What's the Point? Ted Scott on Identity, Freedom, and What Makes Scottie Scheffler Unbeatable

Two weeks after winning his second Masters, Bubba Watson called Ted Scott with his number blocked. When Ted picked up, Bubba said four words that changed the way Ted sees this entire game. 

What's the point. 

Here is a man standing at the absolute top of what golf can offer, saying it out loud. And Ted Scott who has helped his golfers win four Masters victories, second most of all time at Augusta National, the man 18 inches away from every pressure moment Scottie Scheffler has faced, his answer to that phone call is the most important thing you will hear in this episode. 

In Episode 10 Bo sits down with Ted Scott to bring everything taught across the first nine episodes to life at the highest level of professional golf. 

Here is what you will hear: 

— What Ted actually said to Scottie Scheffler after the shank in the bunker at the Tour Championship with $25 million on the line, and how Scottie rebounded to win it.

— Why Ted believes the mental challenge ahead for Scottie next season is a spiritual battle more than a golf battle and what that means for your game 

— The niece phone call the night before Ted shot his lowest professional tournament round, and the perspective that unlocked it 

— How Ted defines a great caddy and why encouragement outranks yardages every time 

— Why nerves and excitement share identical physical symptoms and the reframe that changes everything 

— The Philippians passage Ted shares about Paul writing from jail with his fate in Roman hands and why it is the most powerful mental game illustration in the episode 

— Shannon's WIN NOW framework: What's Important Now, No Opportunity Wasted 

— Ted's closing quote: there are two ways to get enough, accumulate more, or desire less 

If you want to know more about what it means to walk in the identity that gives Scottie Scheffler his freedom on the golf course, this episode is for you. 

Resources: https://www.instagram.com/jtedscott/

Remember, you are just one round away. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

What if I told you that the greatest caddy in the history of Augusta National, a man who has helped two players win four masters victories? What if I told you the most important thing he has ever done for those players had nothing to do with yardages, win direction, or club selection? And what if the secret behind why Scotty Scheffler is the most dominant player in the world right now? Why he can chink a shot out of the bunker at the tour championship, put twenty-five million on the line, and then a few holes later flush a four-iron to a few feet to tap in for a birdie, and then go on to win the tour championship when there was an immense amount of pressure on the line. What if that secret is the exact same thing we have been teaching you across the last nine episodes on this show? Hey, welcome to the One Round Away Podcast, where our mission is simple to help a hundred thousand golfers shoot a new lifetime low round, not just once by accident, but to finally become the kind of golfer who knows how to perform when it matters most. Hey, I'm Bo Watson.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Hey, I'm Shannon Chesky, a golfer who plays with freedom, a golfer who stops sabotaging themselves and starts trusting what is already inside your brain. Cateman golf, C target, see ball, hit ball.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

Absolutely, Shannon. And you know what? If you guys have been with us from the beginning, from episode one through last week's uh episode on the thermostat reset, and then the amazing story we shared about the University of Washington women's team. Everything that you're about to hear in this conversation today is going to land at a completely different level for you because today's guest is not just going to confirm everything we have been teaching, he's going to show you what it actually looks like at the highest level of professional golf when a player actually lives it. Today we're going to sit down with none other than Ted Scott. Ted is one of the most respected caddies in the history of the game. He has helped uh two players win the Masters twice, Bob Watson and then Scotty Scheffler. And he has also uh helped Scotty um become number one player in the world. You know, before working with Ted Scott, Scotty Sheffler is kind of an unknown. And then since being on the bag with Scotty, uh they have been a dominant force. This is going to be an amazing, amazing story, Shannon.

SPEAKER_02 2:09

Yeah, what you're about to hear Ted Scott talk about is the identity that is separate from the game. We always think that when we're playing a game, the golf defines us. Well, actually, a lot of times it actually reveals us, it doesn't define us. But there's perspective that creates freedom under pressure. The reason why nerves are not the enemy, this is not theory. Ted is a man who has been standing 18 inches away from the greatest pressure moments in golf for the the last 25 years. Watch what separates the players who perform from the ones who crack under pressure.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Absolutely. And so what you're going to hear from Ted in just a few seconds is going to bring episode 9 to life in a way that no exercise or explanation could ever could. You know, because Ted has watched Bubba Watson win his second masters in 2014, and then two weeks later get a phone call with Bubba's number blocked. And when Ted picks up, Bubba said four words that change the way Ted sees this entire game. We're not going to give it away. Ted's going to tell it better than anyone. And so listen in on this conversation I had with Ted. Well, to go from just being average on tour to becoming the best player on tour this year, or maybe even the best player in college, or maybe even the best player at your club. If you're ready to start having more fun, win more tournaments, and start playing this game with the consistency that you desire, then sit back and get ready to start winning more events because this session is going to show you how to take the unique experience from a caddy and actually apply it to your game. I'm thrilled to introduce you to my friend Ted Scott. Ted is one of the most respected and successful caddies in golf history. With four masters victories to his resume, he ranks as second of most all time at Augusta National. He has guided Bob Watson to two green jackets in 2012 and 2014, and he has also helped Scotty Shuffler secure his first master's title in 2022, and then most recently in 2024, along with multiple other PGA Tour victories. As a former professional golfer himself, Ted combines strategic expertise with a deep understanding of the mental game. Off the course, he shares his insights and faith to inspire the next generation of golfers and caddies, which solidify his reputation as being one of the most respected figures in the history of the game. All right, Ted, I'm excited to have you here. Welcome. Yeah, thanks for having me, Bo.

