Scottie Scheffler has been searching for a win since the American Express in January 2026. Fresh off a draining T4 finish at the U.S. Open, Scheffler looked set to end that drought at the Travelers Championship after rounds of 64, 60, and 67. But a missed birdie putt in a playoff against Viktor Hovland left him a runner-up (21-under), just over $2 million richer, and searching for answers. Speaking with the Golf Channel’s Smylie Kaufman, Scheffler expressed a bit of frustration over the loss.

“I mean, I played solid over the course of four days. There’s obviously some shots that I’d like back, but overall it was a good solid week. Obviously, a little bit disappointed with the finish, but overall I feel like my game’s in a good spot.”

The disappointment is understandable. Scheffler’s missed birdie putt during the playoff came from almost the same spot as the putt he made on the 18th hole during Sunday’s final round. Despite that, though, when he took the shot on Monday, the ball curved just to the left of the cup. When Kaufman asked the two-time Masters champion about it, Scheffler felt he was a little too firm with the shot. 

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“I mean, I hit it on my line. I think it was just a little bit firm as well as putts you kind of had to make and … just hit a little firm. So that’s a bit disappointing, especially with the putts I made last night to kind of stay in the tournament, but overall definitely some good things to come from this week. I struck the ball really nicely. It’s just one of those weeks where I was close, but just wasn’t quite good enough.”

Although the drought continues with his fourth runner-up position in 2026, it’s not like he played poorly this season. He has had nine top-five finishes in fourteen tournaments this season. Scheffler also finished as the runner-up in four tournaments: the Travelers Championship, the Masters, the RBC Heritage, and the Cadillac Championship. He also finished in the top 5 at last week’s U.S. Open.  

While the world No. 1 does think he played well this week, he admitted that the fact he was in contention in back-to-back weeks had him “pretty worn out”. He also noted that, as bad as the weather may seem, no one should complain about it, since that is part of playing an outdoor sport. “I don’t think it really affects anything,” he added, “we just have our routine, and we stick to it.”

The round didn’t, in fact, go in Scottie Scheffler’s favor. However, instead of holding a grudge against his opponent, the weather, or any other factors, he reflected on his game and what he needed to work on. In fact, before winding up the press conference, he didn’t forget to say some kind words about Hovland.

Scheffler Praises Viktor Hovland’s Work Ethic and Talent

Despite the playoff loss, Scheffler praised his rival: “We’ve had some good battles in college and out here as a pro. He has so much talent.” He recalled seeing Hovland alone practicing late, adding, “When you see a guy who works as hard as he does, you’re always glad to see those people have success.”

Hovland had been on a tough run lately, even tougher than Scheffler’s. The solo third at the RBC Canadian Open and T10 at the WM Phoenix Open were the only top-10 performances of his season. His last win before this week was at last year’s Valspar Championship. So it is a given that he wanted this win as badly [or even more so] than Scheffler. And that didn’t go unnoticed in the World No. 1’s eyes, either.

“Saw him on the corner of the range hitting balls by himself,” Scheffler emphasized that Hovland’s struggles were never a result of a lack of effort, noting that the Norwegian has consistently been one of the hardest-working players on tour. He ended the press conference with a huge appreciation for Hovland, “when you see a guy like that who practices as hard as he does and works as hard as he does, you’re always glad to see those people have success.”