kind of personality, than the fluffbags they usually trot out.
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u/ADumbSmartPerson Jul 15 '25
I feel like it isn't satisfying because there is no long lasting impact. He probably finds raising his son and being a good husband satisfying because you are literally impacting people's whole lives which leaves you satiated with what you have done more so than who won a golf tournament. Without looking it up I bet most people here couldn't tell me who won the masters in 2019 let alone 1990 or some such.
We are constantly chasing that dopamine hit instead of deep satisfying things that take a long time to see the reward.
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u/Cvspartan Jul 15 '25
I totally agree with your point, but also found it slightly amusing that you randomly picked 2019 since it's like the only masters result I remember as a non-golf watcher since I know it's like the only one Tiger won in "recent times"
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u/ADumbSmartPerson Jul 15 '25
Haha maybe I should have looked up the winners before I picked those years but I picked them arbitrarily lol so I guess we get what we get.
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u/morkman100 Jul 15 '25
Fine. Pick a Masters back farther in time. Like 1997. No one even remembers who won that either.
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u/BitemeRedditers Jul 15 '25
The millions of dollars he’s making will have a long lasting impact on his and his family‘s life.
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u/ADumbSmartPerson Jul 15 '25
Absolutely but it isn't like he wins the tournament and goes, 'Hell yeah my kid can go to college now!'. Once you are a multimillionaire winning another million doesn't really change that much for you making any one particular tournament win kind of meh comparably. If I had to guess I would say he will find satisfaction in his golf career as a whole because of how much time he dedicated to it and the success he had and how much it gave him same as I will have had in my career when I retire but an individual accomplishment will probably be ... meh compared to something as dramatic as raising a human.
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u/KnickedUp Jul 15 '25
“After about 300k per year, money doesnt add to happiness above that level.”
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u/Tippacanoe Jul 15 '25
Well the 2019 Masters was one of the best sports stories of all time lol, but I agree with the sentiment. Most tournaments happen and are forgotten.
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u/TheTimeIsChow Jul 15 '25 edited Jul 15 '25
And also...because he's reached the absolute peak of his profession within 5 years of turning pro while consistently performing at this level ever since.
The expectations, for the rest of his career, are sky high. The only place to go is down.
This must be an amazing feeling... but also somewhat devastating. The euphoric '2 minutes' is only 2 minutes because, after tonight's dinner, you're on a plane to the next event where you're expected to do it all over again.
The story would be much different spending 15-20 years fighting to get to the top... and then doing so. Even if only for a moment. That feeling will stick with you forever.
At the end of the day - The drive to become the best is much, much, stronger than the drive to remain the best.
Scotty seems like an incredible person and an amazing father. The dude is a menace on the course. But I'd imagine spending time at home with your kids, as a normal guy, is MUCH more satisfying than fighting off expectations of being the #1 in the world day in and day out.
He's made his money, he's achieved basically all you can achieve in the sport. So... yeah. What is the point of doing it again tomorrow?
I feel exactly the same... when I play my little cousins in Madden. Eventually, it's just time to let someone else be player 1 and go hang with the adults.
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u/Kooshdoctor Jul 15 '25
"At the end of the day - The drive to become the best is much, much, stronger than the drive to remain the best."
I really liked this. Not sure why I don't remember ever having heard it said that way. It's something I've always felt though in my respect for the greats who just keep being great: Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, etc etc. It's naturally easy for us to work hard to get to the top, but very few can continue to motivate themselves the same way when they are there. Scottie is probably at a turning point in his life/career: keep going hard to try and become "the best ever" or be happy with what you've done and slow down a little to "smell the roses." Really cool to hear his reflection in real time though.
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u/fromeister147 Jul 15 '25
worked my entire life to win these competitions, to enjoy these moments for just a couple of minutes.
This should be deeply satisfying but isn’t…
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u/ryan__fm Jul 15 '25
I get what he's saying, and I don't think it's surprising in the least. Anyone who says "winning the championship was incredibly fulfilling, and I celebrated for months and months" is probably not getting back to the grind the next day to win the next one. IMO that's a champion's mindset - act like you've been there before, basically... a championship or a loss or a practice or whatever it may be is just another day at the office and you go back the next day and do it again.
