Scottie Scheffler is eying a three-peat at the WM Phoenix Open as he looks to defend his title. This week, cheering and loud fans will be the norm, but for the World No. 1, it isn’t anything he can’t handle.
On the eve of the fan-favorite event, Scheffler detailed how he has been mentally prepared for what’s to come at the “party hole.”
“I’m fairly used to the heckling,” Scheffler said. “Where I practice at home, I’ve got a good group of guys that we play golf with, and I get heckled pretty often. When I’m practicing on the range, there’s usually a group of 10- to 15-year-old kids that are trashing me all the time, so the heckling is something I’m pretty used to.”
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Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The former Texas Longhorn loves this event. It’s the “People’s Open,” one of the only weeks on the PGA Tour schedule that encourages fans to bring the heat.
“It’s not as fun getting booed, but it’s fun getting the loud cheers out there when you do something good, but you pay the price when you hit a bad shot, too,” he said. “It’s definitely fun being playable to play in front of this many people.”
This week, expect the Stadium Hole to be heard once agin. It’s the loudest place on the golf course and golfers are generally aware of what’s happening there at all times.
Despite winning the event the last two years, Scheffler has made par at this hole all eight rounds. Will Scheffler make a birdie on the par-3 16th this week, or will the par-train continue?
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
