A New Era for Golf
How Scottie Scheffler changed the conversation around golf (for me).
Scottie Scheffler has changed the conversation.
As much as Scottie Scheffler may have changed the conversation in professional golf by ascending to world number one and making runs that we have not seen in decades.
I am more thankful for the conversations that have changed on the golf course for me. You see, for those same decades that we have been waiting for Scottie Scheffler, I have had to hear things like.
“Did you slip on that one?”
“Lost your balance a little there… but got away with it.”
“You swing out of your shoes, don’t ya!”
All various responses to what they just saw happen with my right foot during my golf swing.
I am not sure if it is some subconscious attempt to protect my injury prone back, if it even makes a difference or not. I have no idea.
I just like there is a new normal. I am not asking people to tell me that I remind them of Scottie Scheffler, I just like for it to draw less and less attention as it becomes more and more common to see feet move that way on televised golf.
The most nuanced and golf-nerdish experience was when I was playing with two guys. One was friend who started playing golf around 2019 (New Golfer). The other was a guy 10+ years my senior who grew up playing and watching the game (Old Golfer)
Old Golfer: You know who you look like when you swing?
Me: Who?
New Golfer Friend: “Scottie Scheffler, I tell him that all the time.”
Old Golfer: “Nah, I was gonna say ‘Calc’ you know Mark Calcavecciah”
(My new golf friend didn’t know, but I knew, and I said a little prayer again there thanking the Lord for Scottie Schefflers right foot.
Do I look more like Mark Calcavecchia (in profile) than I do Scottie Scheffler? Maybe…yes. But if you’re going to bring a back foot slider to mind when you see me swing, I’ll take Scottie. And to be fair to Calc, I think he would like Scheffler comparisons more than comparisons to me. There I said it.
Scottie, Mark, Me, draw whatever conclusions you’d like.
The big hurt