To me (as an amateur/wannabe musician) this sounds like what artists go through when they release music, or what Rick Rubin talks about a lot in The Creative Act - that once that piece of art gets released into the world, it's no longer yours. You don't want to dwell on it, hear it, think about it anymore... you move onto the next thing. Regardless if it's a smash hit that makes you millions of dollars or a complete flop.
Meaning, if you want to find success or fulfillment in life, you should be focusing purely on the process and not the result. Not surprising that the greatest athletes, artists, entrepreneurs etc. have this mindset, because they understand that results are out of their hands (wasn't received well, someone else outperformed you, poor market conditions) but the process is not, and failure is a learning opportunity and not a reason to stop.
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u/mermaidrampage Jul 15 '25
I mean I feel like thats what work/career is for most people...a means to an end. If someone can make money doing something they love then good for them but I think its a very small percentage of people that truly find that niche. Ultimately, we do the work so we can get paid to fund activities that we find to be meaningful.
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u/unsolved49 Jul 15 '25 edited Jul 15 '25
“I would much rather be a great father than a great golfer.”
Hell yeah Scottie.
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u/PlainOGolfer Jul 15 '25
For me -I’ve been a good father long enough. I want to freaken be a good golfer now. Jk
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u/HughAnnus Jul 15 '25
My bio father was a PGA pro in the 70s. Absolutely an alcoholic piece of shit. Golf was more important than anything. I was raised by my mom and stepfather that ended up adopting me when I was 14. I recently reconnected with him and found out he hasn't changed. Still a self centered POS that decides to start drinking again after seven years sober. Fuck you, Lon.
Scottie is a rare breed. He knows what's important to him and it keeps him centered. Hands down my favorite pro athlete ever. He's just the type of guy you want to hug and thank him for being himself.
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u/p8ntslinger Jul 15 '25
any athlete who answers the opposite way shouldn't have children. Or anyone that wants to do X thing better than parenting.
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u/KnickedUp Jul 15 '25
Well, MJ was so celebrated for being a killer and not caring about being a father or a good person. That is where society is still
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u/Thetallerestpaul Jul 15 '25
Also, his wife sounds great. Every day she thanks him for going out to work hard for their family.
Dude is winning life.
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u/rikkerbol Jul 15 '25
For those of you saying he's depressed, I actually don't think that's my takeaway. To be clear, I don't know shit about shit. But I think this is actually the signs of someone who's incredibly well adjusted to a crazy life/job. And this is why I think that.
There's something in sports called "Gold Medal Syndrome". Long story short, as I understand it, these athletes work harder than anyone else in the world to accomplish their goal. For them, there is this expectation that standing on the podium will bring this level of joy and fulfillment which is why they're sacrificing so much. But when that time comes to stand on the podium, these athletes come to this feeling like Scottie says "okay what's for dinner". Or in other words, "this particular type of joy is fleeting".
Think back to Tiger at his peak, did he seem as happy as he does watching his son play golf? How about Rory after winning the career grand slam? Does he seem happy to you? Scottie (maybe partly through the privalage of winning so much) has come to this realization that this is maybe the most incredible way to make an incredibly comfortable living in this world. But at the end of it all, winning at golf will never bring him the joy or fulfillment that playing a "meaningless" round of golf with his son one day.
All that to say, Scottie may be one of the few greats in competition (anywhere, ever) who has unlocked the idea that "winning" won't bring you joy. It can be fun, and exciting, but if you're looking for fullfillment in life, it's not the store to shop at.
Or maybe he's depressed as hell, I don't know.
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u/Nice_Marmot_7 Jul 15 '25
I think it’s interesting that he’s able to be at this level and have this outlook. I think most elite athletes are such competitive psychos that these types of thoughts never occur to them.
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u/DreddBane Jul 15 '25
With Scottie, I almost wonder if he's reached this level because he has this outlook.
A realisation that you love to winning but that it doesn't define anything about your life sounds incredibly freeing.
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u/Kooshdoctor Jul 15 '25
It can be freeing but as you notice he's said he's struggled with it it can also be incredibly disappointing and deflating. You work your freaking tail off to get to the top of the mountain only to realize that at the top that's just kinda "it." So many people struggle with purpose and meaning in life it's pretty amazing to see someone so talented coming to grips with it so eloquently.
