Scottie Scheffler experienced a heartwarming moment on the 18th green when his wife Meredith and their baby son Bennett greeted him as he clinched his first victory as a father.
In an emotionally charged scene, Meredith handed Bennett to Scheffler, expressing their pride with heartfelt words: “We are so proud of you! So proud of you! Say ‘way to go Daddy, I love you!’ I’m so proud of you!”
Scheffler secured a narrow one-shot win over Collin Morikawa despite a challenging final round of 74, two over par, on Sunday. This victory marked not only his first win as a father but also his first since his dramatic arrest at the PGA Championship in May was resolved with dropped charges.
“This tournament is very special to us, and it will be for a long time because of this moment,” Scheffler shared with Amanda Balionis, clearly moved by the occasion.
It was Scheffler’s fifth PGA Tour win of the year, each victory coming since early March. His wins include prestigious titles such as the Masters, the Players Championship, and three other signature PGA Tour events.
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Meredith was notably absent from Scheffler’s victories at the Masters and RBC Heritage due to her advanced pregnancy. Scheffler had even stated that he would have withdrawn from either tournament had she gone into labor during the events.
The 27-year-old Texan heads into the upcoming U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina as a favorite, aiming to keep the focus strictly on his game amid ongoing drama.
Scheffler’s earlier arrest had occurred as he entered Valhalla Golf Club, resulting in charges including second-degree assault of a police officer. The incident involved a misunderstanding during a traffic pileup, which escalated when Scheffler allegedly did not comply with a police directive. However, all charges were subsequently dropped, and Scheffler considered legal action, supported by evidence corroborating his version of events.
In the final round at Muirfield, which started with Scheffler holding a four-stroke lead, he managed a steady performance with pars on most holes after an early bogey. The competition tightened towards the end, with Morikawa closely trailing until the final hole, where both players struggled with their approach shots.
Scheffler’s composed par on the last hole secured his victory after Morikawa’s long birdie chip narrowly missed, sealing a challenging but successful tournament for Scheffler.
Reflecting on his performance, Scheffler noted, “This is a tough place to close out. It was a fun test of golf. I like when it gets this hard. I didn’t do a whole lot great today, but I did enough.” Morikawa’s chance dwindled after a bogey on the 16th and an unsuccessful par attempt on the 17th, cementing Scheffler’s win in a tense final stretch.