SPEAKER_00 4:32

I'm looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

Man, this is gonna be really fun because we got a lot to cover. It's no secret what you and Scotty have done. So like you have a really unique perspective, and I think it's gonna help a lot of people. But before we jump right in, can you just share a little bit about your background, how you got to where you are today?

SPEAKER_00 4:48

Man, I'm 51 years old. That's a long story. I'll share a little bit, it'll be tough. Yeah. My my dad started me in golf with my grandfather when I was seven. So we would play during the holidays and we would go to my grandparents' house. And then at high school, I got started playing year-round. Uh, went to college for one semester to play golf and ended up changing to a game called foosball. Quit playing golf for three years. When I came back to golf, I started playing some amateur tournaments of Southern Am and trying to do local stuff. And then a bunch of my friends wanted me to teach them. So I started teaching golf. And then I thought, you know, this is fun. And then a guy said, Man, you're playing really well. You should try to play as a pro. And I was like, I don't have any money. And he said, Well, I do. So he sponsored me to play as a pro. And there's no better way to get better at anything in life than to spend time around people that are great at what they do. And that's a philosophy I've had and applied in my life. And so I just went to go caddy for one week in my local now Corn Ferry tour event just to see what are these guys good at? How can I improve? What can I learn from them? And a guy took me on tour and asked me if I wanted to do it again and again. And I was like, sure, I was learning so much. And three months later we finished second back-to-back weeks. One we battled Tiger Woods down the stretch at the Canadian Open. I was like, this is fun. And these guys are way better at golf than me. A 68 on your home course and a 68 on these courses is not the same. So I quickly realized I don't know if I'm cut out for this. So I stuck to caddying, and here I am 25 years later. So it's definitely a journey I wasn't expected to be on, but God placed me there at the right time, and that's been a blessing for sure.

SPEAKER_01 6:16

Man, that's so cool. And what a career you've had with several players over the last few years. And I know you caddy for Bubba, and you've had some incredible wins with him. And then here you are recently with Scotty. And it seems like you got a pretty good stronghold at Augusta National. You got to be up there probably as one of the best caddies or part of that, right? How many wins do you have? Four?

SPEAKER_00 6:37

Four times, yeah. I've been fortunate to be there four times. But honestly, like Bubba's that place is made for him. It's just it's incredible. Everything about that for Bubba Watson, the vibrant colors, he's a very visual player. You can see where the pine straw is, and it's very defined where the greengrass is. He also plays well in the desert, same kind of a deal. The real bright sand, and then the creativeness of being able to like land it in the middle of the green and spin it to the hole down a slope or whatever. I remember one of the first times I ever worked for Bubba, he was hitting a lob wedge like 20 feet away, landing it on a little small mound and spinning it to the hole. And I was like, What in the tournament? I was like, why don't you just hit it at the pin if you could land it on that mound over there? He's like that's not how I play golf. I was like, this is weird. So Augusta was perfect for him. And then Scotty's just, as you can see, the whole package, a guy, there's not a single golf course that can hide from Scotty Scheffler. He has every tool, he's mentally tough. He's very creative, great, he's great at every aspect of the game. So yeah, fortunate to be with great players. There's a lot of great caddies that never even win a tournament. So I just pinch myself that I've been with great players because I certainly take no credit for their wins. I just eating popcorn, standing there in the front row watching greatness, it's been fun.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

Oh my goodness. You got to give yourself some credit. I know as humble as you are, we're gonna get into that. You got some wisdom, you got some insight, but I do have to give some feedback on Bubba. I'll never forget I was in high school and I know uh Newtons and Bubba was in town here in North Carolina at High Point playing at Willow Creek. And first time I'm seeing him in person, I'm sitting here on the first tee. I don't know if he ever played Wood Creek, but like he is so far aimed with his feet and body to the right. I'm like watching this. This guy is aimed like 60, 70 yards to the right. I'm like, where is he aiming? And then he does like the Freddie Couples type motion and he swings outward with a swing plate, and I was just mind-blown. And he hits this beautifully like high fade over the trees and was only like 20 yards from the green. I'm like, this dude is playing a totally different game than the rest of us. Okay, I'm like, yeah, if there was any like hope in playing professional golf, I think I just I'll take my humble pie and I'll just just need a teaching or coaching. But it's amazing to watch. But because you've been on tour for quite a while and you've had some incredible players, especially most recently now with Scotty, I want to ask you, like, right now we're putting on this summit, and they've just gone through two days worth of what it takes to be maybe one of the best players in the world on both the LPJ tour, DP World Tour, and PJ Tour. What should a player that's just coming out of college, maybe they Monday qualify in, or maybe they go through Q school and they get their card and they gotta find a caddy. Can you give some insight or advice or wisdom? What are the traits they should be looking for, and maybe some of the red flags that they should also be looking for?

