Scheffler and Schauffele

Be creative and have fun – that is how Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele are approaching Royal Troon.

World number one Scheffler has won six PGA TOUR events already this year but chose not to play the Genesis Scottish Open in a bid to stay fresh ahead of The 152nd Open.

Like Masters champion Scheffler, Schauffele arrives in Scotland as a reigning major champion after his PGA Championship success at Valhalla in May.

“This is my fourth Open,” Scheffler said. “As far as the learning curve goes, I think you have to be more creative here and I love that part of it.

“I feel like when I come over here this is how golf was intended to be played, there is more opportunity for shot-making and being creative around the greens.

“It really is fun to come over here and play and get a bit more creative.

“I think the biggest adjustment was how the ball spins off the turf, it spins more here than it does at home.

“So when you are playing shots into the wind, it will typically have more of an effect on what the golf ball does than what we are used to.”

As well as winning his second major this year, Scheffler has become a father.

The New Jersey native has had to find new ways to rest and unwind in the middle of a busy Tour schedule, while his approach to his position as a golf star has mellowed.

He added: “It's a pretty cool feeling to be able to make someone's day by signing an autograph or taking a picture. It's a pretty fun feeling.

“I'm trying to embrace more of that side of it than not being able to sign everyone's autograph.

“That's not a fun feeling. I'm trying to lean into more of making somebody's day by signing something or taking a picture.

“I feel like I've always been a guy that just let my golf clubs do all the talking for me. I guess that's kind of the cliche.

“I never really thought of myself as anything but a golfer. I was never trying to be famous. I didn't want to be a celebrity or whatever.

“It's brought me this far, so I continue to just try to keep my head down and put in the work that got me here and just continue to practice and hopefully continue to get better.”

While Scheffler’s preparations saw him play at Turnberry and at Royal Troon last week, Schauffele has been reminiscing about his lead-up to the 2018 Open.

Playing in just his second Open, the 30-year-old finished tied second at Carnoustie having spent the week prior travelling around his father’s native Germany.

Schauffele said: “It was such an interesting approach for me. I went to Germany to my dad's hometown and my brother's hometown.

“I actually remember I was in really bad golf shape. I think I shanked my first shot on the range at Carnoustie Sunday night. It was pretty eye-opening.

“I was in Germany drinking beer and eating pretzels for four days straight before that. My expectations were so low on how I was going to perform, and I actually played great.

“Thinking back to it, I was pretty blue-eyed in that moment. At the time, I just remember Jordan and I shot a million on the front nine, and we were just trying to salvage the tournament.

“I was happy with the way I fought back."

Schauffele sits just behind Scheffler at number three in the world rankings, with only Rory McIlroy between them.

The Californian has not returned to The Open top ten since 2018, but has recorded top-eight finishes at the first three majors this year, including victory at Valhalla.

“I really enjoy playing links golf and all the challenges that come with it, it is always fun for me to come here and play golf,” he added.

“I think with links golf there is a certain attitude you need to have to play at a high level, that is the first thing I learned when I was here.

“Back home in the States when it starts raining, people always feel like one wave gets the rain but out here it can rain all day, and it’s just part of it.

“It is something that we are not used to playing in the States. With that rain comes the wind as well.

“I really enjoy the challenge of it, this is my seventh start now. I don’t feel quite like a veteran on links golf yet, but I really do enjoy it and I think it helps me learn quicker.”