Scottie Scheffler isn’t new to winning, but the golfer’s 1-month-old son Bennett is a novice at celebrating — and most other things.
Scheffler won The Memorial tournament on Sunday, June 9, his first PGA Tour win since Bennett was born on May 8. Scheffler, 27, celebrated the win with wife Meredith Scudder and their son, per video shared by the PGA Tour via X.
“Wanna say hi? That’s your daddy!” Meredith said as Scottie came over for a hug. “He’s so proud of you.” Meredith passed Bennett into Scottie’s arms while the pair were surrounded by a crowd of applauding fans.
Before Meredith gave birth, Scottie made it clear that parenthood would be his No. 1 focus. “I will definitely enjoy the birth of my first child,” he told USA Today. “But with that being said, I still love competing. My priorities will change here very soon. My son or daughter will now be the main priority, along with my wife, so golf will now be probably fourth in line. … But I still love competing. I don’t plan on taking my eye off the ball anytime soon, that’s for sure.”
Scottie also celebrated Sunday’s big win with golf legend Jack Nicklaus, nicknamed the “Golden Bear,” who holds the record for most PGA major championships. He designed the Memorial’s course in Dublin, Ohio, and founded the tournament.
Outside of his Memorial tournament win, Scottie has had an incredibly busy month. Shortly after Bennett’s birth in May, Scottie played in the PGA Championship, which took place at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville. Before the second round of the tournament began, Scottie was arrested and charged with second-degree assault of a police officer. Scottie claimed that the arrest was the result of a “big misunderstanding” made worse by the chaotic scene around a fatal accident outside the golf course.
“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier,” he said in a statement via PGA on May 17. “I never intended to disregard any of the [police officers’] instructions.”
The month of May was touched by grief for Scottie as well, as Scottie’s tourmate Grayson Murray was found dead of an apparent suicide on May 25, a little over a week after Scottie’s arrest.
“I think we all wish we could have done more for him, wish we could have done things differently,” Scottie said during a tearful eulogy for Murray on June 4. “You know, your mind just kind of goes to what you could have done to prevent this from happening.”
Scottie is currently the No. 1 golfer in the world. His win at The Memorial earned him $4 million and pushed him to $24 million in earnings over the season, a new record for PGA golfers. Of course, he was only beating himself. Scottie has set the single-season record for earnings in each of the last three years.
