Lisa Skinner thinks that Christian parents have a lot to learn from the golfer who is at the top of his game
“Winning a golf tournament is not the be all and end all to me.”
Most Pro Golfers don’t start the week of golf’s oldest and most prestigious championship by reflecting on how little fulfilment comes from winning a major. Certainly no one expected to hear that from the World No.1 but that is exactly what a room full of journalists heard from Scottie Scheffler on the eve of the British Open in Portrush last week.
This response came after a journalist asked Scheffler “What would be the longest you’ve ever celebrated something and what was the most crushing loss?” Scheffler responded by saying “it feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for a few minutes. It only lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling. And to win the Byron Nelson Championship at home. I literally worked my whole life to become good at golf, to have an opportunity to win that tournament. And you win it, you celebrate. You get to hug your family, my sister is there. It’s such an amazing moment. And then it’s like – OK, now what are we going to eat for dinner?”
This is a man who understands that golf wins are fleeting, the pursuit like chasing the wind, so he fixes his eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen and eternal
Scheffler went on to say he wasn’t here to inspire the next generation of golfers because what’s the point? There was uncomfortable laughter in the press room – what was he saying? He went on to clarify – “This is not a fulfilling life…it’s fulfilling from a sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.” These journalists had come to hear about his thirst to win another major but instead they were shocked to hear the golfing hero state: “I love being able to play this game for a living. It’s one of the greatest joys of my life, but does it fill my deepest wants and desires of my heart? Absolutely not.”
Trying to make sense of it all another journalist asked what he did find fulfilling. Scheffler said that while golf allows him to support his family, if it ever affected his role as a husband and father he’d quit on the spot. Family is what matters more than golf to him because golf is “an unsatisfying venture”. At this point officials in the room could be seen motioning to others to end the interview, he followed up with another bombshell telling the crowd “this is not the place to look for your satisfaction.”
The same man, who holds sporting success so loosely, went on to win the 153rd British Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club on Sunday. He no doubt enjoyed the achievement for a few minutes and then he went home to dinner and the continued enjoyment of his family and his faith. Turning what might have seemed like a PR misstep into a masterstroke, Nike’s marketing team followed Scottie’s victory with a poignant image of him on the course with his one-year-old son, captioned ‘You’ve already won.’ It was paired with another of him post-swing, reading ‘But another major never hurt.’ The Instagram post read – Priorities unchanged. Another major secured.
what is most important to him is faith, his family and golf comes third because golf is not how he identifies himself
Scheffler’s introspective and almost philosophical interview stands out—not just in the world of professional sports, but in a wider culture where fame and fortune are often seen as the ultimate prize. It may be difficult for some to grasp, but as a Christian, Scheffler’s sense of value isn’t rooted in worldly treasure or achievement. He sees his true blessings as his wife and son, and he carries the weight of this God-given calling—to be a faithful husband and father. Like each of us, he will one day give an account for how he stewarded what God entrusted to him.
This is a man who understands that golf wins are fleeting, the pursuit like chasing the wind, so he fixes his eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen and eternal. His priorities lie in nurturing his relationship with God and protecting the health of his family life. In a professional sports world often marred by affairs and fractured homes, Scheffler draws a clear line: “if my golf ever started affecting my home life, or if it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or my son, that’s gonna be the last day that I play out here for a living.”
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Scheffler categorically told his audience that what is most important to him is faith, his family and golf comes third because golf is not how he identifies himself. That really made me pause and ask myself: where do my own priorities lie? Are they in the right order? And would I have the courage to walk away from success and recognition if they ever came at the expense of my devotion to God and my family? It’s a humbling thought—especially when you realise that even the one of the greatest sports stars in the world wrestles with the same questions.
One thing is for sure, what was meant to be a routine press interview became a powerful moment of Christian witness. While Scottie Scheffler has said that he is not here to inspire the next generation of golfers, I believe he’s done exactly that— becoming an inspiration not just to golfers, but to Christian husbands and fathers in this generation and the next.
