Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from our most recent issue of Golf Digest, where Scottie Scheffler, who will play in the final match on Sunday at the 2020 PGA Championship, tells us about her journey to the PGA Tour. Click here to read the story complete.
We were new to Dallas, having moved from Northern New Jersey. I was 8 years old and I already loved golf. My mom worked and my three sisters had swim matches and golf tournaments to get there, so my dad couldn’t just hit balls with me all the time. My parents needed a place where they could leave me without worrying. It was then that we met Randy Smith and joined the Royal Oaks. For an 8 year old, it simply meant I had somewhere to hang out and play golf. But I found out a couple of years ago that it was more complicated than that. My parents had borrowed money to join the club. This is one of the crazy things about parenting. They made this huge sacrifice that they haven’t told me about for a long time. It was an amazing thing they did, because that’s where I spent my whole childhood. Randy was teaching Justin Leonard, Colt Knost and others, and I was hanging around, listening and playing with anyone who allowed me to join their group at the club. I knew I wanted to be one of them.
I BECOME A PROFESSIONAL AFTER THE COLLEGE DEGREE IN JUNE 2018.
I was lucky to start a couple of PGA Tours, but I didn’t have any other tournament plans, so I needed a place to play. I rehearsed for the Mackenzie Tour in Canada. I signed up like 15 minutes too late for qualifiers and was the 100th substitute. At the time I was like, Can’t even get into a qualifier? How will I play anywhere?
.
