By Steve Keating
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – How does a Masters champion celebrate after winning a first Green Jacket?
If you’re world number one Scottie Scheffler, you buy a bottle of tequila and a cold tub.
And what will Scheffler splurge on if he successfully defends his title on Sunday, joining Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers to win back-to-back Masters?
Maybe a new car.
“One of our kind of somewhat traditions is buying a bottle of nice tequila after each win, and that’s pretty much the extent of it,” said Scheffler. “I’m sure eventually maybe I’ll get a new car. I don’t know.
“I haven’t got a new car. Still in the same house.
“I bought a cold tub. That was a pretty big indulgence. Still not running at home but we bought it.”
With over $33 million in career earnings, including $2.7 million from his Masters victory, it’s not that Scheffler can’t afford to go on a shopping spree.
But Scheffler’s lifestyle is a reflection of his golf, unassuming, reliable and unflappable.
There is nothing particularly flashy about Scheffler’s game, just rock solid like a well built home or car.
While cool, calm and collected on the course, Scheffler is prone to the occasional emotional outburst away from it.
Ahead of last year’s final round Scheffler admitted to crying “like a baby” before teeing off.
The tears could be flowing again on Tuesday when he hosts the Champions Dinner.
“I’ll definitely get emotional. I wish I didn’t but I always do,” said Scheffler after Tuesday’s practice round. “I don’t know what it is.
“The weight of everything hit me as I was leaving the locker room and they were setting up for the dinner.
“I was like, oh, boy, here it comes.”
Scheffler will try to get all the emotion out of his system before Thursday’s first round.
No player has won the Masters in consecutive years since Tiger Woods accomplished the feat in 2001-02.
“Any time you can get mentioned in the same breath as a Tiger and a Jack and a Nick Faldo is really special, but it’s not a motivating factor for me to come out here and play,” explained Scheffler.
“It’s so special and cool when it happens, but it doesn’t motivate me out here.
“I’m just trying to come out here and play good golf and have fun.
“Legacy is just a complicated thing. In a hundred years I’m going to be forgotten and it’s not a big deal.”
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Augusta. Editing by Toby Davis)