SPEAKER_00 9:30

Yeah, I think for me, I'll just tell a story. That's how usually how I try to relate to people. One of my buddies, Mark Caren, said Caddy's on a tour. Every year when the Azuric Classic used to be an individual tournament, not a team tournament. I would go do the Monday qualifier because I want to be nervous. I want to see what it feels like and remember what my pros are going through over a five-footer. Because you'd think, dude, it's a straight in five-footer, just knock it in. But then when you're nervous, you're like, oh gosh, you know, there's all these thoughts you're dealing with. So I would always sign up to do that. And he ended up saying, he goes, Hey, I'm gonna come down and caddy for you. So he drove nine hours from Charlotte, where the previous tournament was, and he showed up. And I never played in that thing thinking I was gonna qualify. But after five holes with Mark carrying for me, I was like, I'm gonna make it today. And it really made me realize, wow, there there is an impact that someone can have on the belief system. So I think as a player, these guys know how to hit 150-yard shot. They know the putt's breaking left, they know what the wind's doing, but they doubt themselves because you're nervous. So that second opinion does matter. Uh, but ultimately they got to the tour without a caddy, and now all of a sudden they need a caddy. So it's basically, I think we're a confidant, a companion, someone that's just there to consult them, help them, encourage them. So you really, it's a personality thing. You might have somebody, I like to talk, I like to tell jokes, I like to cut up that to keep it relaxed. Some people I might be too much for. One particular player, I won't say his name. We were playing with him in the tour championship a couple years ago. And walking up the first tea, I was just asking, like, how's everything going? Like, how's your family? And he's like, Is this how we're doing this today? It feels like, wow, he's quiet. He didn't want to talk, he just wants to stay focused. You need, first of all, find somebody that you can gel with and spend six, seven hours a day. That would be the number one thing. And then two, I would just say somebody that can encourage you because it's a game of losing. It's worse than baseball. In baseball, if you don't get on base 65% of the time, you're elite. You know, in golf, if you win once, it's an elite year and uh you play 25 times. So you lose a lot at this game. It beats you up, and you need somebody there to pick you up and encourage you and just keep you on task and keep perspective because it's a game, it's a hopeless game almost. Bubba said it best. He goes, I feel like a 90 shooter and a professional golfer walk away both disappointed. But it's true. It's like I left two out there. Yeah, but you shot 65. I know, could have shot 63. So you just can't beat this game. So that's where I would go if I was a if I was a player. I would really be looking for that guy that I get along with, somebody that's positive, that can encourage me. And the golf, yeah, I hope they do know golf as well, but not every great caddy is a great golfer. So it doesn't necessarily have to be I think there's some great caddies that really stink at golf. One in particular I know is terrible, and he's won probably 50 times on the regular tour and the champions tour. And he's not good, but he's in the heck of a great caddy. So yeah, that would be where I would start. Yeah, that's really good.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

And I'm glad you shared that perspective because I think a lot of times people need to understand like, you're not gonna go out there and play lights out, meaning shooting sub-60 rounds. And correct me if I'm wrong, I know Scotty is probably shot in sub-60 outside of a tour event, but to this day, I think him and Tiger are still not in the 59 or 58 club on the PGA tour. You're wrong about that. Scotty's got that at Deutsche Bank.

SPEAKER_02 12:48

Totally different.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

Good. All right, so then Tiger has, if I'm not mistaken. So thank you for correcting me. But if we look at Tiger, Tiger is considered right now, he's tied with Samson Edo as you know, PGA or all-time winner. And this guy has dominated the game for a long time, even despite being number one in the world for many weeks. This guy has never shot sub-60 in a tour event. Now, don't get me wrong, guys. Like, I know he's shot sub-60 away from it, right? But it totally puts it in perspective. Like, the key to this game is not going out there and shooting 61, 60, 59 every single. Because if golf was like that, then Scotty and Tiger would be going out there and shooting 54 every round they play. So what does it bring it back to? Golf's an uncertain game. And I love what I think it was Arnold Palmer who said it one time. He said, the more I practice, the luckier I get. Everybody's that. But the key is it's not hitting the perfect shot. It's how do you make your misses better and how do you respond to that? So we want to fast forward really quick because you brought up something really cool about the importance of being encouragement, being there for the player. So let's go to a tour championship, final round. Scotty shinks it out of the bunker. This is a critical moment because I know was it Colin more collar? Yeah, you guys were playing with Colin. He hits it on that same par four to a pretty tough tight spot, and I think he's like sitting in a really good position, McBirdie, which I believe he does. And Scotty ends up bogeying a hole. Now, I I saw on TV you guys were having a conversation, leaving a green, but and I think he bogeied the next hole, if I'm mistaken. But then after that, like he goes on a birdie streak. What were you saying to him in those moments?

