Scottie Scheffler among many notable Texas athletes investing in new pickleball team

Scottie Scheffler, the number-one ranked player in the world, has invested in the Texas Ranchers, a brand-new pickleball team part of Major League Pickleball (MLP).

Scheffler, who played collegiately at the University of Texas, grew up in Dallas and played in junior tournaments around the Lone Star State.

He also joins many other notable Texas athletes in investing in this new venture. Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons, Houston Texans Quarterback C.J. Stroud, and former Texas A&M standout Myles Garrett have all pledged their financial support to the Ranchers.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the sport and fandom develop,” Scheffler said. “I’m proud to support the Ranchers in building a world-class franchise in my home state.”

The next event on the MLP circuit will take place in Atlanta in late September. Ironically enough, this announcement came during the week of the Tour Championship, held at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club every year.

Scheffler enters the Tour Championship as the number one-ranked player in the world and number one in the FedEx Cup standings, so he will begin the week at 10-under par, thanks to the modified format of this tournament.

After this week, however, Scheffler said Wednesday that he plans on only playing in the Ryder Cup later this fall. He then said he plans on taking plenty of time off to rest up and recuperate for the 2024 season.

Perhaps he will have the opportunity to check out his new team during the off-season, which will garner plenty of attention. After all, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.