Marcus Hayes: Scottie Scheffler's using a Philly-centric golf bag at the PGA. Will that karma help him win a 5th major?

PHILADELPHIA - Scottie Scheffler's custom TaylorMade bag was made for Philly. Is his game the same?

Scheffler showed up at Aronimink this week with golf gear that would make Philly-ophile Bryce Harper jealous. His white leather bag, trimmed in red and light blue, has Independence Hall stitched on the big front zipper pocket, the Liberty Bell on the smaller flap above, Ben Franklin's picture stitched both beside the handle and on a club head cover.

Around the circular bottom: "City of Brotherly Love."

The question: Will Aronimink Golf Club show him love?

Scheffler, the best golfer since Tiger Woods, shared the lead at the PGA Championship after a 3-under-par first round. He bogeyed three of his first four holes in Round 2 but rallied and stood in eighth place, at 2-under, during his post-round practice session in the cool of Friday evening.

After two rounds of wrangling with the course Donald Ross called his "masterpiece," Scheffler seems to have figured this place out. Which means the rest of the field had better watch out.

"I feel like if it's hard for me out there, then it's going to be hard for other players," Scheffler said. "I love hard tests of golf."

That's because he's so good at passing them.

Scheffler is the reigning PGA Champion. He also won the British Open last year, his fourth major championship win. He's won the Masters twice and will try to complete the career Grand Slam next month at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island. With 20 PGA Tour wins, only he, Woods, and Jack Nicklaus have won at least 20 PGA tournaments and five majors before the age of 30.

He's been the No. 1 player in the world for 156 consecutive weeks, the third-longest streak behind Tiger's runs of 200-plus, and he's been No. 1, all told, for 191 weeks, which is third behind Tiger and Greg Norman.

When Scheffler left the grounds Friday, he was behind the likes of leader Aldrich Potgieter, who was three shots ahead but missed the cut at four of his five previous majors; and Alex Smalley, who was two shots ahead but has never won a PGA tournament. Scheffler came back to win the 2024 Olympic gold medal, the 2024 Players Championship and 2025 BMW Championship.

Place your bets.

Philly Philly?

Scheffler's camp says he didn't conceive, design or even really approve any of the Philly-centric embroidery. It's the sort of thing that the manufacturer has waiting at the next tour stop when superstar golfers arrive. In fact, he's not the only golfer here sponsored by TaylorMade with that flavor of bag, and you can order your own on the TaylorMade website.

It makes sense that Scottie had nothing to do with it. The snazzy bag belies a simple man.

Scheffler is a matter-of-fact Texan cut in the mold of Eagles legends Nick Foles and Lane Johnson. He's a faith-based family man whose only apparent flaw is his love for the Dallas Cowboys.

Bag aside, Scheffler is far more substance than style.

More than an hour after he finished his 5-hour, 15-minute round ― the pace of play was Sunday-muni slow ― he grabbed a bite to eat, then left his wife, toddler and infant in Aronimink's manor-house clubhouse. He then spent an hour hitting balls on the driving range: driver, midiron, wedge practice club with a beginner's grip.

For the last 45 minutes, he was the only golfer on the range. His caddie, veteran Ted Scott, kept stretching and flexing his weary legs as Scheffler pounded ball after ball into the picturesque pasture framed by trees that is typical of a place like Aronimink.

Like Kobe Bryant's thrice-daily offseason workouts and Tiger Woods' six-hour range sessions, this is how the greats stay great.

In relating how challenging it was to navigate 20-mph winds Friday, Scheffler told a story that perfectly framed a blue-collar work ethic that reeks of Philadelphia:

"When we went out to play our practice round on Wednesday, there were guys that elected not to play, just because of how windy it was. It was fairly comparable to how it was this morning. And I was glad I went out there and played on Wednesday, because I think that experience on a new golf course and a lot of wind was helpful for me going into today's round."

Philly Philly, indeed.

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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 7:30 PM.