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u/Lor_azepam Jul 15 '25
Its what makes scottie such an interesting athlete/person. This unbelievable skill in his field, then just the most normal person at the same time. Its clearly not an act with him, he is just one of the most down to earth mega star athletes in years, decades probably.
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u/phl_fc Baltimore Orioles Jul 15 '25
It's telling how so many top athletes say that the pain of losing is a bigger deal than the joy of winning. They want to win not because they like that, but because they just don't want to feel what losing is like.
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u/Ok_Inspection_8203 Jul 15 '25
I think athletes are all conditioned from a young age that winning is everything. There’s a negative relationship with failure and losing, even if it’s just subconsciously picking up the anger and sadness in others related to your loss.
Losing and failure really though is an opportunity for growth and learning. If analyzed for a minute, it’s literally your opponent pointing out how you failed or made a mistake, or where you personally faltered completely on your own.
I’m sure it being your own source of financial income has a lot to do with losing “the love of the game” and making winning the end all be all, instead of enjoying the rare opportunity you have to make a living literally playing a game.
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u/derangerd Jul 15 '25
"There is no prize to perfection, only an end to pursuit."
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u/fullchub Jul 15 '25 edited Jul 15 '25
I'd imagine that being the best at something is an extremely psychologically-draining state of mind. Prior to that the pressure on you is pretty low, even for those that are just among the best. You put in the practice and effort hoping to become the best, but if you don't, it doesn't necessarily feel like a failure because you're still pretty damn good.
Once you become the best though, it's got to seem like the only way to go is down. Suddenly you're in a completely different mindset, where you feel like you have something to lose. Instead of going on the offensive trying to become the best, you're now playing defense to try to remain the best and avoid seeing yourself as a failure (or so I imagine).
It' not hard to see why Jordan quit basketball in '95 after winning three straight championships, or why Tiger's personal life went to shit in the prime of his career.
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u/fancydad Jul 15 '25
It’s like the Jim Carey quote “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer.”
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u/zeth07 Jul 15 '25
I get the vibe he's going for but I don't think it fully makes sense when everyone is different anyway, at least with the do everything they ever dreamed of.
Cause if people are following their dreams some will likely be incredibly happy / fulfilled / loving life because they get to do what they love every day.
It'd be weird to think everyone would sit in that existential box when being able to do such things would directly help the family/friends aspect of their life I'm sure.
Unless it's someone who feels they need to have a legacy or make an impact on the world and not just living their life to the fullest.
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u/Itom1IlI1IlI1IlI Jul 15 '25
i think he's saying reaching a set goal will never have lasting fulfillment (e.g. famous, rich, something with an ultimate end-point), whereas your kinda pointing towards "doing what you love every day" which is different because it's ongoing and there is no ultimate endpoint and the fulfilment/joy of that can be ongoing
i.e. if people love acting then they will love being an actor, famous or not, rich or not
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u/Laetitian Jul 15 '25
Yup.
If your goal is world peace and solving all problems in the world, and by the end of it you find no new goals, it won't be your answer anymore.
The conclusion of "it's not the point" isn't "Stop trying/caring/making an effort," or whatever. It's: "When this is done, whether you succeed or lose, there will be a next thing. So stop yearning for success." Which means both that you should enjoy the journey, and that you need to get over setbacks, delays, inabilities, failures and rejections, because they're just an expected part of it.
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u/ElephantElmer Jul 16 '25
I guess it depends on the dream. I married my dream girl and life with her is better than I could have ever imagined. No fame though.
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u/epalla Jul 15 '25 edited Jul 15 '25
Let's be honest, if in your life you find yourself with a special talent for golf that drives you into a self reinforcing feedback loop of practice and play and eventually you get good enough to compete at this level - you'd be right next to him.
It doesn't mean it's going to be your passion or a particularly fulfilling life. At the end of the day I think it's super healthy that for Scotty his personal self worth is not tied into his golf success, and in some ways that may help him out there.
All that said, while this is true for Scotty, I think there are some (maybe most) professional athletes who absolutely DO get life fulfilment through the validation that comes with professional success in their sport.
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u/iDEN1ED Jul 15 '25
Ya, like Tom Brady is the polar opposite here lol. Threw away his marriage because he valued playing over everything.
