Scottie Scheffler delivered an astonishing round of nine-under-par 61 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, vaulting himself to the summit of the leaderboard and leaving Rory McIlroy scrambling for position. The world‑number‑one began his second round by stringing together five consecutive birdies despite the sweltering heat that wrapped the course.
However, a pair of bogeys on holes eight and twelve halted any chance of breaking the elusive sub‑60 barrier. Undeterred, Scheffler rallied in the closing stretch, carding four birdies in his final five holes to finish the day at 11 under par. His performance granted him a three‑stroke lead over South Korea’s Sungjae Im and Norway’s Viktor Hovland.
"You always want to try to get off to a good start," Scheffler said after his round. "I was able to do that today. It really felt like a dream start – probably one of the best I've ever had on tour.
I can’t recall a time when I’ve been that low so early in a round. My swing has felt great the past couple of weeks, especially playing at home.
It was nice to get out there, get things rolling early, keep the momentum and end up with a solid round." While Scheffler basked in the Memphis sunshine, his playing partner McIlroy faded into the background, finishing tied for 62nd out of a 69‑player field after posting a level‑par 70 that left him four strokes under par for the tournament. The Northern Irish star approached the 17th hole at two under for the day, but a pair of bogey‑five finishes on the final two holes dropped his momentum. Fortunately, the FedEx St.
Jude Championship, as the opening event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, has no cut, meaning McIlroy still has two rounds to recover. Other notable performers included Jordan Spieth, who, despite not having recorded a top‑10 finish this season, found himself as a co‑leader after a steady six‑under‑par 69 at TPC Southwind. Tommy Fleetwood also sat at six under after a flawless, bogey‑free 68, expressing satisfaction with his patient approach: "I feel like I played a very patient round of golf. It's just nice to be going into the weekend in a good position." Fleetwood added perspective on Scheffler's dominance: "What can we do about Scottie Scheffler?
Just go out there and try to manage your game as best as possible. Shoot the best score you can and see what happens.
In the world of golf, Scottie is a great person to chase, whether it’s a tournament this week or he’s the best golfer in the world. He just happens to be up there again and we’ll see what we can do over the weekend." The FedEx Cup Playoffs operate on a points system that rewards consistency throughout the PGA Tour season, with extra points awarded for signature events and majors. After the regular season, the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings qualify for the St.
Jude Championship (August 13‑16). From there, the field narrows to the top 50 for the BMW Championship (August 20‑23), and finally the top 30 advance to the Tour Championship (August 27‑30). Winners of the first two playoff events receive 750 points each—equivalent to the points awarded for a major victory—before all points reset to zero ahead of the Tour Championship. In the final event, all qualifiers start at even par, as the previous starting‑strokes model based on FedEx Cup rankings was eliminated in 2025.
The ultimate prize at the Tour Championship is the FedEx Cup title, which carries a $10 million (approximately £7.4 million) payout and a five‑year exemption on the PGA Tour. Live coverage of the St. Jude Championship continues on Saturday at 4 p.m., broadcast on Sky Sports Golf, Sky Sports Main Event, and available for streaming without a contract. Golf fans can also explore booking options at over 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland, using the provided search tool to find a venue by course name, city, or postal code.
In summary, Scheffler’s electrifying 61 set a high bar for the remainder of the playoffs, while McIlroy’s modest 70 underscores the volatility of tournament golf. With three rounds remaining and no cut to worry about, the leaderboard remains fluid, promising further drama as the FedEx Cup Playoffs progress toward their climactic conclusion.