Scottie Scheffler‘s folksy sincerity can make it hard for people to spot the fierce competitor simmering just below the surface, but not impossible. Take legendary putting coach Phil Kenyon, for instance. Last week, the English coach lauded the American golfer’s “dangerous” level of drive by saying, “Scottie is a different type of golfer but he’s the most competitive golfer that I’ve worked with. That competitiveness is a super strength.” And nothing backs up that statement more than Scheffler’s admission that McIlroy’s Masters win left him “fired up,” after his win in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Well, at least until a former PGA Tour pro shared a different story.

Former PGA Tour pro Colt Knost sat down for an interview on the Fore Play Podcast Plus at Quail Hollow. Talking about the Texan’s personality, Knost began by saying, “He’s the most competitive person probably I’ve ever met. Like, he wants to kill you. Uh, Sam Burns told me a great story about how they almost got into a full-blown fight playing water volleyball at Scottie’s house during the Byron Nelson a few years ago. And it doesn’t matter what it is—if it’s beer pong, water volleyball, or just a putting contest with some buddies—he wants to kill you. And that’s what I think makes him so great. He lives to compete.”

Does not sound like the “gentle” Scottie Scheffler the golf courses know him as? Well, let’s take another example. The story comes from Scheffler’s performance coach and trainer, Dr. Troy Van Biezen, from an April interview. According to Van Biezen, Scottie Scheffler enjoys playful banter in the gym. During one strength session, while wearing a weighted vest and doing skater squats, Scottie encouraged Tom Kim by challenging him with, “You can’t do that.” This led to a back-and-forth exchange where they pushed each other like sparring partners.

However, Colt Knost still had some points to make. Knost pointed at Ted Scott’s involvement with the golfer and how the caddie has made clear to Scheffler, “We’re not going to act like this. We’re going to go out, we’re going to handle our business, and you’re going to act like a professional.”  Ted Scott serves as a strategic advisor and offers psychological support to Scottie Scheffler, helping him overcome challenges on the course and enhance his performance. Additionally, for a golfer who draws strength from his Christian faith, Scott pointed out that Scheffler’s ability to acknowledge mistakes and quickly move on makes it easier to collaborate with him.

However, aside from Scott, another person is very involved with Scheffler, as Knost noted, “I think Ted’s helped him a lot with that, as has Randy Smith, who’s been in his ear for a very long time.”

Scottie Scheffler is bringing heat to golf with Randy Smith by his side

Here’s the thing about Scottie Scheffler: he knows he can bring his best on the course when he is enjoying playing. And nothing brings utter enjoyment than competition. To understand this, think back to Scheffler’s 2024 statement from the FedEx St. Jude Championship, “My edge is when I get kind of immersed in the joy of competition. Going out there and playing and doing what I love is typically when I play my best golf.” Two weeks before the FedEx event, he said his goal at the Paris Olympics was to “have fun.”

How did we arrive at this point in Scottie Scheffler’s career [the amazing 2024 run]? To truly unlock his potential, Scheffler needed to elevate his physical conditioning, which in turn allowed his mental game to flourish. Randy Smith has played an instrumental role in Scheffler’s growth as a golfer, especially during challenging times. Following hand surgery that set back his season, Scheffler encountered difficulties on the course, leading Smith to stress the importance of returning to the fundamentals. They concentrated on key elements of his swing, such as alignment and the positioning of his hands at the top of the backswing.

Alongside these technical adjustments, Smith has nurtured a strong mental framework for Scheffler, emphasizing the importance of patience and the understanding that meaningful improvement takes time, with no shortcuts to success. The result? Among the top 75 ball strikers globally, as ranked by DataGolf, Scheffler has emerged as the leading putter over the past year.