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u/burnt_pubes Jul 15 '25
Giselle cheating with her jui jitsu instructor was the one who threw the marriage away no? Guy is the GOAT of his sport and wants to play one more season -- mind you still retiring early 40s but that's such an inconvenience that you start fucking other dudes. I'm sure there's more to the story but let's not put it 100% on Tom
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u/KnickedUp Jul 15 '25
And how do you think he really feels about that decision now? He has kids he only gets to see occasionally because of those decisions.
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Jul 15 '25
Hard to say. I've worked with people near the top of their game and they just see family as something that gets in their way and keeps them from work. It's really not hard to imagine some of those people exist in pro sports. Tom Brady might just only care about football.
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u/Th3_C0bra Jul 15 '25
Somebody introduce this man to Albert Camus
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u/Tippacanoe Jul 15 '25
I won the Masters today. Or maybe yesterday; I can't be sure.
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u/Sirnacane Jul 15 '25
“Scottie, why did you shoot your partner on the 16th hole today?”
“Idk sun was in my eyes.”
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u/Stork538 Jul 15 '25
“The Plague” by Camus is a great book for those interested in these themes. Life is what we make of it.
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u/Impossible_Break698 Jul 15 '25
Really all of his books. Myth of Sissyphus and the Stranger are great too. I still need to read The Plague
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u/harharbinks07 Jul 15 '25
“I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world”
AP Lit…one of my favorite books i’ve read for school though
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u/580k Jul 15 '25
Dudes about to get frosted tips and buy a sports car.
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u/juicefarm Jul 15 '25
That'd be nice but what's the point?
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u/Wheream_I Jul 15 '25
To drive fast and look good doing it, where’d we lose you?
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u/KnickedUp Jul 15 '25
Yea but afterwards…i have to decide what to get for lunch. Whats the point?
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u/unitegondwanaland Jul 15 '25
People wonder why Anthony Bourdain committed suicide and I won't pretend to know myself. But when you've reached a point in your life and career, you start to wonder what everything is about and that can be the beginning of the end if you allow it to.
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u/Nice_Marmot_7 Jul 15 '25
He struggled with depression and substance abuse way before he became successful.
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u/dweezil22 Jul 15 '25
Yeah these two topics are intertwined but severe depression != existential analysis. To the best of our knowledge Bourdain's brain was torturing him.
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u/bcleveland3 Chicago Bulls Jul 15 '25
Yea when someone is doing what they LOVE to do and they become the absolute best at it, but they can’t see the point in any of it all? It really makes you worry about how the average person is coping.
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u/InkBlotSam Jul 15 '25
It's like when you turn the cheats on in a video game, especially one you've been grinding at forever.
At first everything is novel and fun - you can do everything you've ever wanted to do: unlimited ammo, God mode, fly around the map, whatever. But soon the novelty wears off. There is no more challenge, no drama or tension, no more goals that have real stakes. Just novelty. And once that goes (and it always does) the game just feels pointless.
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u/thebroadway Jul 15 '25
So I've done martial arts my whole life, but at one point in time I trained quite seriously in it. For years I had strived to beat one particular person I looked up to in sparring, the guy seemed untouchable. Long story short, after well over a decade I was finally able to do it and for like a split second I had a feeling of "whoa! Cool!", but literally right after I had an unbelievably dreadful feeling of "... this is it? This is the feeling? This is what I strove for?". I felt hollow, honestly. I just thought it my head it'd mean so much more. I still do martial arts like said, though I have other things important to me, but I try to take that memory with me into everything. That accomplishment may not be as cool as you thought it would be and you have to be careful about the other important things in your life on the way. I am extremely glad that I was wise enough to right then and there not make it my whole entire life.
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u/Ohmec Jul 15 '25
You shouldn't be proud of the victory itself but instead of setting a goal for yourself and achieving it. You honored your work and commitment. Everything in life is arbitrary, at a base level, and life is assigned the meaning you choose to give it.
The golfer in the OP is having a crisis because he was expecting the win, the tournament, the prestige, to give him a since of worth and accomplishment. When really, it is always yourself that those things come from. Feelings of accomplishment come from within, not without.
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u/thebroadway Jul 15 '25
Agreed, I have instead since then been striving to put more value in that, the journey if you will, ever since. Difficult a lot of the time, but I feel like I've very slowly gotten better at it 😅
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u/ThirdEyeEdna Jul 15 '25
There’s an episode where Bourdain is at a Jack White House party and he cracks open a beer and leans against a wall and the look on his face says it all, “What’s the point?”
