Golf star Scottie Scheffler has been urged to apologise after he launched yet another outburst, directing his anger towards caddie Tedd Scott following his ball finding the water during the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Scheffler reached the green on the 16th hole only to watch in dismay as his ball bounced into the hazard.
The world No.1 found himself six shots adrift of Wyndham Clark, JJ Spaun, Tommy Fleetwood and Ryan Gerard after carding a disappointing one-over-par opening round. The American’s temper then got the better of him after his shot found the water on Thursday.
“I never thought that I was in the water. I don’t know what to do. I can’t hear a word you’re saying,” he exclaimed.
“I feel like that was a good shot. Now I’m in the water. Because it came in out of the right. Absolutely flushed a 7-iron and we get the wind wrong, and I end up in the water. I don’t think you understand how frustrating that is. I thought it was a good shot. It really was. … Golly.”
Scott kept his composure and refused to retaliate, as Scheffler’s exasperation resurfaced at the drop zone. “I liked that shot,” he said.
“I don’t understand what I’m meant to do. I don’t understand. I really don’t. I mean, it was five yards short of the green, flushed 7-iron, because it’s into off the right. Like there’s no way it could curve that much. … It’s so frustrating. … I’m hitting good shots and dropping. We cannot get the wind wrong.
“Absolutely flushed a seven iron, and we get the wind wrong, and now I’m in the water. I don’t think you understand how frustrating that is,” he added.
Scheffler faced a wave of criticism in the wake of the exchange. “I don’t get unloading on a caddy. You’re top twenty in the world and you can’t read the wind?” remarked one disgruntled fan.
“No wind coming off the right as the flag on the pin was down! Hopefully Scottie should apologise to Ted for his rant, when the error was his!” commented another.
One viewer said: “Dude you hit the shot. Own it. Becoming a bit of a crybaby lately.”
“Been watching professional golf for nearly 30 years, and that was one of the wildest things I’ve ever witnessed,” added another. “I cannot remember a top player going on like that chirping their caddy for 15 mins straight as it’s all being televised in a featured group at a big tournament.
“If I was the Caddy I’d drop the bag and walk off the course,” said another.
Scheffler’s outburst comes hot on the heels of a separate moment of ill temper at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson last month, when the world number one smashed his driver on the tee box.