CROMWELL, Conn — The No. 1 golfer in the world is ready to make his mark at the Travelers Championship this week.
Scottie Scheffler, who is making his third start at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, said he is excited to be back for a tournament that historically has had dramatic finishes.
“It’s a fun event for us to play,” Scheffler told reporters during the Travelers Pro-Am round on Wednesday. “I remember when we were flying home last year, we were trying to get WIFI on the airplane … to watch Kramer [Hickok] and Harris [English] battle it out.”
He was talking about last year’s dramatic eight-hole playoff between Hickok and English that extended almost into darkness. English drained a 16-foot birdie putt to win.
“It’s just a fun event. Everything here is really easy for us as players,” Scheffler said. “They take good care of our caddies, they take good care of our wives and take good care of us. And so, it’s just a really simple week for us.”
Scheffler is having a great season so far with four PGA Tour wins – including the Masters Tournament in April – under his belt. After winning the Masters, he became the fifth golfer to enter the tournament ranked No. 1 in the world and go on to win the whole thing.
After the U.S. Open last week, where he tied for second with Will Zalatoris, Scheffler became the fourth player in the last 20 years to have at least four wins and at least three runner-up finishes in one season. The others were Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth.
“[My] game feels like it’s in a good spot,” Scheffler said Wednesday. “I’ve played really well this year. I played really good last week.”
The 26-year-old New Jersey native, who has not been in contention to win the Travelers Championship in his last two appearances, said he is excited to see Travelers filled with fans.
“I’ve not gotten the full feel of everything [and] playing in front of large crowds is always a good time,” he said.
Scheffler on LIV Golf Series
The world No. 1 took the time to weigh in on the new rival LIV Golf Invitation Series, which has seen a handful of PGA Tour golfers join in recent weeks. The most recent report out of the Saudi Arabia-funded league is that Brooks Koepka is the next player set to join.
Koepka withdrew from the Travelers Championship on Tuesday night amid the growing rumors of his departure from the PGA Tour.
“That was definitely a surprise to me. I was at a function with him last week and it definitely not what we had in mind,” he said. “We were focused on building the PGA Tour and getting the guys that are staying here together … and figuring out how we can benefit the tour. And so to see Brooks leave was definitely a surprise for us.”
Scheffler said he will not judge Koepka for making the decision to join the LIV series.
“For me, it’s not where I see myself heading anytime soon,” he said. “I grew up wanting to be on the PGA Tour. I grew up, of dreaming, of playing in these events [like the Masters] … I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything at this moment in time. Those memories to me are invaluable.”
Scheffler is set to tee off on Thursday.
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