Scottie Scheffler Ruffled by Journalist

Scottie Scheffler, the World No.1 golfer, faced an unexpected line of questioning during his pre-Travelers Championship press conference, focusing on the NBA Finals rather than his upcoming tournament. The Dallas Mavericks’ recent loss to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals was the main topic, prompting Scheffler, a Dallas native, to address the team’s defeat.

As the conference opened, a journalist highlighted the Mavericks’ recent defeat, saying, “You arrive in New England right after the Celtics beat the Mavs.” Scheffler responded with a laugh and a bit of reluctance, “Do I have to answer this question?”

The journalist persisted, probing whether Scheffler anticipated any banter from fans or fellow golfers about the Mavericks’ loss. Scheffler admitted he hadn’t experienced much ribbing, even from Celtics supporter and fellow golfer Keegan Bradley. He humorously recounted a fan encounter: “I did get one fan today who asked me to sign a Celtics hat, and I told him no. But other than that, not much interaction.”

The conversation eventually shifted back to golf, with Scheffler addressing current buzz on and off the green. He was specifically asked about the ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). Scheffler admitted he was not deeply involved in the discussions and had little information on their progress.

“I have no idea. I’m not really too much a part of it, so I haven’t really heard too much, so I don’t know if they’re going great or if they’re going poorly,” he said. “Your guess is as good as mine, I think, at this point. Hopefully, they will continue to progress, but we’ll see.”

Scheffler emphasized that he harbors no frustration over the situation. “It’s out of my control, so I’m not too worried about it. They have got a lot of big business decisions to make, and as far as my opinion goes, I sit on our PAC, but as far as input in the negotiations, I don’t really have much to say at all. So, frustration, definitely not, but we’ll see how things progress.”

Despite the unexpected detour into NBA chatter, Scheffler managed to steer the discussion back to his primary focus: golf.