Scottie Scheffler’s fame is catching up to his game

PINEHURST, N.C. — The kids were packed three and four deep around the back of the 17th tee, momentarily — miraculously — completely silent.

Then the big Texan in the azure golf shirt blasted his tee shot into the Carolina blue sky, and the kids erupted. “Scottie! Scottie! Scottie!” There was nothing organized whatsoever about the gaggle of kids around Scottie Scheffler. They just wanted to get close to him, however they could.



The kids aren’t alone. Scheffler arrived in Pinehurst for this week’s U.S.

Open as the undisputed heavyweight champion of golf, and the prevailing storyline. Here’s the tell: almost every other player is getting questioned about Scottie. Not since Tiger Woods’ highest highs (and lowest lows) has one player been the subject of so many questions to other players.

“You can have a nice little run, but then most of the time you kind of fall back to whatever, a more average week,” Viktor Hovland said. “But his average week is just really, really good.” “Every week we play,” PGA champion Xander Schauffele said, “he seems to build a bigger lead, and somehow make the mountain even taller for all of us to climb.

” “He is the gold standard right now,” Bryson DeChambeau said, “and we're all looking up to him going, ‘All right, how do we get to that level?’” “It's nice to hear a little bit of good things from my peers because I think we all try to bust each other up at times when we're out there playing and competing,�.