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u/DJCockslap Jul 15 '25
Bourdain had demons his whole life. I remember watching the episode where he goes to hang out wirh scientists in an Antarctic research station and thinking there was just no life behind his eyes (this was before the suicide). I can only imagine when you live that life and you get to travel the world and go everywhere and see everything, it can sort of strip the wonder out of things. Especially if you are somebody like he was who had demons to begin with.
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u/BlueSlushieTongue Jul 15 '25
Reminds me of Mike Tyson, his main goal was to be champion and once he accomplished that and the loss of his coach , the person who pointed him in the right direction and helped him focus, he went awry and made poor decisions.
IMO, one answer to the question, “what is the point,” is what the native people believed, leave the world as though you are thinking of seven generations ahead. So protecting the environment and helping others are some ways that can help people answer that question. The point is to make the place we live in a little better than what we were born into.
But what do I know?….
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u/jrblockquote Jul 15 '25
Frankly, this is a guy who has his priorities in order and having kids will do that to you fast. Andy Richter said that before he had children his life was black and white, and after having children his life was color. And I think that is what we're seeing here. To Scottie, golf is a job and yeah he's great at it, but it doesn't provide the fulfillment that other aspects of life provides and there's nothing wrong with that.
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u/Joe_Spazz Jul 15 '25
Y'all seem to be missing a point that feels really key to me. His accomplishment is fleeting because society around him demands that his greatness be constantly re-proven at the next event. He celebrated a life long goal for "two minutes" then was forced to answer questions about the next tournament.
There is a LOT going on here, but the temporal nature of victory reinforced by the constant demand to do it again next week can really strip the impact out of the accomplishment.
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u/dawg4life88 Jul 15 '25
I mean I think it’s definitely what you are saying, but the whole time you can see him working toward the real point which is there is much more important things in his life than golf
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u/marbotty Jul 15 '25
Maybe I’m reading into his comment too much, but I don’t think it’s just the temporal nature of victory, but also that sports, as amazing as they are and as fun as they can be to watch, don’t really serve any real purpose beyond entertainment.
The act of putting a ball in a hole, or a hoop, or a net, is in itself pointless. The entertainment it provides is nice, but it doesn’t really provide any lasting good to society (like being a good father would be.)
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u/braveheart18 Jul 15 '25
I read it both ways. Like he's trying to make the point that he's a golfer for a living and that's great, but at the end of the day he swings a stick at a ball so why do people, including himself, care so so much. The other point is that at the end of the day, golf is his job. Guys will talk about the game they scored 4 touchdowns to win a high school state championship 30 years after the fact, for him success is just his constant state of being, and how do you find meaning after that?
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u/FirstTimeRedditor100 Jul 15 '25
You can tell he's passionate about it, he loves it, he loves the life that he has because of it but it's just not the defining matter for his life. He values it, a lot, but he values other things even more. Especially because there are other things that feel more rewarding because the euphoric feeling isn't just fleeting like it can be in sports. Being a great husband, father, grandfather, friend, etc. isn't a fleeting feeling. You feel your success almost every day.
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u/caveat_emptor817 Jul 15 '25
I don’t buy that in general. I was pretty much in tears when Texas won the World Series in 2023. I got to call my dad and celebrate it after we had been to hundreds of games, most of them losses. And my oldest son at least was also incredibly pumped about it.
Sports do matter.
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u/KnickedUp Jul 15 '25
We did this with Lebron and now everyone has to do it to every athlete. Its really an awful way to cover sports. “Well yea, you won four, but whats next you piece of shit. You actually have done nothing.”
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u/Roach_Coach_Bangbus Jul 15 '25
Yeah, I think Olympic medals must be the most satisfying because of the infrequent nature. A lot of sports are just this never ending grind with so many people ready to criticize at every turn.
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u/hamarok Jul 15 '25
Thank you, exactly that, its like getting an A for a hard class and having another exam the same week, as opposed to getting an A as your last score
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u/360walkaway San Francisco 49ers Jul 15 '25
The chase is better than the catch.
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u/jayhawk8 Jul 15 '25
The journalist that asked this question got taken for an absolute fucking ride.
