The 2026 Memorial Tournament barely got underway when the World No. 1 golfer lost his cool. During Thursday’s round at Muirfield Village, cameras caught Scottie Scheffler in a raw and animated outburst directed at caddie Ted Scott on the 16th hole. And every word of it was picked up on the broadcast.

Scheffler pulled his tee shot to the left into the water and felt the club selection was wrong and Scott misjudged the wind. “I never thought that [7-iron] was the one. I don’t know what to do,” he told Scott on the tee box, who walked ahead. “I can’t hear a word you’re saying,” Scheffler could be heard yelling.

“I felt like that was a good shot,” Scheffler continued to vent while walking toward the drop zone. “Now I’m in the water because it [wind] came in from the right. Absolutely flushed a 7-iron, and we get the wind wrong, and I’m in the water. I don’t think you understand how frustrating that is.”

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The World No. 1 started the day well, making the turn at 2-under, but dropped two shots on the par-4 10th and the par-4 14th. Then after saving par, he arrived at the 16th, which played as the fourth-toughest hole that day. Quite naturally after the waterball, his frustration boiled over.

He could be seen struggling to keep his anger under control. His tone shifted between frustration and disbelief. Scheffler, at one point, appeared perplexed, lamenting he was clueless what to do.

“It’s so frustrating. I’ve lost a ball. I hit good shots and drop it from hazards. You cannot get the wind wrong,” he stopped after a lengthy rant that lasted nearly two minutes.

Scott was noticeably silent throughout. Scheffler barely hit seven of 18 greens in regulation, which, according to stats guru Justin Ray, is the second-worst in his PGA Tour career. On the 17th, he chipped in for a birdie and then saved par on the 18th to sign for 1-over 73. He is tied for 33rd while aiming for a three-peat at Muirfield Village. After the round, Scottie Scheffler talked to the media about what went wrong on the 16th.

“That’s just another really good iron shot, and the wind switched from down off the right to, pretty significantly, in off the right,“ he said. “Just don’t really know what I’m supposed to do there, outside of trying to hit a good shot. And then it’s frustrating when it doesn’t work out.”

Ted Scott has carried the bag for 19 of Scheffler’s 20 PGA Tour titles, including all four of his majors. But their on-course exchanges have drawn attention during the 2026 season as Scheffler had not won in 10 starts after his American Express victory in January.

At the Cadillac Championship in May, Scheffler was seen fuming at Scott after missing a tap-in par on the ninth hole, with the broadcast commentator noting that “Ted Scott’s ears may be bleeding by the end of the day.”

Off the course, the two are best friends and share a very good relationship. But interestingly enough, Scheffler’s temper tantrum was a key reason why Scott was reluctant at first to caddie for him.

A side of Scottie Scheffler that the sport rarely sees

Scottie Scheffler has built a reputation around emotional control that most professionals spend their careers chasing. When he spoke after the 2024 Memorial, he told a young interviewer that despite triple-bogeying the ninth hole, he “was very frustrated. I’m glad you couldn’t tell.”

But Scottie Scheffler wasn’t always cool as a cucumber. In fact, there are well-documented cases of his temper tantrum during collegiate days. Even when he joined the PGA Tour and approached Ted Scott to caddie for him, the veteran looper offered him a straight response:

“I don’t know if I want to work for you because of your attitude.”

Scheffler understood and promised Scott that he was willing to work on it. Ted Scott thought that was a good enough commitment and joined the youngster who was yet to win on the PGA Tour. Over the years, Scheffler built his reputation for being one of the most calm and humble people in pro golf. While his occasional outbursts haven’t damaged that reputation, the last few months have certainly shown another side of him.

At the 2026 Masters, he snapped at a reporter for what he deemed to be a “terrible” question. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, after missing a roughly 10-foot putt, Scheffler chucked his ball straight into the water. At the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, he slammed his club on the teebox after a poor shot. Clearly, a winless stretch, which he is unfamiliar with, has rattled him. It’s not that Scottie Scheffler is playing pedestrian golf. Far from it.

The Dallas resident recorded three runner-up finishes in a row between the Masters and the Cadillac Championship. Once again, he came close to winning at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson but finished third. Now at Muirfield, he hopes to contend again, but poor iron play (67th in Strokes Gained: Approach to Green) isn’t helping him.

A three-peat at Muirfield would match a feat only Tiger Woods has pulled off at this venue. After this at the U.S. Open, Scheffler would have a chance to complete his career Grand Slam, that too on his 30th birthday. Momentum sure is the key and Scottie Scheffler is trying his best to keep that. And it is taking a toll on him.