Scottie's Truth As We See Now

 👋 Hey Golf Fans,

Min Woo Lee has a heavy burden on his shoulders this week: breaking the curse at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. The curse has struck every defending champion for 20 years, stopping any repeats. Lee hopes to change that. Meanwhile, something about Scottie’s 2026 season caught our attention. We’ll discuss that, followed by Nelly’s two-ball drill and an up-and-coming tour.

Let’s get started…

You don’t need a badge at Augusta to carry a bit of it with you. Our latest Masters special drop is built for the kind of golfer who notices the little things. Thoughtful, understated, and made to be used—on the course, at your desk, or during that first coffee before a tee time.

• Azalea-inspired Tee: Brings a hint of Augusta every day.

• Rae’s Creek Tee: A quiet, knowing nod for true fans.

• Tradition Bucket Cap: Works just as well on the course as it does off it.

• All-in-One Mug: For that first coffee before the tee time.

Because the best golf merch doesn’t shout. It just belongs.

Scottie Scheffler is nowhere to be found this week at the Houston Open (more on that later). He is also struggling with his game this season (by his standards). Which brings us to our first realization: Scottie Scheffler is human (yeah, how shocking!).

The real problem is that Scottie has played like the greatest golfer in recent memory. But that was before. Before "Third-Rate Thursdays" poured cold water on everyone’s confidence. Before reporters started poking the bear. Scottie defended those days, shutting down a reporter, as you can see below.

In his last five starts, he’s opened with 70s. That 73 on Thursday at TPC Scottsdale snapped his 33-round streak of par or better. Gone is his streak of 18 consecutive top 10s. No wonder he’s lost his cool more than once—catch him throwing his ball into the water after missing a putt at Bay Hill.

And these moments show Scottie’s not invincible. Sure, he’s proud of his achievements. And he’ll fight tooth and nail to defend it. So there you have the second lesson: He cares. About the game. About his reputation.

Besides, even a “not-his-elite-self” Scheffler is, of course, still very good. He already has a win and two other top-five finishes this season. The Houston Open offered a chance to prove that again, but he decided not to take it. Scheffler’s wife, Meredith, is awaiting the birth of their second child. That means the Valero Texas Open next week looks like a skip.

That also means a one-month gap before the Masters. Our analysis says it could backfire big time, but Scheffler couldn't care less. And that reveals the third thing about him: family over golf.

But when he is playing golf, he isn't playing against the field. He's living by one creed: the shot he just nailed and the one he's lining up next. And that’s our lesson number four: it’s always Scottie vs Scottie, even with third-tier Thursdays.

Monday’s Result: 67.41% of you said fan fights make golf events feel less safe.

Have you ever looked closely at Nelly Korda’s buttery smooth swing? If not, take a look at it in this slow-motion video. Now, if you’re wondering how to instill some of that rhythm in your own swing, this Nelly drill could help you out.

• Setup: Take two golf balls; place the first one in your regular stance. Now, put the second ball a few inches directly behind it, creating a small gap.

• Execution: Start your backswing low and slow. Use the clubhead to push the second ball straight back without flipping your wrists, lifting early, or swinging too inside or outside.

• Feedback: A straight backward roll means a solid takeaway. But if it veers inside or outside, adjust to fix swing path issues. Watch how Nelly controls her motion in the video below.

Practice it a few times. This drill will help prevent taking the club back too quickly or lifting the clubhead too early. Once it feels natural, try the ones listed below.

Top Five Drills to Get Your Swing on Plane

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As part of our Masters week countdown, we are looking at all 18 holes of Augusta National. With 11 days to go before the first major, today our focus is on the White Dogwood, the famous 11th hole.

The tee shot at White Dogwood plays downhill and left-to-right, kicking off the iconic Amen Corner. With a scoring average of 4.30, it's the second-toughest hole at Augusta. It's never yielded a sub-par average; the worst score is a quintuple-bogey 9 (by five pros), while six golfers made eagles here.

For the most part, YouTube content creators have a deadpan, dry-yet-goofy humor. It's why they work. Add in their top-notch but oh-so-relatable golf, and you've got gold, which the PGA Tour understood when they launched the Creator Classic. It delivered gems. Like this one – Trent Ryan shooting his first, second, third... and fourth ball into the water.

It was a success, and so was the Internet Invitational last year.

No surprise, then, that they likely served as the inspiration behind Your Golf Tour (YGT), the new creator-led circuit from Grant Horvat and the Bryan Bros. This upstart features four teams captained by Horvat, George, and Wesley Bryan, plus one mystery skipper yet to be announced. It's got a multi-season roadmap. Here's the rest you need to know.

What do you think of this Tour?

Essentially Golf brings you handpicked, well-thought-out, and not-to-be-missed recommendations to make your weekend more fun.

🎥 Watch — Ian Poulter puts his Ferrari on the line against Bryan Bros.

🛍 Buy — PGA Tour Glove promises premium quality and performance.

🏌️Gear Up — Signature AirPod Case has an eye-catching all-over print.

🥗 Dine — LagerHead Tavern is the ideal place to gather near Hilton Head Island.

🗓️ Organize — TPC River Highlands offers to host your next golf outing.

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