Scottie Scheffler may be a well-liked athlete, but his 87-year-old grandmother, Mary, has captured the hearts of many. Scheffler, who is 26 years old, won the championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida on March 12, with a final score of three-under 72. Friends and family showed up to support him during the PGA Tour, including his grandmother.
According to TODAY, Mary DeLorenzo walked the entire 72-hole, four-day tournament to watch her grandson compete. During his victory speech, Scheffler revealed that his grandma lives about 20 minutes away and even walked all the holes, including the ones from the previous day. Mary will turn 88 in a week and a half.
Despite a slow start where he failed to make a birdie in the first seven holes, the 26-year-old Scottie Scheffler, who was named PGA Tour Player of the Year, eventually won the championship by reeling off five birdies in a row to take the lead. In an interview with NBC Sports, Scheffler mentioned that his grandma lives in the area, and it was a special moment having her there during the championship. “We’ve been coming here to visit grandma since we were little kids,” he added.
The PGA shared an emotional moment of Delorenzo applauding her grandson as he won the title. In his post-victory press conference, Scheffler praised his grandmother, who had walked numerous holes during the tournament, saying, “She’s a trooper,” and “It’s pretty impressive she’s walking so many holes out here.”
88 years young, Scottie Scheffler’s grandma walked all 72 holes of #ThePLAYERS this weekend
— 1010 XL / 92.5 FM (@1010XL) March 12, 2023
She’s lived in the area for 20+ years, but this was her first @THEPLAYERSChamp in years… she picked a heckuva year!!! pic.twitter.com/b7WebI0ACz
Team Scheffler’s live reaction to Scottie winning 😊 pic.twitter.com/EPTolwdfSu
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 12, 2023
During an interview with NBC Sports on Sunday, Scheffler shared that his father, Scott, used to stay at the hotel at TPC Sawgrass while his mother, Diane, was traveling for work. He reminisced about playing the golf course once with his dad and how the town holds many fond memories for him. “I played this golf course once with my dad. We used to stay at the hotel here because my mom had built up some Marriott points traveling for work,” he said.
The heartwarming moment between Scheffler and his grandma did not go unnoticed on the internet. @RevmatchGT tweeted, “This is great! You can see how incredibly proud she is of her grandson.” Similarly, @MindOfRaemi added, “Wow! She’s a champion! Big ups Grandma Scheffler!”
Scottie Scheffler’s 88-year-old grandmother, Mary, has been with Scottie all week.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 12, 2023
She’s walked every single hole with him @THEPLAYERSChamp. pic.twitter.com/p8nof2Zy4h
Scheffler’s hole-out on the 11th was his 11th of the season on the PGA Tour, a feat that earned him praise from Jordan Spieth, one of the game’s top wedge-game players. Golfweek reported that Kramer Hickok, Scheffler’s former teammate at Texas, has been watching him evolve into the best golfer.
Hickok said, “The best way I can put it is he’s always been so confident.” Hickok believes Scheffler’s creativity is one of his strongest assets, adding, “Golf courses where he can be a creative show off his best attributes because he’s such a great athlete.”
Players to hold the Masters and Players Championship titles at the same time:
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) March 12, 2023
Jack Nicklaus
Tiger Woods
Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler is not only an excellent golfer, but he is also a remarkable athlete in general, with an exceptional ability to focus and deliver results, as noted by his former teammate at Texas, Kramer Hickok. Hickok praised Scheffler’s confidence and creativity, which he believes are his strengths, particularly in golf courses that allow him to showcase his athleticism.
Scheffler’s bunker shot on the 17th hole at the TPC Sawgrass tournament was a testament to his skills as he pumped his fist in victory after the ball disappeared into the hole. CNN reports that as the new world No. 1, Scheffler is focused on defending his green jacket at Augusta next month. He believes that being in contention and learning from the experience is the most valuable aspect of his growth as a golfer.