The PGA’s Newest Reality Tv Show is Finally Here
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Brooks Koepka (USA Today)
This week, three prominent golfers—Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, and Scottie Scheffler—experienced significant personal events ahead of the PGA Championship. These events included an arrest, the arrival of a new baby, a shocking divorce, and a feature in Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit. This week felt less like golf and more like an episode of my favorite Bravo show.
It's been a roller-coaster of ten days for World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Coming off a Masters win, Scottie welcomed his first child, a baby boy named Bennett, with his wife Meredith. One week later, Scottie headed to the PGA Championship, his first tournament as a father. But the absolute chaos came this morning when the 27-year-old was arrested. Around 5:00 AM, a tragic accident between a car and a pedestrian occurred, killing the man at the scene. One hour later, Scottie was headed to the golf course to prepare for his tee time. It has been reported by Jeff Darlington, who was at the scene, that there was a "misunderstanding with traffic flow," leading to Scottie's arrest and charge with felony second-degree assault on a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic. Ninety minutes later, Scottie was released, and thirty minutes after that, he arrived back at the Valhalla Golf Club, where he began the second round.
Even after the arrest, Scheffler continues to dominate the course. Some people have compared Scottie to Tiger Woods in his prime, bringing him into the G.O.A.T conversation. Since January, Scottie has picked up one top 20 finish, five top ten finishes, and four wins, including The Masters. After competing in the Masters, Scottie is heading full steam ahead into this week's PGA Championship and is favored to win alongside Rory and Brooks.
Scottie and Meredith (Getty Images)
Beyond his stellar performance thus far, Scottie and his wife Meredith, high school sweethearts, welcomed a baby boy on May 8. Here's an in-depth relationship timeline between Scottie and Meredith. The Schefflers are one of golf's power couples. They are cute, beyond in love, and always support each other. Simply put, they are the Travis and Taylor of golf. When competing at Augusta National last month, reporters and fans were concerned about Meredith's well-being. Many people asked Scottie what would happen if Meredith were to go into labor during the Masters Tournament. With a green jacket and huge winnings on the line, people assumed Scottie would be conflicted about whether to keep playing or be there for the birth of his son. When asked if he would leave, Scottie said, "I am ready to go at a moment's notice."
Rory, Erica, and Poppy at the 2024 Masters (Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy, a prominent golfer born in Ireland, also made headlines this week not for his performance on the golf course but because of his personal life. On Monday morning, it was announced that Rory had filed for divorce from his wife of seven years, Erica Stoll. The couple has a three-year-old daughter named Poppy, who has been seen with her parents on several occasions over the years.
The divorce is surprising for many reasons. The main reason is that Rory won the Wells Fargo Championship last Sunday, and he was seen wearing his wedding ring while playing less than 24 hours before filing for divorce. It's hard to believe that winning a tournament would lead to thoughts of divorce, but that's just my opinion.
Rory and Caroline Wozniacki (Getty Images)
It seems Rory wanted to start the Championship weekend with a clean slate, including in his love life. While the divorce is shocking, Rory is no stranger to dramatic breakups. In 2013, Rory proposed to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki but later broke off the engagement via phone call, right after mailing their save the dates. Hopefully, Rory's golf game is better than his interpersonal communication skills this weekend.
Par 3 Contest, 2024 Masters (Getty Images)
Brooks Koepka, a rival of Rory, garnered attention this week due to his wife, Jena Sims, appearing in the 60th Anniversary Edition of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. Koepka posted a picture of Sims on social media, captioning it, "So proud of you, @jenasims. It's amazing to see what hard work can do! I love you!" Caroline Wozniacki, Rory's ex, supported by commenting "Hot mama" on Brooks' post. Brooks and Jena met at the 2015 Masters, went public at the 2017 U.S. Open, married in 2022, and welcomed a baby boy named Crew in July 2023. This week, Jena surprised Brooks with baby Crew at the P.G.A. Champions Dinner, which was hosted for former winners.
The rivalry and relationship between Brooks and Rory is one that is deeply complicated, yet intriguing. They love to play against one another, noting that their relationship is less a rivalry and more a "healthy competition." In 2022, their relationship took an extreme hit after Brooks left the PGA Tour. Similar to Rory's shocking divorce, multiple fan favorites, including Brooks, Phil Mickelson, and Dustin Johnson, left the traditional golf league for its competitor, LIV Golf. LIV Golf is a Saudi Arabian-backed league that plays shorter tournaments, has larger payouts, and does not have the traditional cut that PGA tournaments do. Brooks announced his departure from the PGA to LIV in June 2022, creating an uproar within the golf community and deep within Rory, who has continued to pledge his unwavering loyalty to the PGA.
Brooks and Rory together (Getty Images)
Upon further reflection, I am very confident that this week felt like an episode of The Real Housewives but set in the world of golf, titled The Real Golfers or The First Families of Golf. This weekend will reveal more about these scenarios, with Rory's divorce being the most pressing topic. You can cheer on Rory, Brooks, and Scottie, or maybe just root against Rory all weekend. The PGA is available on ESPN and CBS and is played through Sunday.