There is yet to be a type of golf course which seems to cause Scottie Scheffler more problems than any other, with the world number one seemingly capable of tackling any challenge put in front of him.
Just when it appeared that Scottie Scheffler particularly thrived in tournaments which would prove to be more of a slog and would not become birdie-fests, the 28-year-old blew the rest of the field away at The CJ CUP Byron Nelson this past week.
Scheffler finished the week at 31 under par to win by eight. His worst round of the week was a five under par 66 on Saturday at TPC Craig Ranch.
But while he can thrive almost anywhere, it does appear that there is a style of course that Scheffler is not particularly a fan of.
Scottie Scheffler suggests what he does not like about golf course designs
While the PGA Tour does make some notable stops, there are a number of events which take place at more forgettable tracks. Certainly, few are unlikely to come away from TPC Craig Ranch picking out a number of iconic holes.
Scheffler’s next appearance will come at the PGA Championship, which is taking place this year at Quail Hollow. And when Grant Horvat said that he can understand why Rory McIlroy plays so well at the North Carolina course given its length, Scheffler opened up on a bugbear he has with plenty of venues.
“That’s one of the reasons why I would like to get into some golf course design. Because what they are doing to golf courses now I don’t like. They take out all the trees, make the greens bigger and typically make the fairways bigger as well. So the only real barrier to guys trying to hit it as far as they want to or need to is trees. When you host a championship tournament if there are no trees you can hit it wherever you want. If I miss the fairway by 10 yards I am in the thick rough. If I miss it by 20, you are in the crowd,” he said.
Horvat would then ask what Scheffler’s ideal course layout would look like.
“Strategically Augusta is really good. You still have to hit it far. Hitting it far is an advantage at Augusta, but the areas you have to hit the ball are so small. And the big run off areas, fairways around the greens, are better in terms of short making and creativity. There is more stuff to it than if you just put heavy rough by the side of every green because then it just becomes a competition of who gets a decent lie,” he added.
“Also Harbour Town and Sawgrass are genius. I love Sawgrass. You have to hit different shots, so I feel silly naming two golf courses that I love the design are ones I have won at. But if you look at Sawgrass first hole, cut off the tee, draw into the green. Second hole, draw off the tee, cut into the green. Then it’s a cut and a draw. A cut on five. Draw on six and draw on seven. You have to hit shots.”
Scottie Scheffler’s favourite golf course
It is understandable that Scheffler has not played Quail Hollow too often in recent years, given that the event now known as the Truist Championship comes amidst a run of tournaments in Texas, as well as the PGA Championship.
Meanwhile, Scheffler has previously named his favourite golf course, with the two-time major champion once claiming that it is Southern Hills, which has also hosted the PGA Championship – most recently in 2022.
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