Scheffler Holds Onto Lead in Memphis as Burns Excels and McIlroy Struggles Again

Scottie Scheffler entered the final day of the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis with a two‑shot cushion, aiming to secure his first victory since the opening event of the season in January.

After establishing a three‑stroke margin at the midway point with a remarkable second‑round 61 – a new course record at TPC Southwind – Scheffler saw that lead shrink by one when he made a bogey on the penultimate hole on Saturday. He finished the round with a solid two‑under‑par 68, bringing his tournament total to 13 under par. Behind him, Sam Burns produced a flawless, bogey‑free 62, eight strokes under par, while Sungjae Im carded a three‑under‑par 67.

Both players sat just two strokes behind the leader, sitting at 11 under and forming the nearest threat to Scheffler's advantage. Although Scheffler now needs only a single strong round to claim his first trophy of the year – his last win coming at The American Express in California earlier this season – he has not been idle. In the intervening months he has collected five runner‑up finishes, including a close second at the 3M Open, and has amassed nine top‑five results overall. These consistent performances have kept him firmly in contention throughout the FedExCup Playoffs.

The FedEx St. Jude Championship is the culminating event for the top 70 players in the season‑long FedExCup points race.

Those who finish in the top 50 will move on to the BMW Championship, scheduled for August 20‑23, while only the leading 30 will qualify for the Tour Championship, which runs from August 27‑30. Winners of the first two playoff stops each earn 750 points, after which the points are reset to zero before the final tournament.

In the Tour Championship, all participants start at even par; the previous system of assigning starting strokes based on FedExCup rankings was eliminated for 2025 onward. The champion of the Tour Championship will also be crowned the FedExCup champion for 2026, receiving a $10 million prize (approximately £7.4 million) and a five‑year exemption on the PGA Tour. This makes the stakes especially high for players like Scheffler, who are looking to lock in both a tournament win and a shot at the season‑long title. During his third round in Tennessee, Scheffler stumbled on the fourth hole, making a bogey, but quickly recovered with birdies on holes two, eleven, twelve and sixteen.

A mis‑hit on the seventeenth – after finding a left‑hand bunker with his second shot on a par‑four – resulted in another bogey that trimmed his lead. Nonetheless, his overall play remained strong enough to keep him ahead of the field. Defending FedExCup Playoffs champion Tommy Fleetwood also stayed within striking distance after posting a two‑under‑par 68 on Saturday.

His round featured a spectacular birdie putt on the thirteenth hole, and he moved into a shared fourth place with Jake Knapp, sitting five strokes behind Scheffler at eight under par. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy found himself languishing near the bottom of the leaderboard, tied for 67th place at six over par – a full 19 strokes behind the leader. The world number two shot a two‑over 72 on Saturday and has yet to post a sub‑par round this week.

McIlroy, a three‑time FedExCup Playoffs champion, was even par through the first 17 holes in his third round before a disastrous double bogey on the 18th after his tee shot landed in the water. Earlier in the round he had managed back‑to‑back birdies on holes nine and ten, but also recorded bogeys on holes two and thirteen, contributing to his disappointing finish.

Fans can catch the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship live on Sky Sports Golf beginning at 4 p.m.

on Sunday, with streaming options available through NOW. For those looking to play a round themselves, there are competitive rates and bookings across more than 1,700 courses throughout the UK and Ireland. To find a venue, simply enter a course name, city, or postal code into the search tool; if no results appear, try a different query.

Overall, the tournament has delivered a mix of high‑caliber golf and dramatic swings in the leaderboard. Scheffler's steady performance, Burns' flawless 62, and the occasional stumble from seasoned players like McIlroy underscore the unpredictable nature of playoff golf.

As the final day approaches, the question remains whether Scheffler can convert his lead into a victory and add another prestigious title to his résumé, or if Burns or another challenger will seize the moment and force a dramatic finish.