Scottie Scheffler: “Donald Trump’s Ryder Cup appearance is extremely important for us”
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World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has opened up on what it means for Team USA to play in front of a home crowd – especially with the President of the United States in attendance.
As the Ryder Cup returns to New York, Scottie Scheffler says the presence of President Donald Trump adds a special dimension to an already high-stakes week. In his pre-match press conference, the World No.1 reflected on the pride of representing the United States, the energy of a partisan home crowd, and the unique impact of having the nation’s leader watching the action unfold.
“It’s extremely important for us”
Scheffler emphasized the significance of the President attending, especially given recent challenges facing the country.
“I think our team as a whole, we’re very proud to be Americans,” he said. “I think the flag means a lot to us. Being here in New York I think is very special as well. And to have the President here, it’s been a tough few weeks for our country with some of the stuff that’s been going on, and to have our President here and for us to represent the United States of America, albeit being in a golf tournament, is extremely important for us and we’re excited to be on home soil with the home crowd and we’re ready to get this tournament started.”
Trump’s personal touch
While Scheffler doesn’t expect a formal address from the President, he praised Trump’s approach to people.
“The President is kind of funny. He loves the game of golf, he loves supporting golfers… He does such a good job of feeding confidence into everybody around him. Whether you’re the person serving us lunch, the caddie, or the president of the club we’re at, he treats everybody like they’re the greatest person in the world.”
Scheffler has received that treatment himself, revealing that he has received messages from Trump after tournament wins. And the content of those messages? “Great job,” laughed Scheffler.
Trump is expected to be at Bethpage Black for Friday morning’s opening action, but Scheffler isn’t expecting any motivational words until after the job is done.
“I don’t think he has any plans to address us as a team, but I’m sure if things go well, we’ll hear from him this week.”
Team USA fired up for home soil
According to Scheffler, Team USA won’t need a Trump speech to get them fired up.
“We take a lot of pride in being Americans,” he said. “There’s nothing better than playing in front of a home crowd. These are the weeks I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Team USA’s not-so-secret weapon
Asked about Bryson DeChambeau, Scheffler lit up.
“I think Bryson is a tremendous competitor. He’s a great partner as well. I partnered with him in 2021 at Whistling Straits and he was a tremendous guy to be out on the golf course with. He’s a great guy and a good friend and he’s been great in our team room. He brings a lot of energy, the people love him, and I think he loves the opportunity to be able to represent his country. He’s a multiple-time US Open winner, and that means a lot to him. Being an American I think means a lot to him as well. I’m excited to kind of unleash him this week.”
DeChambeau missed the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome due to his switch to LIV Golf, making his appearance this year even more keenly anticipated than usual.
Paired together in 2021, Scheffler and DeChambeau tied with Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton in Friday’s fourballs, and beat Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland in the same format on the Saturday.
Scheffler and DeChambeau both won their singles matches, beating Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia respectively.
Rome scars still linger
Reflecting on the last Ryder Cup, Scheffler admitted that the defeat in Rome still weighs on the team.
“I don’t think it can be understated how difficult a week Rome was for us,” he said. “I think we could have done better, for sure. That wasn’t how I expected the week to go. I think we learned from it, and we’re as prepared as ever this time.
“I think you can always learn from those experiences, and I think that would be the best way that I could describe it, is how much I learned from the experience in Rome. I feel like I have a large bank of knowledge over the course of my career that I can use to my advantage, especially when things get tough.
“In terms of the match with Viktor and Ludvig, do I carry anything from it? No. I lost a point. It was a tough day. Came back the next day, played my best, ended up having a match with Rahm and we ended up losing the Cup.”
“Expectations are wasted space in my brain”
Scheffler brushed off the idea that he carries extra pressure as the world’s best golfer.
“Should the expectations of me be different than any other player? I mean, I don’t really think about that kind of stuff,” he insisted. “I don’t think about expectations. I don’t bother with that kind of stuff because it’s unimportant to me.
“What I focus on when I show up to tournaments is my preparation, and I have prepared for this tournament, I’m ready to go out and compete, and when I step up there on Friday I can tell myself on the tee on that I did every last little thing that I could in order to play well when it’s time to go do what I love to do, and that’s compete and have fun. I’m excited to be able to play in front of a home crowd. I truly don’t think about expectations or anything like that. That’s wasted space in my brain.”
Why Scheffler is easier to partner than Tiger Woods
Reporters suggested his status as the world’s most untouchable player could make him a tricky partner, as it was with Tiger Woods in his prime. Scheffler pushed back on that idea.
“I think on our team, I think we have 12 guys that are all equal. I don’t think one player is more important than another. I think that is something that is through our team room.
“I’d like to think that I’m not difficult to pair with people. I’d like to think of myself as someone who’s a nice guy and easy to get along with. I’ve had different partners over the years and have had some success. I would definitely not put myself in that category.
“I think some of the difficulty you had with playing with Tiger – it could just be the aura that was Tiger Woods. There were some times when he was doing nothing but winning golf tournaments and just beating the absolute crap out of people time and time again. I couldn’t tell you what was difficult for those partners because I wasn’t there. For me, I’d like to think I’m an easy guy to pair with.”
Giving back quietly
The 2025 Ryder Cup will be the first time players get paid for playing, with each member of Team USA receiving $500,000 – with $300,000 designated for charities of the player’s choice and a $200,000 stipend which each player can use as they wish.
“My wife and I like to do a lot of stuff in our local community and I’ve never been one to announce what we do,” said Scheffler. “I don’t like to give charitable dollars for some kind of recognition. We have something planned for the money that we’ll be receiving.
“I think it’s a really cool thing that the PGA of America has empowered us to do. I have a deep passion for the city of Dallas, I have a deep passion for the organizations that we support at home, and I’m excited to be able to take this money and be able to do some good in our local community.”
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Donald Trump is expected to appear at the 2025 Ryder Cup.
