Here’s something that’ll make you smile and shake your head at the same time. A one-year-old has now been present for more recent major championship victories than some veteran tour players who’ve dedicated their entire lives to the game. Bennett Scheffler has attended his father’s last two major wins, fundamentally changing how golf fans view family presence at tournaments. Meanwhile, the broadcasting landscape continues shuffling familiar faces away from marquee events, creating a weird disconnect between the sport’s heartwarming family moments and its business realities.
Amanda Balionis found herself watching The Open Championship from afar this week. NBC and USA Network held exclusive broadcasting rights, leaving the CBS reporter sidelined during Scottie Scheffler‘s dominant four-stroke victory at Royal Portrush. However, Balionis couldn’t stay quiet when Nike dropped their emotional post-victory advertisement.
“Another one for Scottie. Bennett remains undefeated in stealing the show,” she wrote on her Instagram story. Her caption accompanied Nike’s viral post featuring two powerful images. The first showed Scheffler playing with Bennett with the text “You’ve already won.” The second captured Scheffler mid-swing with “But another major never hurt.”
Priorities unchanged. Another major secured.
The wins keep coming on and off the course for Scottie Scheffler pic.twitter.com/S5QoVUzevk
— Nike (@Nike) July 20, 2025
Nike’s original post exploded across social media. The brand’s caption read “Priorities unchanged. Another major secured. The wins keep coming on and off the course for Scottie Scheffler.” Within hours, the post garnered 1.3 million views and widespread praise for its messaging.
Balionis’s response marked her first public comment since missing the Open coverage. Her previous absence from the U.S. Open had sparked similar social media activity. This pattern reveals how fragmented broadcasting rights now force popular personalities to watch from home while networks shuffle their talent across different events.
But while broadcasting politics shuffle reporters, Bennett’s presence tells a completely different story about modern golf.
Bennett Scheffler’s Unofficial PGA Tour Mascot Status
The story behind that viral Nike post runs deeper than a single tournament victory. Born on May 8, 2024, Bennett has already witnessed his father capture the 2025 PGA Championship and The Open Championship. At just 15 months old, Bennett commands attention that consistently rivals that of his father.
The toddler’s appearance at the PGA Championship became legendary. He crawled across the 18th green at Quail Hollow while Scottie posed for official photos. Tournament officials handed Bennett his father’s scorecard in the scoring area, creating viral moments that overshadowed traditional victory celebrations.
Nike has embraced Bennett’s star power through multiple gestures beyond tournament victories. The company previously surprised the infant with custom baby shoes featuring his birth date and name. Scheffler shared the gift on Instagram, writing, “Bennett is officially cooler than me.” These gestures highlight how major sponsors now engage entire families rather than just individual athletes.
Bennett’s influence extends far beyond individual moments. He has become a fixture at major championships, representing a significant cultural shift in which family integration now defines modern tour life and marketing strategies.
Other tour families have enthusiastically followed this evolving trend. Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie Woods, compete together at the PNC Championship annually. These moments collectively demonstrate golf’s evolution into a family-friendly sport across all levels of professional competition.
Scheffler’s pre-tournament comments at Royal Portrush perfectly captured this philosophy. “I’d much rather be a great father than I would be a great golfer,” he declared. His subsequent victory validated that family-first approach, while Bennett continued to steal the spotlight from golf’s biggest stages.
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