Ahead of The Open 2025, the three-time major champion, Scottie Scheffler, had one thing bothering him: “What’s the point?” But before anyone could wonder what this meant for his golfing career, Scheffler spelled it out. For Scheffler, if golf ever starts affecting “the relationship I have with my wife or my son,” that’d be the day he’d hang up his touring shoes for good. But what’s driving this mindset?

His love for his wife and kid is definitely a big reason. Plus, his dad, Scott Scheffler, who’s currently at East Lake cheering on his son, gave us a peek into the mindset behind Scottie’s thoughts. In a mic’d-up conversation at East Lake, Scott begins, “Well, you have to be available. Time spent with your children, you can’t get back.” This was right after Scott proudly nodded in Scheffler’s direction and announced, “That’s my son.” And history is proof that Scott is right.

After all, he really stepped up for his kids – his son, Scottie, and his three daughters. He was a stay-at-home dad, dedicating himself to raising the kids while his wife, Diane, worked as a chief operating officer at a law firm. In fact, for Scottie, having his dad as his main caregiver was just the norm.

“I didn’t know any different. Fortunately for me, I grew up with three sisters and my dad was there, and he did a great job raising us,” Scottie told the Associated Press in 2022. In the Scheffler House, parenting and raising kids were clearly the main deal. It wasn’t about chasing outcomes or putting one kid on a pedestal above the rest. It was about drawing the ‘human’ quality from within. He did do exactly that.

After his second Masters win, Scottie Scheffler shared that much, saying, “And my dad never really looked at me as a golfer. He never pushed me to become a good golfer. That was never what he wanted for me. My parents pushed more education and being kind to people.” And that’s certainly what he wants to do for his kid as well.

In his moving comments at The Open, for instance, he reiterated this idea, saying, “Because I’d much rather be a great father than I would be a great golfer. At the end of the day, that’s what’s more important to me.” And he is certainly, most likely, going to do exactly that. Why? Because Scottie Scheffler most certainly hasn’t forgotten about his parents’ sacrifices for him.

Scottie Scheffler remembers his parents borrowed money to boost his future

Scottie Scheffler’s parents uprooted their lives, moving from New Jersey to Dallas, Texas, to give him a better shot at life. Though the move was a big adjustment for his folks, Scheffler still calls Dallas home. In 2021, he said, “When we moved to Dallas, it was pretty uncomfortable for my parents.” But his parents made another huge sacrifice that he didn’t find out about till way later.

Talking to ROLEX, Scheffler shared about the sacrifice that hooked him up with Randy Smith, his “fun uncle.” “We joined this club when I was seven. My parents borrowed some money so that we could join out here, just for a place for our family to come spend time,” Scheffler said about his time at Royal Oaks. His parents needed a spot where they could drop him off and not stress. For little Scottie, it was just a place to chill and play golf.

The biggest lesson? Scheffler told Golf Digest in 2020, “They made this huge sacrifice that they didn’t tell me about for a long time. It was an incredible thing they did, because that’s where I spent my whole childhood.” +Perhaps you can blame these moments for Scottie Scheffler being… Scottie Scheffler!