Scottie Scheffler is once again reminding the golf world why he is the top-ranked player in the world. Scheffler moved up the leaderboard at the FedEx St. Jude Championship following a 5-under 65 Friday. He closed with three birdies in his last four holes to pull within two shots of the lead currently held by Hideki Matsuyama and Denny McCarthy.
It appears even sweltering heat cannot even slow down the Ridgewood, New Jersey native. TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, host of the first leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, was scorching hot Friday. The temperature reaches as high as 97 degrees, but the heat index including humidity reached as high as 112 degrees.
Scheffler knew well enough to take shade when it presented itself. However, the same could not be said for his caddie, Ted Scott.
“Honestly, as he was running up to the 9th green, I was thinking to myself, why is he doing that. I'm in the rough; I'm just trying to make sure I get it up there on the green. He wanted to make sure the number was correct on the green,” Scheffler said following his round.
“He didn't trust the book, but by the time I thought about it, he was already up there on the green measuring the distance. He did that twice today; he did it on two and he did it on nine.”
That sure is dedication from Scott. But apparently he eventually came to his senses.
“I guess he got tired because he didn't do it the rest of the day,” said Scheffler.
Scottie Scheffler looking to close out historic PGA Tour season in style
Scheffler has run circles around his fellow PGA Tour competitors this year. Not only did Scheffler win his second Masters Tournament, he won five other times. That includes making history becoming the first player ever to win the Players Championship back-to-back years. He also captured The Memorial at Bay Hill, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage and the Travelers Championship.
Oh, let's not forget Scheffler won gold at the Paris Olympics in unbelievable fashion two weeks ago.
The only way he can improve upon what has already been a historic season is if he caps it with a Tour Championship. But the format of the FedEx Cup Playoffs does not do him any favors. Despite lapping the field, Scheffler will hold just a couple shot advantage going into East Lake in two weeks.
Whether he wins this week at St. Jude or not, he is essentially locked into the number one spot. That is something Scheffler has openly called “silly” earlier in the week. Even Matsuyama all but called the format unfair to the world number one. But it is what it is.
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