GERMANTOWN (Tenn.) – Scottie Scheffler has added a green jacket this year to his wardrobe, but he is wearing something more casual on Wednesday evening. The 6-foot-3 former basketball player sprawls on a couch in a Memphis suburbs rented house, recouping from a hard day in the heat. Sam Burns and Caroline Burns walk into the house carrying bags full of the famous barbecue sauce. Before long, the dining room table is covered in enough red meat that a cardiologist would have to scream. Scottie Burns and Sam will play in the FedEx St. Jude Championship’s headlining group the next day. But tonight, they eat. Scheffler, his wife Meredith, and Brad Payne, president of College Golf Fellowship, sit at the table with the Burnses. Payne is also a leader of the TOUR’s Bible study. Plates are filled to the brisket and ribs, with macaroni and cheddar. Sarcastic barbs are exchanged and existential issues discussed. At whiplash speed, the conversation switches between the mundane to the profound. It feels very normal, considering that two of the participants are some of the top golfers in the world. They’re like us, professional golfers. Scottie and Sam have a deep and enduring relationship. This has been highlighted on television and in articles as they continue to win seven tournaments together. It is easy to forget that these two friends, who have been promising prospects since their amateur days and started this season with just one TOUR title between themselves. It’s amazing how fast things have changed. Burns is now in the Top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking, while Scheffler is at No. 1. They were also the FedExCup’s top two players for most of the season. Scottie says, “When we come home each night, we do the exact same thing as last year.” Scottie says, “If we’re 100th in FedExCup next years, it will be the same.” This is something I insist on a lot. We don’t want to see our lives change. It’s so easy to remember this through “Staying With the Burnses”. He will say to me, “You’re being too big.” Sam smiles and says that he would be happy to put the Masters champion in his place. Both of them live a simple life despite their millions of dollars. Scottie drove a decade-old SUV, and the Burnses still reside in Choudrant, Louisiana. The small town had less than 1,000 people and no Chipotles by 2020. Scottie, Sam, and their relationship has been deepening since their teens. Their bond also grew on TOUR. They credit their faith as the foundation of their friendship more than their college football and shared vocation. They have shared their rental homes at all of the TOUR stops this season. They have shared a house at most TOUR stops this year and they have competed in everything, from board games to a spot as a Ryder Cup team member and a PGA TOUR trophy. They are both determined to win, but they also want to support one another, living by the proverb, “As iron sharpens Iron, so one person sharpens the other.” They also share advice on course strategy and putting drills. Payne, who is also their housemate occasionally, says that it has everything to do the person they are in Christ. “Because that, there’s an elevated feeling of security and deep friendship. They are more than just friends. They’re family. They are family. This was more memorable than the chip-in on the third and the inconsequential four-putt on his final green. Professional golfers may not face the same adversity as others, but there are common struggles across all stations. It is frustrating to miss a cut, but it can also send your mind spiraling if you have several consecutive ones. It can seem impossible to get through difficult times. It can be worse if you are isolated. In the lonely world of a single sport, a trusted friend is crucial. C.S. Lewis said, “Friendship is formed when one person asks the other, ‘What?! Are you? Scheffler reminded Burns that he had gone through the exact same thing last year. Sam says, “When I tell Scottie that I feel deflated, and golf feels impossible,” he most likely felt the exact same thing. They are open and transparent with each other. Instead of trying to blame poor play for bad breaks or missed shots, they talk about their struggles and fears. Sometimes it is enough to simply observe how the other navigates their new position in golf. Scottie compares it to growing-up at Dallas’ Royal Oaks Country Club. There he watched TOUR players such as Justin Leonard, Ryan Palmer, and Colt Knost. Scottie said that he and Sam have been doing the same thing this year, just as the players of the same group benefit from each other’s play. Their relationship was enriched when they both applied for the Ryder