Scottie Scheffler, creativity on the links and the challenge of matching Arnold Palmer

He world number one, Scottie Schefflerwon this year six tournaments on the US PGA Tour this year: Bay Hill, The Players, Masters, Heritage, Memorial and Travelersbut he will need, as the player himself admits, more creativity to tackle these links of Royal Troon hosting the British Open for the tenth time.

Scheffler, playing in his fourth The Open (23rd in 2023, 21st in 2022 and 8th in 2021, all three sharing the final with other golfers) has not played the Scottish Open since last week to better study the course located next to the legendary Prestwick, which hosted the first British twelve since 1860. It knows that on this side of the Atlantic the wind makes everything more complicated. And so is field preparation.

“You’ve got to be more creative here. I love that part of the game. I feel like when I get here, it really feels like golf is played differently than it has been all year, with firm fairways, bunkers. and hard, fast vegetables,” says Scheffler.

“There are a lot more opportunities to hit shots and be creative around the greens. It’s definitely different techniques,” he added.

Scheffler achieved his best result at the year’s final major in 2021, when he tied for eighth place, but has failed to crack the top 20 in his last two appearances.

The number 1 in the world which is different from others is preparing for Olympic Games in Pariss for two weeks. Both he and everyone classified according to the world ranking this time do not want to miss the Olympic event in Versailles. They all went. First, however, were the British, knowing that windy conditions required agility and mental strength.

Scheffler admits he spends a lot of time practicing hitting bunkers these days. “Bunkers continue to punish a lot when the ball gets stuck on the slope. But here it didn’t happen much, the luck of how the ball stayed after the bounce was less influential,” he said.

Scheffler came to Troon looking for his seventh victory of the season. Golf historians point out that the legendary Arnold Palmer He also had six wins to his name in 1962 before lifting the Open Jug at Troon. Scottie, 28, admits he didn’t know that fact despite his interest in golf history.

“There are some things I know and others I don’t know. That’s something that, for some reason, I never knew. I had no idea it existed,” said the world No. 1 about it. Scheffler will look to take the first step in that direction this Thursday, his first event since winning the Travelers Championship on June 23.