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u/lococommotion Jul 15 '25
Yeah. Work kinda blows no matter what you do.
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u/Spiritchaser84 Jul 15 '25
Yeah this is the obvious elephant in the room with his response. You spent your whole life getting good at golf, but you play golf to make a living. Once you achieve your dream of winning X tournament or getting to X ranking in the world, it starts just feeling like a job afterwards.
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u/Classic-Exchange-511 Jul 15 '25
Well thanks Scottie! I honestly feel better about never winning a major tournament in anything I enjoy
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u/Titty_Sprinklolz Jul 15 '25
The money is nice too
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u/wrektcity Jul 15 '25
But what’s the point ?
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u/yourcousinfromboston Jul 15 '25
It’s easier to be able to say “whats the point” when you don’t have to worry about money.
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u/cornylamygilbert Jul 16 '25
came here for this.
his prosperity gives him the luxury of reflecting on “what’s important to him” as he doesn’t have to struggle
he would not be as good of father if he could not provide the stability, resources and prestige that his success and social status provides his family
that being said, I didn’t come here to poke holes in his introspection here.
perspective is important but it’s seriously hard to deny any merit for a talented individual who can easily perform at the highest level on the planet and with the whole world watching.
Try and imagine anything you’re good at enough to do on live TV with the whole world watching.
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u/Doomhammered Jul 15 '25
I feel like this is what Jokic wants to express except trade the bit about his son for horses.
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u/antiburger Jul 15 '25 edited Jul 15 '25
This was low key depressing
Edit: I’m not saying Scottie is depressed. More saying that it’s depressing for me to know you could get everything you thought you wanted and it not fulfill you.
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u/CTMalum Jul 15 '25 edited Jul 15 '25
I don’t see it that way at all. It’s illuminating. There are a lot of things that are important in life. As much as some people don’t want to acknowledge it, money is important to our current lives as it provides your base level needs as a human, and if you have enough of it, you can liberate as much of your time as possible. Time is really the most valuable resource we have. As a father, this is probably the first time that Scottie has seen how valuable time has been. Watching your child go from baby to toddler in less than two years can be incredibly enlightening. The people in your life will always be getting older, and if you don’t take time to appreciate them now, you’ll look back and regret it, and you’ll be looking to go back and be with someone who doesn’t really exist anymore. Time and the meaningful people in our lives are the most important thing. Scottie already has enough money that he’ll never need another dollar for himself. He’s also won most of the things he’s wanted to win at golf. Is enjoying the game and enjoying the momentary thrill of victory enough to consider robbing the important people in your life of your time with them?
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u/e_muaddib Jul 15 '25
That last sentence hits the nail dead center on the head. He’s wrestling with the most important questions of life and we all are doing the same.
One other perspective however is that while winning is fleeting, the life-long journey itself is what should bring satisfaction. We so often expect to attribute satisfaction to the destination when really it’s the journey itself. But that’s so hard to appreciate. To your point about watching your child grow - you realize that all those small moments have value and we need to appreciate as much of it as we can. Appreciate the people in your life because you’re right; they will continue to age and so will you.
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u/HotHands46 Jul 15 '25
You could reverse that statement and make it extremely hopeful and exciting: the thing he wants most and gets the most fulfillment from is being a good father and partner - which is something (almost) anyone can do. This ultra-mega talent is telling you that the skills you might feel he has that are so out of reach are not the ones that matter.
You can be just as happy as Scottie Scheffler - for free. :)
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u/gman2093 Jul 15 '25
Sports are a great view into what makes us human. He and millions of others spending countless hours, the greater part of nearly every day pursuing skill and accolades in something that ultimately matters a short while or not at all to most people
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u/hulksmath Jul 15 '25
To me it’s a call to reevaluate what life is about, at the end of the day what you did at your job may not fulfill you, you need to come to peace with what fulfills you and go do it.
I get what he’s saying I think, or maybe I’m simply projecting my current feelings onto his statement. My family means so much more to me than my job.
This is a dude that’s working on the biggest question of human existence, why are we here and what does it matter. It’s a big question and it’s important to understand everyone can be working on it no matter their bank account.
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u/Trematode Jul 15 '25
It's the journey, not the destination.
