Few things provide the feeling of elation like watching an athlete excel at his or her sport. Witnessing Caitlin Clark shoot a three-pointer or Lionel Messi score a goal is like watching a hawk soar in the sky or a lion tackle a gazelle, a creature doing what it was born to do. At its best, sports can be an expression of glorifying God. As the runner Eric Liddell famously said, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” When we are constantly being reminded that we live in a broken world, it lifts our spirits to catch a glimpse of something actually working the way God intended it to work.
In the world of golf, Scottie Scheffler falls short of the Most Beautiful superlative. The man is not actually very fun to watch. His style of play lacks the grace that other athletes like Steph Curry or Simon Biles effortlessly exemplify. While they make it look easy, Scheffler looks like an average golfer who made a deal with the devil. His long limbs swinging over his head are reminiscent of Monty Python’s “Ministry of Silly Walks.” If Caitlin Clark is a soaring hawk, Scheffler is a dog tripping over himself to snag a frisbee.
And yet, while it may not look pretty, he always manages to track the frisbee down. For all that is lacking in his aesthetics, the scoreboard tells a different story. For the second time in three years, Scottie Scheffler has won The Masters, the most celebrated golf tournament in the world. At the age of twenty-seven, he has won nine events, including three in 2024 already. He is arguably the closest thing the sport of golf has had since Tiger Woods.
What separates Scheffler from the rest of the pack even more than his Won/Loss record is the way he conducts himself. On or off the golf course, he is hardly a sports demigod, but all-too-human. While the press is eager to cast him as the next Goliath of Golf, he stubbornly resembles the shepherd king. Scheffler is remarkably open and vulnerable at press conferences. He professes his faith in Jesus Christ without a hint of posturing or false humility. At the same time, he’s completely honest about his drive to win. In a recent interview, Scheffler confessed, “I wish I didn’t want to win as badly as I do. I think it would make the mornings easier. But I love winning. I hate losing. I really do.” Like ambition or desire, Christians often have a tenuous relationship with competition – if we are called to love our neighbor, is it acceptable to want to beat the other team? – but Scheffler is more than comfortable straddling the fence between his success and his selfhood. For him, golf has been strictly categorized as something he does rather than something that he is.
The second episode of last year’s hit Netflix golf series Full Swing features a stark contrast between Scheffler and one of his rivals, Brooks Koepka. Koepka, a driven perfectionist, obsesses over whether or not he is past his prime. Despite injuries and a prolonged slump, Koepka is determined to work his way back to the top of the rankings. “I’m a firm believer in going after what you want,” he says while working alongside his personal trainer and what looks like a putting consultant. After the camera shows Koepka painstakingly studying and tweaking his game as if it were a finely- tuned rocket ship, it cuts to Scheffler who is taking a stroll with his wife, holding hands and discussing their favorite iced-coffee flavors. “I’ve never been much of an expectations guy,” Scheffler says. Days later, having put in a fraction of thought and willpower into the tournament than Koepka, the episode shows Scheffler winning The Masters for the first time.
We live in a society that tells us we can make it if you try, that, with enough foresight, our lives can turn out exactly how we want them to. Success, however, is not what we assume it to be. What makes Scheffler a success is that he has a completely different set of priorities. He understands that his life is far more than just a golf tournament (with his first child on the way, Scheffler has said that golf is soon to be #4 on his list of priorities). Rather than his talent being a means to success or even a core part of his identity, it is a gift that is on loan. To be sure, Scheffler is grateful to have been given a profound and unique gift, but he never seems to forget where the gift comes from. In fact, his weaknesses – his lack of finesse, his boring showmanship, his humdrum humanness – seem to highlight the source of his talent.
When asked about the secret to his success, Scheffler often shifts the subject from golf to his faith. After winning his second Masters, he candidly shared how his friends responded to his honest desire to win. “My buddies told me this morning, my victory was secure on the cross,” he said. “And that’s a pretty special feeling; to know that I’m secure forever and it doesn’t matter if I win this tournament or lose this tournament. My identity is secure forever.” In other words, one reason why Scheffler may be winning so much is because he is playing like he has nothing to lose.
Scottie Scheffler’s final drive of the Master’s landed squarely in the left fairway bunker. With victory already in hand, he calmly hit from the sand and straight into the rough. Any other athlete might have started to feel the pressure. Sure, he was already up 4 strokes, but anyone can lose their nerve. Not Scheffler. Green jacket or no jacket at all, Scottie Scheffler is already dressed in righteousness that is not his own. While last year’s winner, John Rahm, had the honors of putting the celebratory jacket on Scheffler’s shoulders yesterday, there was another victor, whose triumph will last far longer than a calendar year. The one who has won Scottie Scheffler’s victory on his behalf who has clothed him with the garment of salvation.
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5 responses to “The Green Jacket of Righteousness”
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Beautifully written, Sam. Thank you!
thanks for the article – one correction – Scottie has not won nine major tournaments as you said; his only major wins have been the two Masters.
thanks for catching that, Kirk. Golf terminology is weird!
[…] Sam Bush quoting Scottie Scheffler after winning his second Masters last Sunday: […]
Sam, can I be your curate some day?