From free rounds to four majors.
You Won’t Believe the Last Time Scottie Scheffler Paid for a Round of Golf originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
As the PGA Tour heads toward the FedExCup playoffs, Scottie Scheffler stands atop the leaderboard of professional golf.
The 29-year-old American has claimed four major championships (two this year) and secured his grip on the World No. 1 ranking for 151 weeks, an era of dominance that few in the sport can rival.
But away from the tournament fairways and leaderboards, Scheffler revealed on Wednesday a slice of life that many fans wouldn’t expect from the world's top player.
Asked when he last paid for a round, Scheffler joked, "It’s been a while. I remember the last time I didn’t get to pay for a round…one of my buddies in the pro shop had to pay for a round. That was pretty funny."
He recounted walking into a local public course about five years ago, asking his friend at the pro shop to ring him up for tee times. The pro said, "Oh no no, you’re good," only to turn to Scheffler’s friend and say, "Actually, you gotta pay."
Scheffler laughed at the memory, noting that they still tease his friend about footing the bill.
🚨⛳️💰Scottie Scheffler was asked when was the last time he paid for a round of golf and had a funny story to share 🤣 pic.twitter.com/eSIPHOfE1y
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) August 6, 2025
Scottie Scheffler's Early PGA Career: From Junior Star to Tour Rookie
Scheffler’s rise began long before he turned pro in 2018. As a youth, he won 90 of 136 junior events on the Northern Texas PGA circuit and captured the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur title.
At the University of Texas, he helped the Longhorns to Big 12 championships and earned Phil Mickelson Freshman of the Year honors in 2015.
On the Korn Ferry Tour in 2019, Scheffler's play propelled him to Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Finals points list winner, granting him full PGA Tour status for 2020.
He wasted little time making waves as a rookie, finishing fourth on the money list and earning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
The Scottie Scheffler Breakthrough Year: 2022 and Beyond
The 2022 season marked Scheffler’s true arrival on golf’s biggest stage.
In the span of three months, he notched his first PGA Tour victory, ascended to world No. 1, hoisted his first green jacket at the Masters Tournament and won PGA Tour Player of the Year.
That breakthrough season included four wins, an astonishing run that made him the first golfer since Arnold Palmer in 1960 (and only the second ever) to win that many events, including the Masters, in that span of time to begin the season.
He backed that up by winning The Players Championship in both 2023 and 2024, becoming the first player to secure back-to-back titles at the sport’s "fifth major."
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Scheffler added an individual gold medal to his resume and capped the year by clinching the inaugural FedExCup title at East Lake Golf Club.
This season, he's won four events: The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, PGA Championship, Memorial Tournament and Open Championship, joining Tiger Woods as the only two players to win the Open Championship while ranked No. 1 in the world.
Related: Tiger Woods Sends Strong Message to Retiring CBS Broadcaster on Sunday
Related: Phil Mickelson Makes Big Career Announcement on Wednesday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
