Amateur golfer Farah O’Keefer is already quite enthralled to get the opportunity to play at Riviera Golf Club this week. She is competing with the best on the LPGA Tour for a shot at the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open title. But little did she know that the #1, Scottie Scheffler, is also rooting for her in the $12 million major.

“I’m literally shaking,” said O’Keefer as she attended a call from Scheffler. “We just wanted to wish you congratulations,” said Scheffler, who is participating in the 2026 Memorial Tournament, 2,200 miles away at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Scheffler complimented her on her game and had a short chat with her. He asked her what she was up to in the course, and she described what she had just hit. Then O’Keefe just gave him a “Hook ’em” cheer to find a connection with him. It’s a famous cry commonly used by University of Texas students and alumni, something both of them share.

This quick chat clearly left a very positive impression on the young golfer. Ranked 4th in the WAGR board, she is one of the most promising stars in women’s golf at the moment. She won a spot on the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open field by defeating Megha Ganne by 2 strokes to win the NCAA DI Women’s National Championship a week prior.

Scheffler himself has had his fair share of struggles at the venue. Despite his dominant performance throughout, the Genesis Invitational at Riviera is one event that he has yet to win. The best result he has achieved in the Signature tournament is a T3 in 2024, three strokes behind Ludvig Aberg. So he certainly knows how difficult the course can be for any player. Let alone an amateur golfer.

After the success he has achieved in golf, Scottie Scheffler has been able to reach millions with the way he presents himself. Whether it’s his dedication to the sport or his acts of kindness, it’s always easy for him to inspire others with his actions. And Harris English was one of the individuals who were surprised by how consistent the #1 was.

Scottie Scheffler inspires and motivates others

“This is the best player in the world; he’s been the best player in the world for a long time now. He’s working his tail off, and he’s the first player here getting ready to play at East Lake and try to win the event. He is relentless in the way he works and the way he prepares. That inspires me to get better and to really tighten down my habits and my systems of, if I want to compete with this guy, if I want to beat this guy, I’ve got to work just as hard or harder than he is,” English told Gary Williams.

That one encounter with Scheffler really changed English’s perception of what he needs to do to be the best. The 36-year-old has been far more consistently on the PGA Tour lately. He also won the 2025 Farmers Insurance Open to end his four-year drought on the Tour.

Scheffler also uses his platform to try to give back to the golf community. Back in January 2026, he heaped praises on the TaylorMade Tour Senior Manager, Adrian Rietveld, during the 828th episode of the Fore Play Podcast Plus. The ‘unsung hero’ played a major role in helping the #1 modify his driver for his 2025 PGA Championship win.

With Scheffler also eager to win the Memorial Tournament this week, he can continue to inspire O’Keefe by delivering an excellent performance on the course while she tries her best at Riviera.