Scottie Scheffler wins British Open, but says faith and family matter far more than golf

The world’s top golfer won another major Sunday – but said afterward it pales in comparison to his faith and family.

Scottie Scheffler won the British Open with a four-round total of 17-under par, four strokes better than his nearest competitor as part of a dominant performance that only added to an already impressive resume. Scheffler, ranked No. 1 in the world, now has won three of the four “major” tournaments that are considered the most important in professional golf – The Masters (2022, 2024), the PGA Championship (2025) and now the British Open.

The 29-year-old University of Texas graduate won $3.1 million by claiming the top spot and has career earnings of $91 million – but is quick to say that fame and fortune don’t bring ultimate fulfillment.

“My greatest priorities are my faith and my family – those come first for me,” Scheffler said during a news conference following his victory. “Golf is third in that order, and I’ve said it for a long time – golf is not how I identify myself. I don’t identify myself by winning tournaments, chasing trophies, you know, being famous.”

After Scheffler sank his final putt, his 1-year-old son joined him on the green in front of a cheering crowd and TV audience.

He shared a lighthearted story about visiting two different Chipotle locations in his hometown of Dallas. At one, he’s frequently recognized; at the other, just across town, he can eat in anonymity. Fame, he said, is fleeting.

“I try to live as normal a life as possible, because I feel like a normal guy. I have the same friends I had growing up,” he said. “I don’t think that I’m anything special, just because, you know, some weeks I’m better at shooting a lower score than other guys are.”

Scheffler is one of the more vocal Christians in sports today.

Earlier in the week, Scheffler reflected on the importance of golf compared to what truly matters, saying the euphoria of winning only lasts “a few minutes.”

“And then it’s like, ‘Okay, now, now, what are we gonna eat for dinner? You know, life goes on.”

Golf, he said, means little in the grand scheme of life.

“It’s fulfilling from a sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of, like, the deepest places of your heart,” he said. “There’s a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfill them in life, and then you get there, and all of a sudden you get to number one in the world – and then they’re like, ‘What’s the point?’”

The thrill of winning, he said, “just doesn’t last that long.”

“When I wake up early to go put in the work, my wife thanks me for going out and working so hard, and when I get home, I try and thank her every day for taking care of our son,” he said. “That’s why I talk about family being my priority, because it really is. I’m blessed to be able to come out here and play golf, but if my golf ever started affecting my home life, or it ever affected the relationship I have with my wife or with my son – that’s gonna be the last day that I play out here for a living.

“You know, this is not the be-all, end-all. This is not the most important thing in my life, and that’s why I wrestle with: Why is this so important to me? Because, you know, I would much rather be a great father than I would be a great golfer. At the end of the day, that’s what’s more important to me.”