SPEAKER_00 14:25

Yeah, I'm not going to give away my secrets of what I say, but Ah, cool and no, no chance, man. That's gonna give that speech away to somebody else. I'm saving that thing. But no, it's just about encouragement and reminding someone to relax and just hit good shots because you can get very distracted in golf, even the best player in the world. And honestly, in my opinion, the better you are, the harder it is to not be distracted. In my coaching of golf, I've coached a young lady at the end of her high school year, all the way through college. She was second team All American the last two years, and she's turning pro. And I've told her, I said, every stage of golf is just going to get louder, noisier, and more distraction. It's still golf. And I put her in front of some really smart people one time, got her in front of Zach Johnson. And I said, Zach, what tip do you have for her? Is Zach a great champion? 15 wins, two majors, whatever. And he said, you know what? He goes, the biggest thing I realize is when I'm on the on in a big moment, it's still a T-Box, a fairway, and a green. It's still just golf. And that's what I have to remind myself of. It's just golf. And so that's believe it or not, even the best players in the world have to be reminded like, dude, it's just golf. Yeah, it's a five-footer to win the masters, but it's still a five-footer. You're good at this. This is what you prepared for. So I think oftentimes as a player, this was my advice to be to as a coach, is that we get distracted and we feel like nerves are a bad thing. But God gave us nerves to actually help us in in dangerous situations. We get nervous and that heightens our awareness. So if you learn, and I've heard this from many great players, I can't wait to be nervous. I was like, whoa, because I was I hated being nervous. That's what I was like, I'm gonna caddy. I can't hit a Fockford, I'm too nervous. The great players, I can't wait to be nervous. What? Why? Because they're there, that means that there's something to play for, they're in contention, and also their awareness is heightened. They have a better understanding of how to succeed. So I think when you recognize that, and sometimes the players get distracted, like Scotty did for a moment there, it was just a remind him, say, hey dude, you know, you're the best player in the world. Let's not get ahead of ourselves and freak out. Let's just get good golf shots. And it was actually the very next hole where he hit a four-iron from 236 to two feet and made Birdie and started it crazy, just how quickly that one little key reminder set him off back being the best player in the world again.

SPEAKER_01 16:36

That is so good. I love that you shared your insight on that because Shannon, my business partner, I we talk about that a lot with Flair is when you look at the symptoms of nervousness, a lot of times that overlaps excitement. And I remember seeing this from I think it was Simon Sinek or whatever he was talking about presenting. He's when you look at the symptoms of nervousness, so you got heightened blood pressure, your heart beats really fast, you may have like clammy hands, you might even be sweating. There's a few other things that obviously go on with nervousness, like butterflies in your stomach, all that, right? But then when you go back to the night before Christmas, what are some of those things that you're doing? Obviously, you got a lot of the heightened curry, but you may have some butterflies in your stomach, you're like so excited, like you're just anticipating. Every time I feel nervous, I just say, hey, this is exciting. And you just said it right there. It's hey, I got something to play for. That's such a massive reframe that is so powerful. I'm sure you said something along those lines of Scotty. You won't tell us your secret, but uh, it's all right. But it's really good that you stated that because that is gonna help a lot of players. I think that's something that's really critical when it comes to Q school. A lot of these players are gonna be doing that here in the next month or two, final stage, and there's gonna be some nerves. There's gonna be a lot of nerves in that. We had Parker McLatchlin, I can't probably mess up his last name, and he shared because he went through it two times and qualified, and he got to share his insight and perspective on it. It really is about your perspective and how you handle it. So I'm glad that you shared that. Any other insight or further things you want to say on that before I ask you this next question?

SPEAKER_00 18:09

Yeah, so I I struggled very poor. I was very poor at the performance side of golf. I was really good in practice and I struggled with performing. Part of my upbringing was just a struggle of a lot of criticism. So every time you make a mistake, it's like, hey, you made a mistake, and kept reminding me those, oh my gosh, don't make a mistake. So you're over the ball with all these thoughts. And I remember I was at a professional golf tournament and it was the first time that I went really low in a round. And it was actually the night before my niece, I got a call that my niece had half drowned in the pool and they got her out and saved her. And the next day, perspective hit me. It was like, man, why am I freaking out over a ball that might go out of bounds or a ball that doesn't go in the hole from five feet? I'm good at this game. Why don't I just trust myself? And I went out and at the time shot my lowest round in a golf tournament. But that perspective, sometimes, like I said, it can be the moment becomes so big that it's not fun, but becomes so important. And for Scottie Scheffler at the tour championship, that was really hard because when you're the best player in the world and the previous two years you've had the lead at the FedEx Cup tournament, the two-shot lead. They say sleeping on the lead is the hardest thing to do in golf. He slept on the lead for eight months this year, whatever it was, the whole year. He knew he was going to have the lead. So it's and he's expected to win. There's just all this noise. And then everybody wants to talk about $25 million. It's just so many distractions, so much pressure, so much expectations that it almost makes it not fun. You forget, dude, let's get this in perspective, man. Like you and I were talking earlier about you know, people all across the world that are struggling just to eat. And here we are worried about getting so overworked up over a five-footer. That's not that important. But it's important, it's important to you. But at the end of the day, it's not life-changing for you know for the world. So it's let me just hit a good putt and see what happens and see what God has in store for me. And when you can get that perspective, that gives you the freedom to be the best version of yourself. And that's really all I want to do to help coach people is like, hey, I just want you to be the best version of you, whatever that is, and not hold yourself back. And that thought process is so key to that.

