Scottie Scheffler Told the Truth About Success
And it’s not the answer you’d expect from a champion.
When the Trophy Doesn’t Hit Like It Should
Scottie Scheffler won The Open Championship, but before the tournament even started, he sat down in front of a mic and quietly dismantled our cultural obsession with success. Not with a dramatic speech, or a viral one-liner. Instead, he gave a raw, unscripted interview with an honesty that made me pause.
“You work your whole life to win a tournament. You get there, you celebrate, you hug your family—and then it’s like, ‘What are we going to eat for dinner?’ Life goes on.”
It was the most Ecclesiastes thing I’ve heard all year. The kind of truth you can only say once you’ve actually reached the top. And I say this with all the bias in the world: Scheffler is my favorite golfer. He played at the University of Texas. (Hook ’Em.) And he’s dominating the sport like few have before. (I wonder if my kids know who Tiger Woods is?) Anyway, what he said in that interview stuck with me.
The High Doesn’t Last
It might come to a surprise to you, but I haven’t won a major golf championship. Can you believe it? I love the game of golf, but I am a total hack. I can say though, that I’ve stood on the platform I once prayed for… and still felt tired. I’ve achieved things I thought would finally “do it” for me… and still wrestled with restlessness the next day. That’s what made Scottie’s words hit so hard:
“It only lasts a few minutes… we work so hard for such little moments.”
That’s not bitterness talking. That’s wisdom. The wisdom that comes from knowing a trophy can’t heal your soul. That applause fades. That the “I made it” moment… doesn’t actually make you. Such a rare message in today’s world.
An Unsatisfying Venture
As I watched the interview Scheffler just kept saying it in different ways…and I couldn’t stop nodding along. He went on to say:
“Does it fill the deepest desires of my heart? Absolutely not.”
There were times it sounded anti-golf, or even anti-success…but it was just an honest confession: the thing we think will finally make us whole… doesn’t. It never has. It never will.
What Solomon Already Knew
I’m not sure if you have ever read the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible but Scottie Scheffler sounded a lot like Solomon. The man who had it all…wealth, power, achievements, wisdom…and still said it wasn’t enough. King Solomon said this,
“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired…
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done… everything was meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 2)
Scheffler put it this way:
“This is not the place to look for your satisfaction… It’s an unsatisfying venture.”
He didn’t quote scripture, but he echoed the same ache. The realization that chasing wins…even noble ones…still leaves you hungry.
The Better Question
At one point, the reporter asked Scottie what does bring fulfillment. (I am so thankful he asked that question because the response brought me to tears)
Scottie paused. Then answered softly:
“I love being a father… I love being able to provide for my family…
I’d much rather be a great dad than a great golfer.”
Oof. That’s it. That’s the real win. Not the moment that flashes across ESPN.
But the life that lasts when the moment ends. I can honestly say that I hope the same for my life. I hope people remember me as a great husband and father over being a great writer, leader, pastor, etc. I don’t always get it right, but deep down that is my hope.
What This Means for Us
You don’t have to quit your job. You don’t have to stop chasing goals. You don’t even have to care about golf. But maybe today is a chance to ask:
Where are you looking for satisfaction? And is it actually satisfying you?
Because if the guy with two majors this year can say, “I don’t understand the point sometimes” … then maybe you’re not crazy for feeling like your own trophies haven’t delivered either. The good news?
They were never meant to.
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Scottie Sheffler is amazing, and I'm not at all surprised that he has such a wise answer. Thanks for sharing this!
I’ve never gotten the whole idea that winning at anything brings “happiness.” Temporary endorphin rushes and perhaps some community approbation and self-approbation needs being met in the short term are not my happiness. It’s wonderful to hear of a young person being such a role model for what matters.