Scottie Scheffler entered the final day of the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis with a two‑shot cushion, poised to capture his first victory since the opening tournament of the year in January.
After a blistering second round in which he posted a course‑record 61, the world number one had built a three‑stroke advantage at the halfway point. That margin was slightly reduced on Saturday when he made a bogey on the 17th hole at TPC Southwind, but he rebounded with a solid 68, finishing the day at 13 under par. Trailing Scheffler were two players who posted impressive, bogey‑free rounds on Saturday: Sam Burns, who fired an eight‑under 62, and South Korea’s Sungjae Im, who carded a three‑under 67. Both men moved into a tie for second place at 11 under, remaining within striking distance of the leader.
For Scheffler, the win would represent his first tournament triumph since his early‑year success at The American Express in California. While he has not secured a title in the intervening months, he has been a constant threat, racking up five runner‑up finishes—including a close call at the 3M Open—and nine top‑five results overall. His consistency has kept him firmly entrenched at the top of the FedExCup leaderboard.
The FedEx St. Jude Championship is the opening event of the FedExCup Playoffs, featuring only the top 70 players from the season‑long points race. The field will be trimmed to the top 50 for the next stop, the BMW Championship in August, and then to the top 30 for the season‑ending Tour Championship. Winners of the first two playoff tournaments each earn 750 FedExCup points before the points are reset to zero ahead of the final event.
At the Tour Championship, all qualifiers start at even par, a change from the previous starting‑strokes system that was eliminated after the 2024 season. The champion of the Tour Championship will be crowned the FedExCup winner for 2026, taking home a $10 million prize (approximately £7.4 million) and a five‑year exemption on the PGA Tour. This makes every playoff round crucial, as players battle not only for the tournament titles but also for positioning that can influence their final standing.
Scheffler’s third round in Tennessee was a mix of highs and a solitary low point. After a bogey on the fourth hole, he responded with birdies on holes two, 11, 12 and 16. The only blemish came on the 17th, where a mis‑hit left‑hand bunker shot on the par‑four forced a costly bogey.
Nevertheless, his overall performance kept him firmly in the lead. Defending FedExCup Playoffs champion Tommy Fleetwood remained in contention after a solid two‑under 68 on Saturday. His round featured a spectacular 30‑foot birdie putt on the 13th hole, and he finished at eight under par, sharing fourth place with Jake Knapp and sitting five strokes behind Scheffler. Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, found himself languishing near the bottom of the leaderboard.
After a two‑over 72 on Saturday, the world number two was tied for 67th place at six over par, a full 19 strokes behind Scheffler. McIlroy’s round was marked by inconsistency: he was even par through the first 17 holes but incurred a double bogey on the final hole after his tee shot found the water. Earlier in the round he had managed back‑to‑back birdies on holes nine and ten, but bogeys on holes two and 13 offset those gains. The drama of the tournament will culminate on Sunday, with the final round slated to begin at 4 p.m.
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As the playoffs progress, every shot carries heightened significance. Scheffler’s steady play and his ability to bounce back from occasional setbacks have positioned him as the favorite to capture the Memphis title and to continue his march toward the coveted FedExCup crown. Burns and Im, having demonstrated that they can produce low, flawless rounds, will be eager to keep the pressure on, while seasoned campaigners like Fleetwood and McIlroy will be hoping to reverse their fortunes before the field narrows further. The final day promises an exciting showdown that could shape the remainder of the PGA Tour season and set the stage for the next two playoff events.