SPEAKER_01 20:09

Yeah, I'm much like you go take a few minute break while I'm now and tell because we got to shift gears, we gotta go ahead and just talk about that. Because what you just shared, I believe is the most critical thing a player can pursue, but not only in the game, but also in life. So let's talk about the identity. Why is that so important? Because if I'm gonna be honest, I really believe this is why you guys are succeeding. And Scotty is playing as well as he is, because his identity is not wrapped up in the game itself. He's got an identity that's totally separate from the game of golf, right? So let's go ahead and talk about that. His faith in Christ, and then why do you think that's important?

SPEAKER_00 20:50

Yeah, the thing is like when Jesus died on the cross, he said he basically said it was finished. And what was finished? It was like there's nothing that we can do to add to it. God did it all on the cross. He took away our sin. He died on the cross for us to have freedom. We can mess up and hey, God says, hey, come back, ask for forgiveness. You can start over today. It's a fresh day. And with that perspective, it's like, wow, man, I can hit a ball out of bounds. I can get mad at my wife. I can yell at my kids and go, man, I'm so sorry. That stinks. I'm gonna work on that and try to get better at it. Lord, forgive me, wife forgive me, kids forgive me, golf swing, golf coach forgive me that hit it out of bounds. Let me start over today. And it's such a wonderful way to live your life, to be free from circumstances. Really hard to do because we all have egos and the world says, hey, you need a big car, you need this, a big house, a fast car, money, fame, success. You know, all the things that really I've learned in 25 years around the people that have all that, that it's not fulfilling. And what these guys really love on the PGA tour, believe it or not, is they love the moment. That's what they live for. Because think about a roller coaster. When you get on a roller coaster and you're going tick, tick tick, this you're not thinking about your mom has cancer, you lost your dog last. Week, you failed that math test, you lost your job, you got bills to pay, you're just exhilarated because you're only in that moment about to drop off and have fun. And that's really what sports do for us, even as spectators, when you're watching your favorite team play and it's fourth down and three, and it's you got to get this conversion, otherwise your team loses. It's like you you forget all the worries. Really, we can do that, we can live circumstance free if we put our faith in Christ, because Jesus finished it on the cross for us. And that's really where Scotty is such a great golfer and such a great person because he really can go out there and be free in Christ. And I don't think that you can do that very well and live a life of contentment and be free even off the golf course if you don't have that as the basis of what you're doing.

SPEAKER_01 22:47

Yeah, it's such a good response. And there's so much truth to that because I'm not gonna name this one player. Pretty much everybody can probably guess who it is. But when you make a pursuit all about winning majors, you know, your identity is wrapped up in win or lose. This is why I believe Scotty's on a totally different level than everybody else, is because his identity is not wrapped up in how many wins or trophies or majors and all that. When you get to that type of level, it does give you that freedom and ability to just go out there and just play and have fun and enjoy it. And I think that's where a lot of people, when they look at Scotty, man, it's so good because Christ said, Let your light shine out for men to see. People these days, they don't want to be told the gospel, they want to be shown. I believe Scotty's been an amazing ambassador for that in terms of like actually going out there and showing the gospel and how he plays and how he responds to certain shots because a lot of times people look at a lot of players that play on tour and they miss shots, and there's some interesting responses that we'll see. But Scotty, for the most part, has been very I should say, even killed in his response, and it's just been amazing to watch. But there's a bigger reasoning behind it that is shaped up in his identity in Christ that allows him to do that. I think that's so powerful. Anything else that you want to share on the identity part and maybe players that obviously are looking to play professionally, they're looking to get their tour card. Well, you just briefly touch on it. It's not all about the fame, the wins, and all that. I think at one time, Bernhard Longer won the Masters, and I love his testimony. I think it was like in 82, it doesn't matter. He won it. And he said the very same thing you just shared, Ted. It's that it's like that roller coaster filling, so you get to the top of the mountain, he wins, and then he remembers like the next day or two days after, it was like what's that? I think that's the advantage that Christians have is that there's always a level of fulfillment every single day and walking it out because there's no pressure, so to speak. And I think that's such a beautiful thing. Anything else you want to add to that?

