Fall 2024
Golf Olympics

U.S. golfer Scottie Scheffler takes emotional gold at Olympics, maintains identity in Christ alone

By Kevin Mercer Aug 5, 2024
Olympic gold medalist golfer Scottie Scheffler of the United States, Aug. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt York)

As American golfer Scottie Scheffler stood atop the podium at the Paris Olympics and listened to the tune of “The Star-Spangled Banner” resound from the speakers, with his wife, Meredith, and their newborn son, Bennett, looking on from the stands, tears came to his eyes.

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With a flurry of birdies, Scheffler — the No. 1 golfer in the world — had just surged from four shots back at the start of Sunday’s final round, and six shots behind midway through it, to capture the gold medal for the United States.

He shot a 9-under 62 (tying the course record) Sunday and won by one stroke over Englishman Tommy Fleetwood. Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama took the bronze. Scheffler’s 19-under 265 across 72 holes is an Olympic record.

“It’s been a long week. It’s been a challenging week,” Scheffler said in the post-round press conference. “I played some great golf today, and I’m proud to be going home with a medal. … It was just very emotional being up there on stage there as the flag is being raised and sitting there singing the national anthem. That’s definitely one I’ll remember for a long time.”

Scheffler was on the practice range, busy preparing for what he thought would be a playoff, when he was told he had secured gold after Fleetwood just missed a 100-foot shot on the 18th green.

His gold-medal performance in Paris was rather fitting, considering Scheffler already had recorded one of the more impressive seasons in recent golfing history. The 28-year-old has won six PGA Tour tournaments this year, including his second career Masters title (his first was in 2022).

When asked in Sunday’s press conference about how adding an Olympic gold to his growing list of accomplishments impacted his legacy, Scheffler said he hadn’t given it any thought.

“That’s not really something that comes to mind,” he responded. “I love being out here competing. It’s one of my favorite things in the world to do and it’s a great joy in my life. I’m proud to be out here competing. As far as my legacy goes, I really don’t think about it too much. This is just part of my life that I do out here and it’s something that I work very hard at. I’m proud to be sitting here with a gold medal.”

As good as he may be and as often as he may win, Scheffler has never been one who is too wrapped up in his identity as a golfer. He says his identity lies elsewhere.

“The reason why I play golf is I’m trying to glorify God and all that He’s done in my life,” he said after his Masters win in 2022. “So for me, my identity isn’t a golf score.”

He reiterated that sentiment after earning his second green jacket this April.

“My buddies told me this morning, ‘My victory was secure on the cross,'” he said. “And that’s a pretty special feeling to know that I’m secure for forever and it doesn’t matter if I win this tournament or lose this tournament. My identity is secure for forever.”

Scheffler said it was in college at Texas that he truly began to understand what Christ had done for him. Now as a follower of Christ on the PGA Tour, he actively attends Bible studies with his caddie Ted Scott — about whom Scheffler said Sunday, “Teddy always does a really good job of keeping me in the right head space” — and Scheffler co-hosts an annual ministry retreat as part the College Golf Fellowship along with friend and fellow pro golfer Sam Burns. Scheffler was also featured in the Summer 2022 edition of Sports Spectrum Magazine.

“I’m a faithful guy,” Scheffler said prior to his second Masters win. “I believe in a Creator. I believe in Jesus. Ultimately, I think that’s what defines me the most. I feel like I’ve been given a platform to compete, and, you know, show my talent. It’s not anything that I did.

“… It’s hard to describe the feeling, but I think that’s what defines me the most is my faith. I believe in one Creator, that I’ve been called to come out here, do my best, compete, and glorify God.”

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