Unrelatable
Take a guess at what Olympic sport Scottie Scheffler says is like hitting a shank while getting punched
Brendan Moran
They (golf writers) say that there are few things more dangerous than a golfer playing with a fresh dose of perspective following the birth of their first child. It seems Scottie Scheffler is competing at the Paris Olympics this week with loads of perspective, but no, not just because he is a new father.
No, it’s the perspective that Scheffler got from watching the U.S. women’s gymnastics team compete on Tuesday in the All-Around Final that has him very thankful he plays a far less physical sport. After an opening round four-under 67 at Le Golf National, the World No. 1 reflected on what impressed him most from watching the U.S. gymnasts in Paris.
“We watched Suni Lee do her warmup on the uneven bars, and she face planted on the mat coming off of the top bar, and the whole gym went silent,” Scheffler said. “I'm thinking to myself, if you face plant, first of all, it's really going to hurt, and it's going to throw you off.
“Five minutes later, she's got to go up there and do her routine in front of the entire world and really be judged for a long time on that one specific routine,” Scheffler said.
Lee recovered from her warmup faux pas, recorded a high score on the uneven bars and helped Team USA win a gold medal. All of which got Scheffler trying to find the golf equivalent to face planting off uneven bars.
“Like a shank, but except someone simultaneously punches you in the face,” Scheffler said. “I don't know how to equate it to golf. We were sitting on the other side of the gym, and it was so loud. I was like, Is she hurt? And five minutes later I'm like, I guess she's going. Flawless. It was awesome.”
As supreme a ball-striker as Scheffler is, we’ve seen a few shanks from him, not to mention a cold top off the 72nd tee at last month’s Open Championship. But by our count, none of which came as he was getting punched in the face.
Therein lies the perspective that watching other Olympic sports can give a golfer. Quit your whining, we don’t have it that bad.
