Before East Lake, there were long evenings at Bergen Community College in New Jersey, where young Scottie Scheffler kept swimming while his father Scott held a flashlight so he could see the ball. His father had already given up his career to raise Scotty and his three sisters full time. He drove them to practice and waited through rounds, essentially building childhood around the game they loved. Now, after closing out one of his most dominant seasons, World No. 1 made it clear he wouldn’t have made it without the strong foundation. Speaking with Brandel Chamblee on Golf Channel, he credited his historic season to his parents and his wife.

“I just feel like we have a really close family, and I feel like it starts with my parents,” Scheffler said. “You know, I have parents that, you know, my dad would lay in front of traffic for me if it meant I wouldn’t get a scratch on my elbow. And, you know, I feel like no matter how I place on the course, I’m always coming home to people that love me. You know, my wife first and foremost when it comes to that, but my parents as well.”

He further went on to add that growing up in golf, he never felt the pressure on his own. But he also felt something rarer: permission to fail. Whether he won on that day or never made the tour at all, Scheffler said it would have been okay. His parents wanted him to chase his dreams without a doubt.

Moreover, this is not a lone incident where Scheffler has credited his parents. He was raised in New Jersey before his parents had to move the family to Dallas after 9/11, a move that he has called pretty uncomfortable for them at the time. Yet his mother, Diane worked in law-firm leadership while Scott was the stay-at-home parent. The unglamorous years of sacrifice have always shown up in the way he dealt with his scores.

Speaking in an interview, he told how his mom had an interesting rule. She never asked what Scheffler scored in his tournaments.

“She never asked me what I shot,” Scheffler recalled. “She said, If you want me to know what you shot, you will tell me. I don’t have to ask you what you shot.”

The effects of that role are always clear. Speaking at multiple press conferences, Scottie Scheffler has shared how he’s never hung up on wins or losses. He’s always looking at room for improvement, essentially being curious about his own game.

That being said, he did not shy away from crediting his wife, Meredith Scudder. She has been by his side since high school in Highland Park, Texas, long before he started on the PGA Tour. The two married in December 2020 and now raise sons Bennett and Remy together, a family Scheffler has visibly been protective of all season.

One of the most highlighted moments came at East Lake. Once the trophy presentation ended, he was spotted being surprised by his family. Almost instinctively, he sensed a lens rolling and pulled his cap off to cover the camera. True to his nature, he likes some privacy with his wife and children.

Moreover, his season itself backs the sentiment of his credit. While it’s true he had a long stretch without a win this season after January, he racked up five runner-up finishes and ten top-10s. He missed a cut at the Genesis Scottish Open in July that snapped a 78-event streak, the fifth-longest in tour history, but it rarely dented the larger picture. Now he has won three times: at the American Express, the FedEx St. Jude Championship, and now at East Lake.

The consistency of his season has made CBS’s broadcast crew name him Player of the Year before he even finished winning for the week. Even Tiger Woods took a moment to send a proud message about his achievement.

For now, Scheffler enjoys his post-win moments with his parents and his wife, while his fans, on the other hand, wait for him to be awarded the Player of the Year.