"Old news to your Dad" Jack Nicklaus congratulates Scottie Scheffler
Jack Nicklaus has sent Scottie Scheffler a warm message congratulating him on his new status as the World No.1.
Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus has congratulated Scottie Scheffler on becoming the new World No. 1 but added it seemed like it was "old news to your Dad".
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Nicklaus was referencing the emotional embrace between Scheffler and his father where he told his son he was more proud of him as a person than his golf after he won his third PGA Tour event in his last five starts to topple Jon Rahm as the best player on the planet.
"You're pretty good at golf man," he said before giving his son a bear hug. "I'm more proud of who you are than your golf. You're a wonderful young man".
Nicklaus said: "Growing up, many of us—especially me!—thought the world revolved around our parents.
"So on the day that Scheffler moved atop the world of golf, it was fitting the best moment was shared with his parents, and punctuated with his father’s words."
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Congratulations, Scottie Scheffler, on the @DellMatchPlay and your third win in five starts, as well as your ascension to the No. 1 spot in the world rankings.
— Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) March 28, 2022
Growing up, many of us—especially me!—thought the world revolved around our parents. So on the day that Scheffler moved atop the world of golf, it was fitting the best moment was shared with his parents, and punctuated with his father’s words.
— Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) March 28, 2022
Scottie, seems like being No. 1 might be old news to your Dad. -Jack pic.twitter.com/jGQm7mHf1P
— Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) March 28, 2022
He added: "Scottie, seems like being No. 1 might be old news to your Dad. -Jack".
Scheffler now leads the FedEx Cup standings after beating Kevin Kisner in the final of the WGC Match Play.
To get there he emerged from a group of Tommy Fleetwood, Ian Poulter and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Scheffler, who was World No.5 heading into the tournament, beat Ireland's Seamus Power in the quarter-finals before beating Dustin Johnson 3&1 in the semi-finals at Austin Country Club.
Losing the final was a bitter blow for Kisner as he joined Tiger Woods and Geogg Ogilvy as the only players to reach the final at least three times since the WGC began in 1999. His record now stands at 23-6-1.
Scheffler said after the tournament when asked about reaching the top of the world: "It's not something that I didn't want to achieve or didn't believe that I could do.
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"It's just I grew up at Royal Oaks. I grew up wearing long pants to go practice because I wanted to be a professional golfer.
"That's what I dreamed of. I dreamed of being out here. I've always been, I would say, fiercely competitive, and so for me getting out here was a goal per se, and being out here, I like competing and I enjoy the challenge of playing out here every week.
"Just competing out here is really fun for me and just being able to win tournaments is pretty awesome.
"The rankings never really crossed my mind. It was always just about being out here and competing."
Scheffler is not playing the 2022 Valero Texas Open.
We will next see him in action at The Masters. He can currently be found at 16/1 to win.