World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler arrived at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, this week with a newly gained Olympic gold medal round his neck.
However because the PGA Tour’s three-event playoff begins Thursday on the FedEx St. Jude Championship, Scheffler was requested in regards to the trophy that has eluded him to this point in what has in any other case been a stellar profession: the FedEx Cup.
Based mostly on his season-long efficiency, Scheffler began every of the previous two Tour Championships at East Lake Golf Membership in Atlanta at 10 underneath in beginning strokes, no less than two photographs higher than anybody else.
In 2022, Scheffler squandered a six-stroke lead by carding a 3-over 73 within the closing spherical and misplaced to Rory McIlroy by one. Final 12 months, Scheffler began at 10 underneath and went simply 1 underneath over 72 holes on his personal. He tied for sixth at 11 underneath, 16 strokes behind winner Viktor Hovland.
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It is no surprise Scheffler, a two-time Masters champion, is not notably keen on the tour’s playoff format.
“I talked about it the previous couple of years, I feel it is foolish,” Scheffler mentioned Wednesday throughout a information convention at TPC Southwind. “You may’t name it a season-long race and have it come down to 1 match.
“Hypothetically, we get to East Lake and my neck flares up and it does not heal the way in which it did on the Gamers. I end thirtieth within the FedEx Cup as a result of I needed to withdraw from the final match? Is that actually the season-long race? No, it’s what it’s.”
McIlroy, who has gained the FedEx Cup a document thrice, likes the format as a result of it offers everybody else an opportunity to attempt to catch Scheffler over the following three weeks.
With six victories, together with in 4 of the eight signature occasions that awarded elevated FedEx Cup factors, Scheffler has 5,993 factors. He has a virtually 2,000-point lead over Xander Schauffele (4,057) and greater than twice as many factors as McIlroy (2,545).
“I really like this format as a result of if it wasn’t this format, then none of us would have an opportunity towards Scottie as a result of he is to this point forward,” McIlroy mentioned. “So I actually like this format.”
McIlroy acknowledges that the Tour Championship most likely is not the fairest solution to decide the tour’s season-long champion. However he says it is most likely one of the simplest ways to make the season-ending match attention-grabbing for followers.
“I feel it makes the Tour Championship extra thrilling from a shopper standpoint,” McIlroy mentioned. “Is it the fairest reflection of who’s been the perfect participant of the 12 months? In all probability not. However I feel at this level we’re not in for completely honest; we’re in for leisure and for attempting to placed on the perfect product we probably can.”
There can be two FedEx Cup playoff occasions performed earlier than the Tour Championship. Scheffler has performed properly nearly in every single place over the previous three seasons, however his outcomes have not been nice at TPC Southwind.
Scheffler does not have a top-10 end in six begins. He missed the reduce in 2022 and tied for thirty first at 6 underneath final season.
“It is laborious for me to recollect the previous couple of years,” Scheffler mentioned. “Scores are sometimes low right here, and I simply have not actually shot that low. Why that’s, some years I did not hit it good, some years I did not putt it good. Like I mentioned, I really feel prefer it’s a golf course that ought to swimsuit me. It isn’t tremendous extensive. You have to hit good photographs. Bermuda greens is what I grew up on.”
The highest 50 golfers within the FedEx Cup factors standings after the FedEx St. Jude Championship will advance to subsequent week’s BMW Championship at Citadel Pines Golf Membership in Citadel Rock, Colorado. It is the tour’s first cease at that course since 2006.
The highest 30 golfers after the primary two legs of the FedEx Cup playoffs will compete within the Tour Championship, the place Scheffler figures to as soon as once more begin with a lead.
“It is a enjoyable match,” Scheffler mentioned. “I do not actually take into account it the season-long race like I feel the way in which it is referred to as. However you have to determine a solution to strike a steadiness between it being a very good TV product and it nonetheless being a season-long race.
“Proper now, I do not know precisely how the rankings are or something like that, however I do know for a reality you possibly can’t actually fairly name it the season-long race when it comes down to 1 stroke-play match on the identical golf course every year.”
