Everything you need to know one month before the Masters

NEW ORLEANS – Scottie Scheffler says wearing the Green Jacket hasn’t gotten him out of any chores at home and that his incredible run of four wins in six starts, including his Masters triumph two weeks ago, still hasn’t sunk in. The world No. 1 returns to PGA TOUR competition at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans this week, partnering with fellow Texan Ryan Palmer in the team event while looking to continue his sensational purple patch of form. Since claiming his maiden TOUR win at the WM Phoenix Open in February, Scheffler has added the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, World Golf Championships–Dell Technologies Match Play and the Masters. Not since Jason Day’s similar run in 2015 where he claimed the RBC Canadian Open, PGA Championship and two FedExCup Playoff events has a player dominated with four wins in such a short stretch. After a week off at home with family, Scheffler is back and ready to ride the wave some more. While he admits to having a bit of fun at wife Meredith’s expense, the 25-year-old is adamant he will remain the humble man he has always tried to be. There will be no viral videos of chaos or wild celebrations with the coveted clothing he picked up just over a week ago. “When my wife asks me to do stuff at home, sometimes I’ll grab it out of the closet and look at her, ‘Huh, really?’ It hasn’t worked yet,” Scheffler joked about his time with the Green Jacket. “I’ve just had some fun with it at home. I haven’t really done anything special. I haven’t taken it out of the house … I want to do a good job of representing Augusta National, and I have to bring it back at the end of next year. Since I’m almost the representation of the Green Jacket outside of the club, I’m treating it with respect. I’m not going to do anything crazy with it.” Scheffler revealed he’d been contacted by former President George W. Bush via mail and was also chuffed to get love from former Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott amongst hundreds of congratulatory messages. It all still feels like a dream. “I wouldn’t say it’s really sunk in,” he said. “I’ve had a good stretch recently, but I took a little bit of time at home last week to just relax. I was a bit drained. So I did not do much last week at all. I just chilled at home. “To have someone like President Bush reach out just to congratulate me is pretty special … Michael Phelps posted me in one of his stories, and then Zeke from the Cowboys sent me a message. Michael Phelps is just insane. The guy is one of the greatest athletes ever. For him to reach out and post something about me or whatever is pretty cool. “Those are probably kind of the only moments I’ve had where I kind of sit and reflect on what’s happened the past month and a half, two months. Just getting some messages like that from people I’ve looked up to for so long is really special.” In Palmer, Scheffler has a proven performer at TPC Louisiana. The veteran teamed up with Jon Rahm to win the tournament in 2019. Justin Thomas was one to poke a little fun at Palmer, who has now boasted Jordan Spieth, Rahm and Scheffler as partners in New Orleans. “The joke became he had to win twice. After he won twice, we firmed it up. You’ve got to be a multiple winner for me to come to you,” Palmer laughed about getting his newest top-ranked star partner. “The thing that really sealed it was (that) I sent a picture of me and Jon with the trophy, but I imposed his face on it.” In reality, Palmer has been a guy all three stars wanted to play with. “I’ve known Ryan since he’s been working with Randy Smith,” Scheffler said. “We have the same coach at home. We work out together in the off-season. Same trainer and we play a lot of games at home. So, it was a pretty seamless decision. We’ll have some fun. “This is his 19th year on TOUR. It’s not like my older brother I brought in off the street. Ryan is one of the best ball strikers out here. Nineteen years on TOUR, and that speaks for itself. Four wins? Yeah, the guy’s got the resume.”

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The PGA TOUR today announced an expansive agreement with Facebook to distribute daily highlight packages globally on Facebook Watch in 2020 starting at this week’s Farmers Insurance Open. The PGA TOUR will publish daily round recaps and player-specific highlights from more than 30 events, including THE PLAYERS Championship and FedExCup Playoffs. These expanded highlights will feature content from the TOUR’s core telecasts, along with content from PGA TOUR LIVE, the TOUR’s OTT service featuring more than 1,200 hours of exclusive Featured Groups coverage in 2020. “We’re excited to expand our partnership with Facebook by delivering additional content for our fans,� said Chris Wandell, Vice President Media Business Development at the PGA TOUR. “This is in response to our fans’ appetite for additional coverage packaged in a way that is convenient for them to consume.� The TOUR will create a robust and timely highlights experience for PGA TOUR fans around the world on Facebook Watch. Fans can stay up to date with the latest highlights by following the PGA TOUR Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/PGATour. Content will be posted daily at the completion of each tournament round. As part of the agreement, the TOUR will also engage fans in its Facebook Group, The Gallery, with interactive elements such as Facebook Lives and Facebook Watch Parties. “We’re thrilled to add PGA TOUR recaps to our growing portfolio of sports highlights on Facebook Watch,� said Sidhant Rao, Facebook Sports League Partnerships.� Through this content, as well as products such as Facebook Groups and Watch Party, the TOUR will be able to engage its fans in exciting new ways this year.� In 2018, the PGA TOUR and Facebook teamed up to stream live coverage from THE PLAYERS Championship and several other PGA TOUR events leading into the 2018 FedExCup Playoffs.