Think about it a bit and you'll see that the cumulative whole of every second of every year in his life that he spent honing his skill to such a high degree -- to the point where he could sustain himself and his family with that pursuit -- is ultimately far more fulfilling than the fleeting moment where this accomplishment is formally recognized.
Whatever title he might win is hollow compared to a life well-lived in the process of achieving it.
People get so focused on end results, that they never realize the real value is actually contained in everything you need to learn and improve about yourself to get them.
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u/blankblank Jul 15 '25
I like him more now. It's rare for someone to reach the mountain top and remain that grounded.
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u/chimpomatic5000 Jul 15 '25
Anyone listening to this who was around 27 years ago - this is exactly what David Duval sounded like before he disappeared.
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u/Ghost2Eleven Jul 15 '25
I think what he is saying is true of anything that someone dedicates their life to and discovers upon achieving their goals. You spend your entire life putting in blood, sweat and tears to achieve at the highest levels and the reality is that the idea of what that pinnacle is, what it feels like to achieve, is formed around you watching others achieve it and you're inferring what it must feel like to have that sense of accomplishment, the euphoria, the attention, the accolades and that is what drives you. But the outward appearance of what it feels like for that other person to achieve everything is never the reality of what it truly feels like inside. It's an idea shaped by the world's reaction to that person's achievement. And when you work your whole life to get there and you finally do... you come to understand that it's not about standing on the mountain top, it's about the process it took to get there. That's where the real juice is. The only thing is—now you're passed the process and you kind of mourn the fact that you didn't realize it in the moment when you were grinding. But the cruel irony is that you can't possibly know it in the moment. If you did know it, that the process was everything, then you would give up and never reach the pinnacle in the first place.
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u/IHendrycksI Jul 15 '25
I think it misses the point that he's doing something he likes to get paid, to then be able to do the things that DO satisfy him - if he isn't setting it up that way, or thinking about it with that lens he's missing a key point.
If he didn't golf, he doesn't make as much money and then isn't thinking about "What's the point?" because he'd be too focused like the rest of us on "holy fuck, how do I survive and provide for my family?"
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u/caravan_for_me_ma Jul 15 '25
It’s the core dilemma of doing something for yourself - which a solo sport particularly is just your achievement - vs doing something for others. He touches on it beautifully talking about the gratitude he and his wife have for each other. The impact the sport has on his family is huge. And positive. And there’s another Masters next year, another Super Bowl, another French Open, so the achievement is Champion ‘for now.’ And it’s amazing. As any success is for people. But ultimately fleeting and not impacting the world in any way. Seems his point to me.
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u/Quasimodo27 Jul 15 '25
I loved this. So much of his answer could make for interesting discussion. The fleeting nature of victory in your career, always being expected to one-up yourself and conquer new challenges, the fulfillment of family/religion vs career. Very interesting
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u/tiga4life22 Jul 15 '25
To be so good and consistent for so long and have a down to earth realization of what's really important is really an amazing thing to witness. Considering the all time greats always had issues family wise off the "field/court/whatever." That's truly impressive
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u/TheMatt561 Jul 15 '25
Looks like somebody learned what's truly important in life and that a job is a job.
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u/T1mberVVolf Jul 15 '25
That just hits right. Could see bro retiring early at the top and making a difference based on that.
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u/Cinemiketography Jul 15 '25
"On the other hand, if I don't keep winning, I won't be able to do what I love... running over cops."
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u/wardial Jul 15 '25
According to Forbes, Scheffler has a net worth of $92.5 million. Dude. That's the point. You're so far from being a normal guy on the net worth graph, that you can't even see it.
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u/rickychewy Jul 15 '25
There are many I can think of who have large bank accounts and success in their chosen fields yet do not have his insight into what makes a successful and happy life. Some of those end tragically when the wins that bring brief periods of happiness do not sustain them. Glad to see he has a strong foundation.
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u/SlidethedarksidE Jul 15 '25
The title, the tournament, the sport in itself are all just symbols of what matters. The thing itself never matters.
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u/Educational-Luck8371 Jul 16 '25
It’s like a 5 star meal vs a casual food truck. Both end with a big dump
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u/thelawnidentity Jul 16 '25
Life’s meaning is found in helping others. Accumulation of resources and self care is required to an extent for this but it’s not the meaning in itself.
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u/ObliviousRounding Jul 15 '25
"....I'll put you down for 'feels great' if that's ok."