Scottie Scheffler has won four major titles in the past two years, but money is not thought to be a motivating factor for the world No. 1, who has been candid about his pursuit of happiness

Scottie Scheffler recently opened up about prioritizing family life over golf(Image: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Former Masters champion Trevor Immelman has commended Scottie Scheffler for prioritizing his major success and family life over potential millions.

Scheffler maintained his remarkable form of the past two years by securing his first victory at The Open Championship in a commanding manner on Sunday. The Claret Jug, which he earned after scoring 17-under par and outpacing the field by four strokes, marked his fourth major triumph in as many years. This win added $3.1 million to his prize money, bringing his PGA Tour career earnings to a staggering $91M.

Yet, it’s evident that the 29-year-old Texan isn’t driven by financial gain. He is recognized for valuing the enhancement of his golfing abilities and cherishing time with his wife and young son above everything else.

This mindset has led Scheffler to pass up significant amounts of money during what could be the most lucrative phase of his career, by not getting excessively sidetracked off the course with sponsorships and external media obligations.

Even on the green, Scheffler chooses quality over quantity, meticulously picking which tournaments he competes in. He frequently takes a break from events in the weeks leading up to majors, enabling him to focus on rest and preparation for the more prestigious competitions.

For instance, he pulled out of the Truist Championship before his PGA Championship victory in May. Now, Immelman, 45, has praised Scheffler’s commitment to his sport, believing he will makeup for the money missed from skipping tournaments in the future.

He acknowledged that golfers in the past didn’t have the luxury of focusing solely on select events due to lower prize earnings.

Speaking on the ‘Fried Egg Golf’ podcast, the South African, who won the Masters in 2008, commented: “It is great discipline and clarity. He’s figured out that this is the formula that is going to help him play his best golf week in week out. He’s not budging from that.

Trevor Immelman has lauded Scheffler for his selective approach to PGA Tour appearences(Image: Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)

“We do need to be honest though and state that players in this era now have that option because of the amount of money that they play for, week in week out, the bonus structures, etc. When you have the ability that Scottie or Rory [McIlroy] or any of those big dogs have, you’re going to be making a lot so you can start to cut down on some of the other stuff.

“Previous generations weren’t afforded that same situation and so you had to think a little more outside the box about ways to generate income. But it’s like a perfect storm for him where the way professional golf is currently structured suits his personality and his ideas.

“He can keep the main thing as the main thing, which is maintaining and improving this incredible level of play. If he does that, the amount of money he’s going to make is unfathomable for normal people.”

Scheffler is reportedly cashing in a cool $20 million from his endorsement deals with high-profile brands like NetJets, Nike, Rolex, TaylorMade, and Veritex Community Bank as of April 2025, Forbes reports. He’s also penned profitable contracts with Vokey Wedges, Scotty Cameron, and Titleist for golf balls and putters, respectively, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

The American golfer has been perched at the top of the world rankings since May 2023 – marking the longest stretch at number one since Tiger Woods’ tenure from June 2005 to October 2010. Despite his success, Scheffler has recently shown a deep level of self-reflection, confessing before the Open that mastering the links doesn’t equate to genuine joy.

“This is not a fulfilling life,” Scheffler admitted while at Royal Portrush. “It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.

“That’s something that I wrestle with on a daily basis. It’s like showing up at the Masters every year; it’s like why do I want to win this golf tournament so badly? Why do I want to win the Open Championship so badly? I don’t know because, if I win, it’s going to be awesome for two minutes.

“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about it because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport.

“To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world, because what’s the point?”.

“You win it, you celebrate, get to hug my family, my sister’s there, it’s such an amazing moment. Then it’s like, OK, what are we going to eat for dinner? Life goes on. It feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for like a few minutes. It only lasts a few minutes.”