Cup roster spot. Sam felt conflicting emotions when U.S. Captain Steve Stricker called Sam last fall to inform him that he would not be joining the team. He knew Scottie would take the spot. The Schefflers called shortly after and the couple spoke for half an hour to process their emotions. Scottie states, “That can destroy a friendship if not something that’s discussed.” As part of his win in the U.S., he beat Jon Rahm (then the top-ranked player in the world). The Sanderson Farms Championship was Burns’ second PGA TOUR win. Scheffler had yet to win the PGA TOUR. Scheffler shared those doubts and Burns. Scheffler admitted to wondering, but it helped to ease the burden. Scheffler states, “Golf can put you in very bad places really quickly.” They have also been able share in each others’ successes. Sam missed the cut in this year’s Masters debut, but Caroline and Sam left Augusta on Saturday morning to ask how they could pray before the most important 48 hours Scottie has ever experienced. Scottie and Sam reached the playoffs at the Charles Schwab Challenge a month later. Sam overcame a seven shot deficit by posting a 65, early, while Scottie shot 72. The wind whipping was a factor as Scottie navigated the back nine. Scottie parred on 18 to force a playoff. He asked Burns about Scottie’s par on 18 to force a playoff. Burns hit a 40-footer to birdie the first hole of the playoff. Scheffler, clearly disappointed after failing to make a birdie in their final round, smiled as he hugged his victorious friend. Scottie laughs at Scottie’s reference to junior golf-hijinks when Sam is asked about their early friendship. Sam broke a pool cue at TPC Sawgrass while using it as a baseball bat to hit the ping-pong ball. The broken piece flew through a window, breaking a shutter. Scottie laughs, “The next year we were changing out of our shoes in the parking lot.” Scottie and Sam saw less of one another as Scottie moved to Texas for college, while Sam left for LSU. But they reconnected after Scottie joined Sam for the 2020 season on TOUR. They were together for the first time in Ohio, where they attended consecutive Muirfield Village Golf Club events. Meredith was still employed in Dallas when the Schefflers got engaged. Scottie texted her to tell her he was now eating chickpea pasta, which was healthier than the one she had tried. She remembers wondering, “Who is this saint who got my husband to eat chickpea noodles?” Meredith and Caroline quickly became close friends after Scottie married her later in the year. When they get together at night, the group talks about a variety of topics. However, golf is not one of their main topics. Scottie and Sam discuss this during their notoriously poor practice rounds. One joke is that if either of them breaks par on Tuesday, they’ll likely win that week. They fight like brothers, fighting over Scottie’s slow response time to text messages and Sam’s limited hearing when he looks at his phone. They are competitive and this is what makes them successful on the course. Some people play games to have fun, but Scottie or Sam are more interested in winning. Sometimes, each couple is a team. Sometimes it’s the husbands against the wives. Caroline, who ran track at high school, shares Sam’s competitive streak. Debatting who would win the 60-yard dash is now a matter of debating with her husband. This leads to accusations about Sam’s first false start. He laughs and says that his reaction time has always been superior. Scottie adds, trying to lighten the fires. “We try to not let them be on the exact same team too much because they lose, they fight.” Sam replies, his expression deadpan. “We’re very competitive so if we don’t see the other one giving it their best effort then they need to be told.” Meredith is the least competitor. Scottie replies, “Except when her’s playing against you.” She is well-known for being a peacemaker, and her popcorn which she makes using a machine she brought from home. Garlic hummus is another favorite in their home. Their affection is evident even in their sarcasm. As the evening draws to a close, Payne concludes with a soliloquy about friendship. He concludes, “We were created to be in community and fellowship.” Scottie is now ready to help with the dishes.
By: Sean Martin
Title: How Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns propelled each other to PGA TOUR success
Sourced From: www.pgatour.com/tour-insider/2022/08/15/scottie-scheffler-sam-burns-propelled-each-other-fedexcup-playoffs-bmw-championship-tour-insider-sean-martin.html
Published Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -0400
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