Following his triumphs at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, THE PLAYERS Championship, the Masters, and then at RBC Heritage, Scottie Scheffler exhibited exceptional control over the greens. Needless to say, his caddie, more like an elder brother and a friend, Ted Scott, also played a pivotal role in the victories. Thanks to the duo’s unwilling determination, Scott became the highest-earning caddy on the PGA Tour this year.

Scott, as revealed by Scheffler, has personal commitments for Saturday and will not be at Valhalla. The experienced caddie not being there on the moving day could lead to the golfer’s game getting turned around, and not in a very good way. Things can easily go sideways, and Scheffler could end up losing the championship and the hefty winner’s share worth $3.15 million from the $17.5 million purse. He, along with Rory McIlroy, is one of the top contenders to win the second major of the season.

Scheffler’s recent decision to take paternity leave highlights his dedication to balancing family responsibilities with his golfing career. After his win at the RBC Heritage, he went on to be with his wife in her final pregnancy days. The couple welcomed their first-born son, Bennett, on May 8th. Scheffler is new to fatherhood, but his family has always been his priority. In one of the interviews, he said, “Golf is just something that I do; it’s not my life,” and it’s truly not. This principle is equally applicable when Ted Scott requires time for his family commitments.

Scott informed Scheffler about his son’s graduation and that it would coincide with the PGA Championship; the golfer didn’t pressure his partner to stay. After all, family comes first for both of them! In the PGA Championship conference, the 27-year-old said, “Well, me, Teddy is going home Friday night, coming back Saturday evening after the graduation, or probably Saturday late night; I’m sure they’ll do a little celebration afterward. That’s something we talked about from the beginning of our relationship: family always comes first, and it’s the same thing for me as it is for my caddie. It was a pretty easy decision.”

Scott and Scheffler have been working together since 2021, and they met at a Bible study group. In addition to concerns about potential performance impacts, another question arises: If not Scott, who will serve as a caddie for Scottie Scheffler?

Who is Ted Scott’s replacement at the PGA Championship?

As Scheffler addressed the earlier question, he also disclosed his substitute looper for Saturday. “He told me at the beginning of this year that that was the date that it was, so I got a backup caddie lined up. One of my buddies is going to carry the bag on Saturday, and then Ted will be back for Sunday’s round.” The individual serving as both buddy and caddie for the third round is Brad Payne.

Payne, who has experience partnering with PGA Tour pro Paul Stankowski, a two-time Tour winner, will hold Scheffler’s bag! Despite Payne’s presence with the 27-year-old only until Saturday, a lot can change before the third round. While Payne undeniably brings experience, the question remains whether it will match the value Scott could offer.

This inquiry will be resolved as the tournament unravels. Stay tuned to EssentiallySports as the excitement unfolds at Valhalla to get all the latest updates!