Gone are the days when Scottie Scheffler, the world’s number one golfer, was revered for his affable persona and consistent performance. Recently, Scheffler’s unexpected behavior has caused a stir in the media, leaving them wary and apprehensive.
At The PLAYERS Championship, Scheffler’s performance dipped, resulting in a T20 finish that was far from satisfactory. The tension in the air was palpable as his frustration became evident. Gabby Herzig, who witnessed the tense atmosphere, recounted her experience on The Fried Egg Golf Podcast.
Scheffler’s interactions with the media have taken an unusual turn. “I’m scared,” confessed Herzig, describing Scheffler’s demeanor. His sharp remarks and apparent irritation were a far cry from the calm, composed Olympic gold medalist that fans have come to know and love.
The root cause of Scheffler’s frustration seems to be his inability to secure a win in 2025. Despite his successful stint in 2024, where he bagged back-to-back Players Championship titles and an Olympic gold, his performance has been lackluster post a hand injury he sustained during Christmas. With merely three top-11 finishes in five events, Scheffler’s performance has failed to meet his own high standards.
The tension culminated in an awkward press conference, where a room full of journalists remained silent for a good 10-15 seconds. Breaking the silence himself, Scheffler announced, “So I’ll make a statement.” Herzig confessed that this interaction is indicative of the media’s fear of posing questions to him.
Herzig pointed out that Scheffler’s interactions with the media have been more than just sarcastic; they’ve been downright “snarky.” His recent outbursts, she added, were unlike the humorous and sarcastic guy that the media was used to dealing with.
Scheffler’s on-course behavior has been equally surprising. Herzig recalled, “He has this outburst once in every while after a bad shot.” Instances of Scheffler’s on-field anger include his club-throwing episode at the US Open in 2024, his expletive-laden reaction at the BMW Championship, and his frustration-induced bag-striking incident at the WM Phoenix Open 2025.
However, Scheffler isn’t the only one exhibiting such behavior. Collin Morikawa, another top golfer, caused an uproar when he sidestepped mandatory media obligations following his defeat at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. His statement, “I don’t owe anyone anything,” drew severe backlash from golf veterans like Rocco Mediate, who labeled Morikawa’s behavior as “the dumbest, most selfish garbage you could ever say.”
Morikawa, undeterred by the criticism, further fueled the controversy by stating, “I don’t regret anything I said,” after a commendable second-round performance at TPC Sawgrass.
This emerging trend of golf’s top stars clashing with the media raises serious concerns. Will this continue, or will the players find a way to balance their competitive spirit with their professional obligations? One thing’s certain – the era of universally agreeable golf superstars may be a thing of the past.