Scottie Scheffler returned to form with a commanding win at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis. The tournament opener in the PGA Tour playoffs saw Scheffler take a two-shot lead into the final round. His lead was briefly reduced to one shot after a bunker shot on the third hole that went into the water for a bogey.
However, Scheffler quickly regained control with consecutive birdie putts on holes five and six, according to The Boston Globe. He finished with a score of 17-under 263, eight shots clear of Si Woo Kim, according to a report from ESPN. Sam Burns, one of Scheffler’s close friends in golf, played with him in the final group.
Burns posted a double bogey on the third hole, but said it wouldn’t have changed the outcome. Scheffler earned $3.6 million in prize money and an additional $23 million in FedEx Cup bonus points. With his win, Scheffler now holds the No. 1 spot in the FedEx Cup standings heading into next week’s BMW Championship.
He now has 21 career victories on the PGA Tour, including 10 by margins of four shots or more. Scheffler’s performance marked a turnaround from a season that had lacked decisive wins. The TPC Southwind course had been one where Scheffler had played many times without securing a win.
This was also the first time in the playoffs that Scheffler had failed to win a tournament. Sungjae Im finished with a score of 75 and tied for fifth place. Im moved from No. 53 to the top 50, earning a spot in the BMW Championship next week.
Keith Mitchell, who stood in the water on the 18th hole trying to salvage his round, was bumped out by Im. Jordan Spieth, aiming to qualify for the BMW Championship for the first time since 2023, fell short, Yardbarker reported. Spieth needed a finish of 23rd or better to qualify, but finished tied for 19th.
Despite a strong showing in the first three days, Spieth’s final round was not enough. He finished with a bogey from the water on the 18th hole. Spieth is now projected to finish No. 52 in the FedEx Cup standings.
He expressed optimism about his future despite a difficult season. Spieth had struggled with a mid-season slump that included three missed cuts and no top-10 finishes. The former World No. 1 and 13-time PGA Tour winner is still confident in his ability to return to form.
Brian Harman also tried to qualify for the BMW Championship but finished T30 and dropped out of the top 50. Keith Mitchell, who finished T34, moved into the No. 51 spot. Matt McCarty, who finished T63, was the biggest beneficiary of the standings shift.
McCarty now sits at No. 50 in the FedEx Cup standings. Scheffler’s victory was his first win in nearly seven months and puts him in contention for a fifth straight PGA Tour Player of the Year award. He still has two more tournaments to compete in before the season concludes.
Spieth, at age 33, remains hopeful for a resurgence in the upcoming season. His performance at the St. Jude Championship was a sign that his game may be returning to its former strength.
IMAGE: YouTube description: Total performance from tee to green – it’s why Scottie Scheffler has trusted a Pro V1 golf ball for all five of his PGA TOUR wins.👌. Photo: Titleist / Wikimedia, taken 2023-02-12, CC BY 3.0