SPEAKER_00 25:04

Yeah, I I think what really changed my perspective first of all, I became a Christian in 2003. I started cadding in 2000, but in 2014 I really started to look from a different vantage point, and that was because of a phone call that I received two weeks after the masters in 2014. A gentleman called me and his number was blocked. And I said, Hello, I didn't know if it was a telemarketer. And he said, What's the point? And I said, Bubba? And he said, Yeah, dude, what's the point? I said, What's the point in what? He said, Winning the Masters is pointless. And I thought, that's not really pointless, but what is he saying here? You know what I mean? And what he was saying was basically voicing his frustration in that, man, this is just two weeks later. It's an there's an emptiness here that I didn't expect. This is the second time I've won this, and it's just not it's not feeding me what I thought it was gonna feed me. And we've been we've all been fed that lie once you have money, once you have fame, once you have this, once you have that, you'll have freedom, you'll have joy, you'll have peace. It's not true, man. Most people I know that are the most peaceful in their life actually have the most strife. And the reason why is because they depend on God for their peace, not things. And a lot of people that have the most things, success, money, fame are very chaotic in their spirit because they keep trying to feel more and more. Let me get more. And it's never enough. And even next year is gonna be a real challenge for Scotty because the world is gonna demand more. Yeah, you won eight times this year. What can he do next year? It's never enough for them. And if we buy into that lie, then it's never gonna be enough for him. And so that's gonna be the battle. It's a spiritual battle more than it'll be a golf battle. He's still the best golfer in the world. It's not like all of a sudden he's gonna lose his skills, but the mental challenge is gonna be great. It's gonna be very tough. So that's what my challenge to anybody trying to play is show up every day and just say thank you. And when you get a four-footer to that matters, just say thank you. Enjoy that. That's so fun. It's so exciting. You know, when you get a chance to beat your buddies for 20 bucks, like if you're just a hacker and you're giving you they're giving you 12 shots because you stink, but you got a five-footer to win, be like, thank you that I get this opportunity. And if you do it, celebrate in your face. Have some fun with your buddies. And if you lose, man, dang it, get a little frustrated. It's okay. But just look back and go, man, that was so fun. I want to do that again tomorrow. And when you take that perspective, then today is the day you have in front of you. You don't think about tomorrow would be better or I wish this would have happened. You can live in the moment and enjoy the wins and the losses because you're gonna get you're gonna get both and way more losses than you're gonna get wins. So if you don't have that right perspective, and really that only comes from having a settled spirit, which only comes from Jesus Christ, I don't I don't know how you go through the world day-to-day. I really don't. But it would be a miserable place to not have that as a basis of a way to live. And I've lived it before and I lived it afterwards, and I can tell you, me personally, my life changed forever in 2003 once Jesus called me to him. But that's whenever I started seeing things different. And that conversation that Bubba had in 2014 made me observe things different, and I started seeing how many people were unhappy. I remember Tom Brady when he won his third Super Bowl, he said, Is this it? And Jim Carrey was the highest paid actor at the time, and he's is this it? And he was going, Why are these great, successful people all saying the same thing? What are they saying? What are they getting at? And so that's what my conclusion has been, and that it's helped me in my life, and I'm trying to share that with as many people as I can to help them in their life.

SPEAKER_01 28:33

Yeah, that's so good. Such good wisdom, man. Thanks for sharing that, brother. You have some pretty cool stuff on Instagram. If you got any last closing comments or anything like that, or you want to just go ahead and share like where people can find you. I love your Sunday sermons, by the way. They're amazing. If you want more wisdom, insight, you gotta follow Ted on Instagram. He's got some incredible stuff that he shares on there. But yeah, anything you want to share in closing comments and then where they can find you.

SPEAKER_00 28:57

Yeah, I'm looking up this quote that I read this morning. It said there are two ways to get enough. One is to accumulate more, the other is to desire less. And that's so powerful because, like I was saying earlier, my my message to people is just got to be like everybody just really wants peace. We just want to, we want to go outside and hear the birds chirp and see the sunshine on our face and feel the warmth and the love of God and and be like, man, so I got some tough things going on, but I'm blessed. I'm that's how we all want to feel, right? We want our day to be like that. And we think that circumstances determine that. And that's why we that's why I like this quote. It just goes along again with the idea of there are two ways to get enough. If I could get enough, if I could just get enough, then I could have the peace that surpasses understanding. And so and then it goes on to say one is to accumulate more. Man, if I could just get this, if I could buy that, and that's envy, that's you, yeah, man. I'm glad you won, Scotty. Great job. And really, you're like, man, I wish I could win or whatever. That's a a spirit that's unrest. But the other is to desire less. And I think that uh the coolest thing, I'll end with this. Paul was in jail. He was in the book of Philippians, he was in jail, and he wrote, How cool is it right now that the Romans have my fate in their hands? They could kill me. And if they do, that's awesome. I get to be with Jesus. And you're like, that's a crazy thought. As you're reading that, you're like, I don't know if I don't know if I want people to have my fate in their hands, but okay. And then he says, But even cooler than that, if they don't kill me, I get to tell people about Jesus. And now you're like, all right, buddy, you've lost them, you've lost a plot here. You're not you're talking out of two sides of your mouth. But as you ponder that statement, those thoughts, you wonder, how does one get to that place where they have so much peace beyond circumstances? You can't get that peace on your own. There's only one that can give you that peace, and his name is Jesus Christ. And when you put your faith in him, when you trust in him, when you pray to him, when you dive in deep into his word and you share with others what's what is real in life, then your circumstances start to distance from your joy, and you can be joyous, even in death, even in cancer, even in the lack of paying your bills. You can be thankful, you can find things to be thankful for. As a golfer, man, I can step up to any situation and be like, how cool is this that I get to do this, good or bad. And that's a great way to live your life and a free way to live your life. And I think there's no greater message than that, no greater way to have peace than to do that. So that's what I love, and that's what I'm trying to share with as many people as I can.

