Scottie Scheffler’s parents: They borrowed money to support his career

In early February 2021, Scottie Scheffler was still searching for his first PGA Tour victory. He was considered one of the top talents in golf without a PGA Tour win. Two months later, Scottie had four PGA Tour wins, including the 2022 Masters victory and the number-one spot on the Official World Golf Ranking. 

Scheffler’s family embraced in twos and threes after Scottie sunk the final putt confirming his victory on the luxurious Augusta greens. They then queued up to hug the new holder of the famous green jacket. 

“Proud of you buddy,” Scottie’s father, Scott Scheffler, said. “Congratulations.” 

Scottie Scheffler was born on 21st July 1996 in Ridgewood, New Jersey, to Scott and Diane Scheffler. He grew up alongside three sisters: Callie, Molly, and Sara. 

Scott grew up in Englewood Cliffs, where he attended St. Cecilia High School. Diane grew up in Park Ridge and was in the same class with The Sopranos star James Gandolfini. She refers to the late star as Jimmy. 

When Scottie was six, the family moved from New Jersey to Texas: Diane accepted a position as COO of a Texan law firm. She sometimes worked seven days a week, leaving most parenting to Scott, who relished his role as a stay-at-home father. 

“It’s just what you do as a father for your children,” Scott said after Scottie’s Masters win. “You do for your kids. I’ve done for all of them. They’ve given us great joy. But Scott’s the one who’s done all the hard work, not me. I just raised ’em.”

Scottie opines that, like most parents, his parents weren’t perfect, but he appreciates that they did the best they could to raise their children. Scottie said:

“Fortunately for me I grew up with three sisters and my dad was there, and he did a great job raising us. Both my parents I think would do anything for any of us. And so you know, they didn’t parent perfectly, obviously, but for me, they did the best they could all the time.”

Scheffler can’t hide the admiration and love he has for his parents. “I love them for that,” he said. “I can’t speak highly enough of the hard work that they have put in. I can’t put it into words, I really can’t.”

Scottie established himself as a golfing prodigy at a young age. Scott went to great lengths to nurture the boy’s talent.

Scheffler practiced his swing at a nine-hole track on the Bergen County Community College campus. His father would hold up a flashlight as Scottie hit shots in the dark. With insufficient lighting, accidents were inevitable, much to the annoyance of Scottie’s sisters. 

“He used to hit us with golf balls,” Scott told Nj.com. “He used to yell,” Scott talked to News4Jax about Scottie’s early playing days. “He would yell at us when he hit it. He would hit the girls.”

The authorities frowned at Scottie’s night-time games, and they often ejected the family from the facility. However, Scottie’s skill convinced management to let the boy practice. Scott explained:

“The police would kick us off, and we’d come back on, then the police would kick us off again. Then one day, the guy (at the course) finally came out and I said, ‘Could you just watch for a minute?’ And he’s like, ‘Wow. He’s really good at this!’ Then they wouldn’t bother us anymore.”

Scottie’s widely considered a Texan champion as most of his development happened there. However, Scottie’s golfing journey started in New Jersey, giving Jersey natives cause to claim him as their champion. 

The star golfer told Nj.com that he listens to records from Bruce Springsteen, a Jersey native. “My dad, he loved Bruce (Springsteen), so I like Bruce, too,” Scottie said. 

Scott opines that both Texas and New Jersey played crucial roles in Scottie’s development, making him a victor of the two states. He told The Associated Press:

“He’s just a nice young kid. Born in New Jersey and raised in Texas. He’s got a little bit of both, which is wonderful. Just our son and Meredith’s husband and now I guess he’s the world’s.”

After moving the family to Dallas, Scott and Diane concluded that the Royal Oaks Country Club offered the best environment for Scottie to develop. However, they couldn’t afford his membership, so they borrowed money to fund Scottie’s development at the Club. 

Despite their investment, they let Scottie explore other sports. Scottie played basketball at Highland Park High School, and he loved it, but realized that golf was his passion. 

Scottie’s siblings also played golf, but Scottie was clearly the star among them. They supported him however they could: Callie caddied for him in summers while Molly and Sara attended countless tournaments to offer their support. 

After his Masters win, Scottie talked about hitting Callie’s favorite shot during the tournament. Scottie said (per The Boston Globe):

“On No. 9 this week, the second round, the pin was way in the back, and I hit this same shot I always hit, I love it, and hit this low skipper, skipped back there nipped by the pin, and saw her sitting on the side of the green and thought that’s pretty funny, she probably liked that shot a lot.”

Everyone in the family chipped in towards Scottie’s success; everyone except Sara – she watched the tournament on television from Portugal – embraced Scottie after his Masters win. “I just can’t thank my family enough for their support,” Scottie said. 

Scott couldn’t hide his joy after Scottie buried that final putt. He wiped his tears severally as a flood of emotions engulfed him. In a previous tournament, Scott told Scottie that his pride in him went far beyond his achievements in golf. 

“I’m more proud of who you are than your golf,” Scott told his son.