AUGUSTA, Ga. — Scottie Scheffler’s son Bennett turns 2 next month, while baby Remy arrived less than two weeks ago. Neither child is old enough to grasp what Augusta National, the Masters, or their dad’s green jacket really means.
“Meredith got this great picture of me and Bennett walking into the clubhouse with my green jacket and holding his hand. But he has no idea what it means,” Scheffler said. “This place signifies so much for me in my golf journey, and that’s something I’d love to share with my kids. We’ll see how that goes as they age.”
“Right now I’m just hoping he doesn’t ruin it if I’m wearing it near him.”
Scheffler has two kids — one for each Masters title. He’s the favorite this week, as he tends to be for all majors now, but his family life has been more eventful than his golf lately. The Scheffler who dominated the 2025 season with six wins in a 4½-month span hasn’t quite shown up yet this year.
He started strong by winning The American Express in January and followed with top-five finishes at Phoenix and Pebble Beach. But since then, he’s been outside the top 10 in three straight events — and outside the top 20 in his last two starts.
Is this a slump by his standards? It’s hard to say, considering Scheffler hasn’t played at all since The Players Championship in mid-March. He withdrew from the Houston Open as his wife was expecting their second child, and Remy was born March 27.
The word “rested” rarely applies to parents of newborns, but the break from competition might leave Scheffler refreshed.
“I’m getting plenty of sleep. My wife’s a trouper,” Scheffler said. “Remy is so young right now, they sleep a lot of the day. I think he’s used to being in the womb at this point. I’ve been able to get a decent amount of sleep.”
At the Par 3 Contest, it was hard to tell which Scheffler child drew more attention — tiny Remy being carried by Meredith in a baby wrap or Bennett knocking the ball around with a blue toy club.
Bennett was born just before the PGA Championship in 2024, which turned into a chaotic experience for Scheffler at Valhalla. He was arrested before the second round for not following police instruction — charges that were later dropped — but made it back from jail in time to shoot 66 that day on his way to finishing T8.
His challenges this week should be limited to the course. Scheffler will try to become the first player since Adam Scott in 2013 to win at Augusta National after having three weeks off.
If there’s been a weakness in Scheffler’s game this year, it’s been his starts. In his last five tournaments, he’s played the first round in a combined 3-over par while going 56-under the rest of the way.
That might seem like ancient history after his recent family focus. While a major doesn’t offer a gentle re-entry to competition, Augusta does have its advantages.
“Augusta keeps going above and beyond to make things special and easy for us as players. Especially the practice rounds,” Scheffler said. “The practice rounds are very peaceful. There’s no phones. There’s no people asking for selfies in the middle of the round. It’s very calm out there, and people follow the rules here.”
Scheffler will play with Robert MacIntyre and Gary Woodland in the first two rounds. He was a 6-1 favorite per BetMGM Sportsbook on Wednesday morning. That’s similar to his +550 odds before last year’s British Open, which he won, but not as short as the +275 price before last year’s U.S. Open.
“Game feels like it’s in a good spot,” Scheffler said. “I got some rest the last few weeks at home. So I feel rested and ready to go this week.”