SPEAKER_01 31:35

There's probably quite a few people that are watching this right now, and they're going through this perspective shift. They're like, man, there is a void in my heart that I want filled. I want what you have. For those that are like right now, I want what you have today. I want Christ to come into my heart. Can you just share or lead them through that prayer real quick for those that are willing?

SPEAKER_00 31:54

Yeah, absolutely. Father God, thank you so much for those men and women that are listening that you're speaking to right now, Father. I pray that they would not be afraid to accept the calling on their life to come to you as Lord and Savior, Father. You died on the cross for our sins. You sent your only son to come here as man to pay the price, to pay the penalty for our sinful ways, Lord. And if those men and women listening right now would accept you as Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, and proclaim you as their master, they could too have the peace that surpasses all understanding. And so I just pray that they would be courageous in doing that, that you would give them a little nudge. And we just thank you for this opportunity to serve you and glorify you and speak your holy name. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 32:39

Man, brother, and it's been fun. Definitely have to do this again. Uh, can't thank you enough for your time and spending some time with us and sharing your wisdom and insight, man. This has been a blessing. Thank you again. Any last things you want to say before we end?

SPEAKER_00 32:54

No, man, uh, it's been a lot of fun, Bo. I appreciate it. I do the Sunday sermons on Instagram, and it's my my Instagram handle is JTED Scott. And the only reason why I do it is I don't do it for monetary reasons. I don't even have a blue check mark. I don't want one. I just want people to have an organic message that comes from my heart. I don't even know what I'm gonna say half the time. I just turn the camera on and just wing it. And hopefully, some wisdom that I've learned in my 51 years of asking questions around great people comes out. Sometimes it's about biblical things, sometimes it's life, sometimes it's just my experiences. And so I would say I would love for people to go and get on that page and hopefully uh do the same. Maybe they hear something from me and go pay it forward and teach someone else. Everything I know, everything I've learned hasn't come from me. I've just asked great questions around great people. And it's been a lot of fun, and I just have a passion for trying to pass that along, pass that knowledge along to other people because I wouldn't be where I am today without the great men and women in my life that have encouraged me, taught me, shared with me their great insights. And so I just want to encourage others to do the same.

SPEAKER_01 33:57

Yeah, guys, I mean, if you're not following them, make sure you go do it right now. Can't tell you enough to do that. You're gonna gain a lot of wisdom as a result. So, Ted, thank you so much, man, for your time, spending time with us. And uh, and thanks again, brother. Man, I don't know about you, Shannon, but every time I hear Ted talk, you know, whether it was from the road to the Torres Summit or just again real living and you know, watching and listening to that interview again, I feel like I've been hitting something that I want to protect.

SPEAKER_02 34:28

Yeah, you know, what hit me the hardest was when Ted was talking about the phone call from Bubba Watson. You know, he had actually had it his when the phone call was coming through, it was blocked. He didn't know who it was. And this was two weeks after he won his second masters. And Bubble was like, there was only four words. And he was like, What's the point? What is the point? And here's a man who just won the most prestigious tournament in golf, not just once, but this is the second time he won it. And he's saying, What's the point? And he's standing at the absolute top of what this game can offer. And there are there's an emptiness that's there. He he did not expect this. I've actually heard you know Scotty Scheffler mention that as well. Some of the times, like he doesn't know why he wants to win so bad. And I think it's that underlying um just drive to the just the thrill of competition. And Ted's conclusion after 25 years standing next to the greatest players in the world is the same conclusion we've been building toward across the the last nine episodes of this podcast. That thrill of competition that brings him back every single time to fight the hardest and to strive. And sometimes, you know, we we talk about you know, what is your why behind this? Why do you play golf? The biggest thing sometimes can just be that thrill of competition. And I think that was a part of it, but you know, it comes down to that identity. The score is not your source, your identity is. Golf doesn't define you. Now it can reveal what it is, and it doesn't define who you are, and it doesn't define what your worth is, you know, though.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

100%. Yeah, and that's exactly why like episode nine, you know, we talk about the thermostat, we talk about the SAT story, we talk about University of Washington identity exercise. You know, it had to all come before this conversation. And you know, when you look at what Ted shared about Scotty Sheffler and just ultimately what a reset can look like, you know, even though he wasn't at liberty to share exactly what he shared with Scotty. But the point is, is there was a reset involved that allowed him to get back on track. And and essentially, you know, for every player, this is why the release mechanism is important after every shot, and then also having a ball reset that you can implement in the most stressful situations. And so this is this is critical to all getting you back to that place that you play your best golf from, which is a green light state, playing in caveman golf. But more importantly, the thing that drives all of it is it's your identity. And this is why last episode and then this episode uh was so critical for you guys to really see it at the highest level.

