Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer on Earth and has been recognized as such for 176 consecutive weeks. Being the No. 1-ranked player in the world for more than three years running comes with a spotlight, and with a spotlight comes criticism. What makes Scheffler different than most who have ever been in his position is that he doesn’t care about the spotlight, not even a little bit.
Scheffler boasts about the fact that golf does not define him and that the game falls well below both his faith and young family on the list of most important things in his life. If you were to ask either a golf fan or even his peers to describe Scheffler, most would say he’s a very normal person who loves spending time with his family, who also happens to be a generational talent with a golf club in his hand.
These circumstances, coupled with his style of play where he’ll ball-strike his opponents to death, have led to his biggest criticism being that he is simply ‘boring.’ In recent months, however, some of the criticism’s focus has turned to his playing schedule.
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SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER SHARES A PERFECTLY IMPERFECT ASSESSMENT OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE, THE CHALLENGES OF FATHERHOOD
Scottie Scheffler of the USA holds the FedEx Cup Trophy after the final round of the TOUR Championship 2026 at East Lake Golf Club on August 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
In September, Golf Monthly published a column claiming that Scheffler has an obligation to travel the world and be a “global ambassador” for the game as the world No. 1.
“One thing he absolutely should be criticised for, though, is the fact he’s seemingly allergic to leaving America for more than a fortnight each year,” the column stated, after noting that he is not trying to be someone he isn’t.
The 30-year-old made 20 starts during the 2026 PGA Tour season, with just the Scottish Open and Open Championship taking place outside of the United States. He won three times, earning just shy of $31 million.
The timing of the story coming in the fall, with Scheffler already in the midst of his “offseason,” led to a discussion about whether or not he did have a responsibility to play all around the world, and it has continued all the way into November.
Scottie Scheffler of the U.S. Team looks on from the 17th green prior to the Presidents Cup 2026 at Medinah Country Club on September 22, 2026 in Medinah, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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The topic has even reached Rory McIlroy’s orbit, and the six-time major champion believes anyone saying Scheffler needs to travel the world more is wrong.
“People have their own decisions to make and their own lives, and I’ve seen criticism of Scottie Scheffler because Scottie doesn’t play — but that’s his decision,” McIlroy said ahead of this week’s Abu Dhabi Aldar Golf Championship. “If he doesn’t want to, that’s his prerogative. I think Scottie being Scottie is good enough for the world of golf, and he doesn’t need to travel all over the world because he’s got a young family, and that doesn’t bring value to his life; where I like travel, it’s all I’ve known.”
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler smile as they prepare to tee off on the first hole during the first round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., on August 13, 2026. (Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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It’s straightforward, which is extremely rare in today’s world, but Scheffler shouldn’t be criticized for not wanting to travel the world to play a game, simply because he’s the best at that game.
Scheffler has earned the right to control every single aspect of his schedule as the No. 1-ranked player in the world for three years running. Those on the other side of the argument would also have to side with the idea that the PGA Tour calendar isn’t good enough, which is objectively ridiculous.
Scheffler is an American who enjoys playing, and winning, in America and prioritizes sleeping in his own home under the same roof as his family as much as he possibly can.
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To criticize any athlete for that, let alone the best on planet Earth at their respective sport, is just a poor attempt at making something out of nothing.