March 8, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Scottie Scheffler hits a shot from the 10th tee during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Image Scottie Scheffler could become just the second player in golf history to win the Players Championship for the third time this week, but it looks like he hasn’t made any major equipment decisions yet.
It may not seem like the best time of year for the world’s No. 1 player to be tinkering with his driver, but Scheffler sounded as calm as ever when discussing the topic Tuesday at TPC Sawgrass.
“I mean, it’s an inconvenient time of year to do that? I mean, it’s really not,” Scheffler said. “I think you’re always looking for ways to make yourself better, so I’m always looking for ways to improve my performance.”
Scheffler has long used a TaylorMade Qi10, but followed Rory McIlroy and other stars in switching to the manufacturer’s new Qi4D at last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. Scheffler finished tied for 24th but never shot better than 70.
“So when you look at the drivers, I think there’s very little you can do to improve them, but I think you have to draw a line between improving them and sticking with the features that work really well,” Scheffler said. “So there’s always that kind of fine line in golf, where people are trying to get a ton of speed and then they’re like, ‘Okay, we’ve got a ton of speed, but now the irons are getting a little worse. There’s a problem with distance control. There’s always a little bit of give and take.’
Scheffler suggested that the new technology has pros and cons in terms of how it fits into his game, and said he was “still working on” deciding between the two models.
Asked again this week whether he would have a new driver in the bag for his unofficial fifth major, Scheffler quipped: “It’s taken me a really long time to make any comment. I don’t know if you can take that.”
Scheffler has not finished in the top 10 in his last two starts. This is surprising considering that top 10 finishes became routine for him last year. Starting with the Houston Open in the last week of March, he entered the top 10 in 15 consecutive tournaments, including the PGA Championship, Open Championship, Memorial, and BMW Championship.
He started this season with a win at American Express, but had a slow start to the tournament after that.
Scheffler won The Players in 2023 and 2024, becoming the first player to win the PGA Tour’s flagship event in back-to-back years. McIlroy earned his spot by beating JJ Spaun in the playoffs last year.
The 29-year-old believes TPC Sawgrass offers a more diverse set of challenges than what tour members see during the season.
“When you look at this golf course, you see a variety of winners, and I don’t think you’ll see one style of player win this tournament multiple times,” Scheffler said. “I think modern golf is very unique in that it’s kind of a trend when you look at golf courses, which I think is where you have a small area to hit, a little bit back. And there are certain holes where if you’re a long hitter you can definitely utilize the length. But there are also holes where you have to get the ball in play and you have to be able to curve the ball both ways.”
Of course, the facility is most famous for the island green on the par-3 17th hole. Scheffler mentioned this when asked if Sawgrass needs more water.
“There is a lot of water outside.” he said with a smile. “There’s actually a hole surrounded by water.”
–Field level media