SPEAKER_02 37:17

Yeah, and I want to say something to the golfers listening right now who may be or are not coming from the Christian faith or background, because Ted said it himself, and we want to honor that. The principles underneath what Ted has shared are universal. For example, it's that perspective shift. You know, golf does not define you. You know, that bad shot doesn't define you, that last bad round doesn't define you. The freedom comes from the outcomes. And what do I mean, freedom from the outcomes? You are free from the outcome of whatever it may be. If we understand that golf is a game of mistakes, then we can live much easier, play much freer just knowing that. Because literally, if you took a hundred balls and you drove them, not one of them is going to stop in the same place on the driving range, and not one of them. That's why we know and we can accept that golf is a game of mistakes, and that gives you freedom from the outcomes, the ability to play the shot in front of you without being crushed by the one that's behind you, right? It's those nerves that you frame as excitement because they mean something is at stake that you care about. These are the same principles that we've been teaching since episode one. The same ones that took Josh Norval from the mid-80s to the averaging 75 in eight weeks and then shooting his lifetime low of 68. Like, come on, somebody. That should resonate. It's because he's playing with freedom from the outcomes. The same ones that took the University of Washington women's golf team to average down, understanding their identity, that they're the ones who are the beat in that mindset shift. Like, for example, Lauren Matthews, who literally like within two, three weeks of that he shot his lifetime low and he's been playing for years, and then he starts believing, I believe now that my best golf is ahead of me. It's not foundation that we build from faith in Christ, but the fruit of it is the freedom, the presence. What do we mean presence by staying in the present, staying in your own shoes, so to speak? I love acronyms. And this is two acronyms I love saying when now. How do you win now? When is what's important now? That's what keeps you in your own shoes. And now stands for no opportunity wasted. So when, what's important now? Now, no opportunity wasted. Your identity is bigger than the outcome. The fruit is available to every golfer who listens to this show.

unknown 39:50

100%.

SPEAKER_01 39:51

You couldn't have said that any better, Shannon. And you know, the one thing that I want every one of you that's watching or listening to this right now is this is your homework coming out of episode 10. I want you to go back to episode nine. I want you to pull out that resume that you wrote down for yourself, the golfer that you know you can become. And I want you to now sit with what Ted just shared today, and can you prove that it's impossible? You know, Scotty Shefford couldn't prove it was impossible to become the best player in the world. You know, the University of Washington team couldn't prove that it was impossible to become major champion. Ultimately, one of them is right now on the LPGA tour. And so they're the living proof. And the cool thing is you can be next. So I hope that, you know, by listening to today's conversation with Ted, I hope it stirred something in you today that just goes beyond golf. If there's any void that you've been carrying that you won't fill, I want you to reach out to us. We are literally real people, Shannon and I. We're living, we're breathing, and we lead lives that are busy. We're very much like you. We're all human. We're made in God's image. And here's the thing: every week we like to pray for golfers in our community. And if there's anything we can be praying for you about, or if you have anything that's stirring in your spirit you want to know more about, like what does it look like to live this out and be a uh Christ follower, please reach out. You know, we we want to definitely help you there. And then also I want to encourage you to go find Ted on Instagram. He's got some amazing stuff that he shares, especially his Sunday sermons are some of the absolute best, most grounded, honest, wisdom-filled content you're going to find anywhere. So just tune into that. And again, I really hope that this show is definitely starting to change the way that you think about your game. If there's anything that has clicked, I want you please reach out, let us know if you shot your new lifetime low round, leave us a review on the podcast if this has helped you in any way somehow. We've actually had quite a few reviews come in just through email telling us and sharing how you know they've seen breakthroughs, you know, low low rounds of the year with the ball reset and then you know the internal thermostat finally breaking through the score ceiling on their game. So again, if there's anything there, please share that with us. We'd love to hear feedback and I want to hear from you as well. So, Chin.

SPEAKER_02 42:03

Yeah, I mean, this can be very pivotal if you understand um uh a lot of stuff and really take it in, and especially if you're a Christian and you're looking at this because look, you're not you're not your own. The word says that you've been bald with a heavy price of what Jesus paid on the cross. And there, therefore, you know, and it talks about dying daily. And sometimes we let our golf game affect our attitude versus our attitude affect our golf game. And I really love the uh Ted and Scotty Scheffler's approach to this identity thing. And so go follow Ted. Uh go do the home the the the thermostat homework. Go be a cape man golfer or cape girl golfer this week, because remember, you're just one round away.