Elite coaching has played an important role in Scottie Scheffler’s journey to becoming the best player in the world.
Randy Smith is a key member of Scheffler’s team and has definitely contributed to his incredible success.
Smith has worked with the world number one since he was seven years old and taught him so many lessons about both the mental and physical aspects of the game.
But Scheffler is not Smith’s only client; he also works with several other top players, including a major champion.
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Scottie Scheffler’s coach helps Justin Leonard win PGA Tour Champions event
1997 Open champion Justin Leonard is now competing on the PGA Tour Champions in the later stages of his career.
He had been struggling to find form for a while until he worked with Scheffler’s coach, Randy Smith, a few weeks ago.
Smith fixed Leonard’s putting, which helped him win the Dominion Energy Charity Classic on the Champions Tour.
“I worked with Randy Smith three weeks ago,” Leonard said. “I changed putters and actually got it the day before, and when I walked in Randy’s office and I said, ‘Hey, I brought another putter for us to try out,’ boy, his ears perked up, and he loved the fact that it was a mallet, of course.
“And then one little thing he just noticed with my lower body. A couple of little injuries here in the last three, four months, and probably got me into a little bit of a thing with my right knee.
“And so it’s this cool kind of odd balance of the two, but it works, and they’re making it work for me, which is great. So yeah, it’s been really solid since then, and you need to be solid on a day like today.”
Leonard beat Ernie Els, Thomas Bjorn, Bernhard Langer, and several other legends to win the event, so his lesson with Smith clearly worked well.
Justin Leonard also coached by Justin Thomas’ father
Justin Leonard has not only worked with Randy Smith but also with Justin Thomas’ father, Mike.
Thomas helped Leonard with his swing path at The Open Championship in Northern Ireland, and he has played much better since.
“I got in a couple of habits that I really kind of was able to work my way out of,” Leonard added.
“It really started at The Open at Portrush, being able to spend a couple of days with Mike Thomas there and get more on plane.
“I was a little shut and a little inside going back, and that’s just kind of been the catalyst for all this.”
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