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After going 3-0-1 at the Presidents Cup at Liberty National, 42-time PGA TOUR winner Phil Mickelson returns to wine country and the Silverado Resort and Spa after a T8 finish there a year ago. Mickelson headlines a field that also includes first-timer Zach Johnson and recent TOUR Championship contenders Tony Finau, Adam Hadwin and Webb Simpson. Others in the field at the 7,166-yard, par-72 North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa include Emiliano Grillo, the Safeway champion two years ago who is coming off his Presidents Cup debut at Liberty National; Kevin Na; Ryan Moore; Sangmoon Bae; and Sam Saunders. Arnold Palmer’s grandson, Saunders shot a 59 in the Web.com Tour Championship last week, while two-time TOUR winner Bae is coming off his mandatory two-year hitch in the South Korean military. Silverado was the estate of a Civil War general and later a U.S. Senator before Robert Trent Jones, Jr., built two courses there in the 1960s. It was the home of the old Kaiser International on the PGA TOUR for 13 years starting in 1968, and hosted The Transamerica on the PGA TOUR Champions from 1989-2002. Johnny Miller bought the resort in 2010 and made upgrades to both courses. The winner gets 500 FedExCup points. Jonas Blixt, Sangmoon Bae and Emiliano Grillo: This trio of global up-and-comers and past Safeway Open champions includes three-time TOUR winner Blixt, 33, a Swede who won the tournament in 2012 (and with Cameron Smith captured the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last season); Bae, the 2015 champion, who is returning from military service in South Korea; and Argentina’s Grillo, the 2016 champ, who like Mickelson played in the Presidents Cup at Liberty last week. Tee times: 3:30 p.m. ET off No. 1 on Thursday and 10:40 a.m. ET off 10 on Friday.   Phil Mickelson, Webb Simpson and Bryson DeChambeau: Mickelson, 47, is still seeking his first TOUR win since 2013, but things are looking up: He looked as vital as ever as he went 3-0-1 at the Presidents Cup at Liberty National. Simpson didn’t win last season, either, but was consistent as he finished 17th in the FedExCup standings. DeChambeau is coming off a wild summer in which he won the John Deere Classic and jetted off to The Open Championship as a result. Tee times: 3:40 p.m. ET off No. 1 on Thursday and 10:50 a.m. ET off No. 10 on Friday.   Cody Gribble, Mackenzie Hughes and Chris Stroud: Three first-time winners from 2016-17 PGA TOUR season, one of whom, Canada’s Hughes, came within a whisker of making captain Nick Price’s International Team at the Presidents Cup. Stroud, 35, had a summer in which he broke through at the Barracuda Championship and then added a T9 at the PGA Championship. (The Houstonian has lately been throwing himself into Hurricane Harvey relief.) Gribble, 27, looks to get back to the player who won the Sanderson Farms Championship. Tee times: 10:40 a.m. ET off No. 10 on Thursday and 3:30 p.m. ET off No. 1 on Friday.   Brendan Steele, Chesson Hadley and Zach Johnson: Defending champion Steele parlayed his early win last season into a deep run in the FedExCup Playoffs, getting all the way to the BMW Championship. Meanwhile, Web.com Tour Regular Season/Finals money-leader Chesson Hadley is coming off a victory at the Albertsons Boise Open and looking to make a splash in his return to the PGA TOUR, while two-time major winner Zach Johnson will be making his much-anticipated debut at Silverado North. Tee times: 10:50 a.m. ET off No. 10 on Thursday and 3:40 p.m. ET off No. 1 on Friday.

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