Why Scottie Scheffler’s off-season decision that he is criticized for is actually a masterstroke

Add as preferred source on Google

Scottie Scheffler has won 13 PGA Tour events including three major championships, two Hero World Challenges and an Olympic Gold medal over the past two years.

Scheffler‘s record on the PGA Tour in 2024 and 2025 was quite simply ridiculous.

Not only has he won so regularly over the past two seasons but his consistency has been exceptional as well, with 37 top-25 finishes in the 39 events he has played.

While Scheffler may not possess a textbook golf swing, he gets the clubface in the perfect position both during his downswing and at impact. That is the reason why he is so frighteningly consistent.

Scheffler’s precision and attention to detail never ceases to amaze.

He is obviously an exceptional golfer but how has he managed to separate himself from the likes of Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele so significantly over the past two years?

The secret may well lie in the Dallas native’s off-season routine.

Scottie Scheffler’s annual off-season decision is a masterstroke

The current world number one is enjoying some time off right now, and he has been since the Ryder Cup finished at the end of September.

Sure, he will be working hard on his game, but he is not travelling the globe playing in extra events – something that he is often criticized for.

Renowned golf coach Pete Cowen let rip at Scheffler for ‘failing to grow the game’.

Cowen said: “You have top golfers who don’t want to come outside of America. You’ve got Scottie Scheffler, and Jordan Spieth, who doesn’t wanna play outside America.

“They are not spreading the game; they are not building the game.”

Despite the criticism from people like Cowen, his home life with his family is his priority, and he clearly is not someone who will ever play an international schedule.

Scheffler will next be in action at the Hero World Challenge on December 4th, and we probably won’t see him again after that until later January at The American Express.

Take McIlroy for instance. Since the Ryder Cup, he has played in India and is currently competing in Abu Dhabi before he heads to Australia next month.

Meanwhile, Schauffele played over in Japan in October and he has The Skins Game to come later this month in Florida.

There is a real argument to be made that Scheffler conserving his energy throughout the off-season without traveling all over the globe enables him to be more fresh throughout the entire PGA Tour season.

The proof is in the pudding. While Scheffler gets stronger as the season goes on, his competitors seem to wane.

Scottie Scheffler’s results in 2024 and 2025

Scheffler’s stats over the past two seasons prove that his time away from competitive golf during the off-season enables him to remain fresh throughout the entirety of the year.

Those figures prove that he always comes out of the block fairly slowly, before warming up and finishing the season in fine style.

The pattern of those results cannot be a coincidence.

Despite the fact that he receives strong criticism for it, Scheffler remaining at home and spending time with his family is clearly something that works for him.

And there is no reason why he should ever change his routine, despite what certain golf commentators suggest.