Scottie Scheffler’s ability to remain composed despite challenging starts, Collin Morikawa’s return to winning form after a prolonged drought, and Anthony Kim’s improbable victory after a 12-year absence from professional golf all underscored a common theme: resilience and a return to fundamental principles. These narratives unfolded across recent professional golf events, offering insights into the mental fortitude required at the highest level of the sport.
Scheffler, currently the world’s number one ranked golfer, has demonstrated a capacity to overcome slow starts in recent tournaments. At the WM Phoenix Open and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he opened with rounds of 73 and 72 respectively, yet still finished tied for third and fourth place. He continued this trend at the Genesis Invitational, carding a first-round 74 before rebounding with a 68 on Friday. “I feel these are some of the weeks when you look back,” Scheffler said after his second round, “I’m very proud of sticking with it, not giving up even when I felt like things were going against me this week. Just kept fighting, kept trying to hit shots, kept trying to execute.” He acknowledged the unpredictable nature of the game, noting that despite quality play, he could discover himself significantly behind early in a tournament.
Morikawa’s victory at Pebble Beach marked his first win since the 2023 Zozo Championship, ending a winless stretch of over two years. Morikawa attributed his success to a renewed focus on the core elements of the game, moving away from overly technical adjustments. “I think I’ve been trying to make golf so perfect trying to hit these shots and trying to make these putts in a certain way,” Morikawa explained, “that maybe others are doing it that you forget how to play the game of golf.” He recalled his earlier approach to the game, emphasizing a more intuitive and less analytical style. “I think looking back when I was 10, 12, 15 growing up…I played golf. And I’ve gone so far away from that, that creativity that I think the last two days, I went to go play golf. I caught myself today even after the bogey on 5 — I was like, man, I love being in this position.”
Anthony Kim’s win at LIV Golf’s Adelaide event was perhaps the most remarkable of the three stories, given his extended absence from the sport. Kim had not won a professional event since 2010. His coach, Matt Killen, emphasized the importance of allowing Kim’s natural abilities to resurface, rather than attempting a complete overhaul of his swing. Killen described a conversation with Kim prior to an event where a top-three finish was necessary to secure his place in the league for another season. “I don’t think either one of us was like, ‘OK, I hope you play good.’ We were like, ‘Hey, you’ve got to go do this. Like, how are you going to do it?’” Killen focused on helping Kim identify the shots he needed to execute and trusting his instincts, allowing his subconscious to seize over during critical moments. “You’ve got to play golf.”
Beyond these individual stories, a shift in equipment choices offered another point of interest. Scheffler’s transition from a blade putter to a mallet putter, which began before the 2024 Genesis, has coincided with a period of significant success, including three major championships. Scheffler explained that the mallet putter simplified his alignment process. “So going to mallet where I don’t have to line the ball up…it gave me a better visual for what I wanted to see really just freed me up to where I don’t have to — I was never really a guy that was super good at, like — I don’t grasp if lining things up is the right word, but for me less is more typically.”
This weekend, Njoroge Kibugu, a 22-year-old Kenyan golfer, will compete at the DP World Tour’s Magical Kenya Open in front of a home crowd. Kibugu secured his place in the tournament after a strong performance in qualifying, and his participation has generated considerable local excitement.
Several other stories from the world of golf have emerged recently. A study published in the European Journal of Sport Science examined the effects of riding a golf cart versus walking the course. Firefighters in northeast Missouri intentionally set a golf course on fire for training purposes. A homeowner in Roxborough, Pennsylvania, reported being repeatedly struck by golf balls despite not living near a golf course or driving range. And a New Hampshire man was sentenced after using fraudulently obtained Covid relief funds to purchase a golf course.
Golf television coverage this weekend includes the Honda LPGA Thailand (Golf Channel), the Magical Kenya Open (Golf Channel), and the Genesis Invitational (Golf Channel and CBS).
