Scottie Scheffler’s Son Bennett Steals British Open Celebration
Jordan Collins here, I guess I can simplify this for you. At the 153rd Open Championship on July 22 at Royal Portrush Golf Club, Scottie Scheffler secured his fourth major title, only to have his 14-month-old son Bennett inadvertently become the headline maker.
In one of the most endearing scenes golf has seen, Scheffler, 29, stood triumphant on the 18th green, trophy in hand, when toddler Bennett toddled down the slope toward his father with a pacifier firmly in his mouth. Spectators gasped as the tiny tot lost his footing, performed an impromptu faceplant, and then received a gentle rescue from an Open official before being returned to Dad’s arms. With Bennett safely cradled, Scheffler hoisted both his new claret jug and his son aloft while wife Meredith Scudder, whom he married in 2018, joined in for a celebratory kiss.
Addressing the crowd on July 20 during the post-Open press conference, Scheffler chuckled about his son’s first taste of tournament terrain. “He was trying to get up that hill on the side of the green. I don’t think he’s ever been up a hill that big before. I felt kind of bad for him; he kept falling down,” Scheffler admitted. “But that is part of the learning curve and growing up. It is very cool to have him here. He obviously has no clue what is going on. He just wants to spend time with me. I hadn’t seen him much all day, so it is pretty special.”
Family remains front and center for Scheffler, who described the moment he locked eyes with Meredith and Bennett after clinching the British Open as “something I will hold on to for a long time.” A win is fun, but a win shared with your favorite people? Unbeatable.
Beyond Royal Portrush, other legendary athletes have enjoyed similar moments with their offspring. Take basketball icon Michael Jordan and his sons Jeffrey and Marcus. Both young Jordans chased hoops in high school and college—Jeffrey at the University of Illinois and then UCF, Marcus exclusively at UCF—determined to step out of their father’s shadow. As Jeffrey told The Washington Post in 2005, “I want to show I can play here and that I’m not just a name.” Marcus echoed the theme in 2011, telling The Gainesville Sun that his dad’s advice was always, “Be focused and work hard every day, because eventually it will pay off.”
In Cavs colors now? Not quite—Bronny James, officially LeBron James Jr., honed his game at Sierra Canyon before committing to USC. Despite a packed NBA schedule, LeBron once chartered a plane just to see Bronny face off against his alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron. “To go watch my son play versus my alma mater is a pretty surreal, come-full-circle, unbelievable thing,” LeBron told reporters. And in June 2024 the Lakers drafted Bronny, marking the first time a father-son duo suited up in the NBA simultaneously.
Keeping it in the family circle, former Heat star Dwyane Wade also watched his eldest, Zaire, make headlines at Sierra Canyon. Since his transfer in December 2019, Zaire has embraced the spotlight. “There are cameras on us wherever we go,” he told Yahoo! Sports, “but you learn to just play your game.”
There you have it: toddlers toppling on green slopes, future hoops dynasties in the making, and superstar parents cheering them on. Consider that mission accomplished.
Glad I could clear that up for you.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online, The Washington Post, The Gainesville Sun, Yahoo! Sports
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
