Scottie Scheffler won a lot of tournaments and had to do a lot of talking this year. One theme stood out even as Scheffler was dominating his competition by winning nine times.

The answer could be found on a white board in Paris.

Golfers at the Olympics were asked to write their nicknames, countries, favorite Olympic sports and their goal in Paris. Most players said their goal was gold, or at least to win a medal.

Scheffler wrote: Have fun.

He shot 62 in the final round and won the gold medal. That was fun. In fact, from Kapalua in January to being voted PGA Tour player of the year in December, Scheffler used some form of the word “fun” 183 times in news conferences.

It was like that for a lot of people in the world of golf, who created memories that make this year’s edition of “Tales from the Tour.”

The good life

Tommy Fleetwood came to The Sentry on Maui for the first time and brought his father from England. Peter Fleetwood sat in a cart watching his son on the practice range and soaking up the weather in paradise, his first trip to Hawaii.

Being a popular vacation spot, it led to a question about where they used to go to relax.

“We didn’t take holidays,” Peter said. “We couldn’t afford them. We went around to junior golf tournaments in the summer. That was our holidays. And that was good.”

There was a quiet contentment about him as he watched his son, now one of the top players and characters in the sport. The father resumed his thoughts.

“I’ve had a great life. I have nothing to complain about,” he said. “I lost my wife a few years ago and I complain about that. But nothing else. I had everything I ever needed.”

The season opener can be a good tone-setter, and it’s not always measured by a scorecard.

Xander and his caddie

All the attention on money includes the caddies.

Xander Schauffele and Austin Kaiser were teammates at San Diego State and close friends ever since. Kaiser was working in a warehouse when Schauffele asked if he would caddie for him. They got their PGA Tour card in 2017, the first win, and before long Schauffele was a mainstay among the top 10 in the world ranking.

Kaiser wasn’t doing too bad, either.

The standard fee for many caddies is 10% for a win. With $20 million purses, it adds up. Schauffele was discussing this at Bay Hill when he looked over at Kaiser and told him, “You get paid too much.”

Kaiser didn’t blink.

“Yeah, but you’re the (expletive) paying me,” he replied.

Both broke out laughing. Some four months later, they had two major championships. Money well spent.

Jack remembers (almost) everything

The U.S. Open was approaching and Jack Nicklaus was asked what he thought about the toughest test in golf giving up a pair of 62s the previous year at Los Angeles Country Club. His thoughts instead turned to the course, which he had not seen in some time.

“I played it in 1954, the U.S. Junior. I was 14 years old,” Nicklaus said. “I got beat in the second round. I think Hugh Royer Jr. beat me.”

This is an 84-year-old who has competed at more than 1,000 tournaments since he was a boy. How can he remember losing 70 years ago to someone named Hugh Royer?

“I didn’t want to tell you,” Nicklaus added with a smile, “but I think it was 5-and-3.”

That afternoon came a phone call on another matter to Michael Trostel, the great USGA resource on history. He had a U.S. Junior Amateur record book near him and was asked to look up 1954 at L.A. Country Club. How did Nicklaus fare?

“Looks like he lost in the second round ... to Hugh Royer Jr.,” Trostel replied.

The score?

“Hold on ... 4 and 3,” he said.

Nicklaus rarely misses, and when he does, it’s not by much.

JT at the bottom

Justin Thomas made a solid recovery this year, but he couldn’t afford a bad week at the BMW Championship. And he was having a rough week with his putting at Castle Pines.

Thomas was 49th in the key putting statistic going into the third round. He was on the practice green with his father when he mentioned where he ranked and said, “I can’t believe there’s someone putting worse than me this week.”

Mike Thomas had to deliver the bad news — Hideki Matsuyama had withdrawn, and there were only 49 players left in the field.