God’s golfer: I want to glorify Him above all

Golf champion Scottie Scheffler says Jesus is ‘what defines him most’ and that he just wants to ‘glorify God’.

The American world number one shot an impressive four under par 68 to win the Masters title at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA, at 11 under, winning what some argue is golf’s biggest tournament for the second time in three years. Asked during the tournament about what defines him, while the 27-year-old acknowledged that golf can be a ‘selfish’ sport, he said: ‘Hopefully [golf] doesn’t define me too much. It’s just something that I do, but it doesn’t define me as a person. ‘I am a faithful guy. I believe in a Creator. I believe in Jesus. Ultimately, I think that’s what defines me the most. I feel like I’ve been given a platform to compete and show my talent.

‘I think what defines me the most is my faith. I believe in one Creator, and I’ve been called to come out here [and] do my best to compete and glorify God. That’s pretty much it.’

Scheffler is well-known for his calm demeanour, showing little emotion on the course. His supreme emotional control, a huge part of what enables him to be successful, comes from maintaining a healthy perspective on what is most important in his life. For him, how he performs on the golf course does not really matter that much, so long as he is glorifying God. He said: ‘The reason why I play golf is because I’m trying to glorify God and all that He’s done in my life and so for me, my identity isn’t a golf score.

‘Jesus loves you, and nothing changes that, and all I’m trying to do is glorify God, and that’s why I’m here, and that’s why I’m in this position. So for me, it’s not about golf.

‘… I believe that today’s plans were already laid out many years ago, and I could do nothing to mess up those plans. I have been given a gift of this talent, and I use it for God’s glory.’

Scheffler, who had won two of his last three tournaments and finished second in the other before victory at Augusta, also discussed the nerves he felt before teeing off his final round of the tournament: ‘I was sitting around with my buddies this morning, I was a bit overwhelmed. I told them: “I wish I didn’t want to win as badly as I did or as badly as I do.” I think it would make the mornings easier.

‘I love winning. I hate losing. I really do. And when you’re here in the biggest moments, when I’m sitting there with the lead on Sunday, I really, really want to win badly.

‘And my buddies told me this morning my victory was secure on the cross. And that’s a pretty special feeling to know that I’m secure for forever and it doesn’t matter if I win this tournament or lose this tournament. My identity is secure for forever.’