Nobody likes coming in second place again and again.
Actually not Scottie Scheffler, despite the fact that he has already collected extra wins on the PGA Tour than most see in a lifetime.
The greatest golfer on this planet hadn’t received a event since January, when he made his season debut at The American Specific within the California desert. Oh, however he was shut, time and time once more — inserting second 5 instances since that win and taking third at one other two occasions.
“I felt like I used to be on repeat all 12 months simply being like, ‘Hey, I’m taking part in strong. I’m shut,’” Scheffler mentioned Sunday. “It feels good to be answering some totally different questions on the finish of this week.”
That’s as a result of Scheffler broke by way of in essentially the most Scheffler method potential, profitable the FedEx St. Jude Championship by eight to kick off the FedEx Cup playoffs.
I may use this house to explain why Scheffler is now the shoo-in to win his second FedEx Cup in three years, however what can be the purpose? Scheffler has jumped from first within the FedEx Cup standings all the best way… to first. There’s no method to enhance his place, and with the elimination of the Tour Championship’s beginning strokes format in 2025, he may skip the upcoming BMW Championship and nonetheless be comfortably within the Tour Championship subject, however with no baked-in benefit over any of his friends.
Not that he minds. The flip facet of coming in second and third so usually this 12 months is that it’s a mark of Scheffler’s otherworldly consistency.
Try the place Rory McIlroy completed the St. Jude for some distinction — 66th out of 68. He takes three weeks off after the Open Championship and begins speaking about having to search out his sport like he misplaced it within the improper drawer of his mansion.
Why didn’t Scheffler win extra in 2026?
His placing maybe stored him from being extra of a risk on the majors, however a few of his missed probabilities have been additionally pure luck. He shot scores that have been low sufficient to win most years at Pebble Seashore (20 below, T4), Augusta Nationwide (11 below, second to McIlroy) and Doral (13 below, second to World No. 3 Cameron Younger). He misplaced in playoffs at each the RBC Heritage and the Vacationers Championship.
When Scheffler blasted out of a bunker on the par-5 third gap Sunday, his shot inauspiciously ricocheted off a sprinkler head, slid over the inexperienced and landed within the water. He made bogey and later revealed that he requested caddie Ted Scott, “When is that this going to cease occurring?”
Relaxation assured, this may be the day. 5 birdies later, not solely had he righted the ship, however no person taking part in the identical course as Scheffler was getting wherever close to him.
Three easy factors inform the story higher than I may:
Scheffler leads the PGA Tour in each scoring common and whole strokes gained for the fourth straight season.
Formally, he has transformed his final 9 54-hole leads on tour into wins. He’s now the fifth man to win by eight-plus strokes a number of instances in his profession, and the primary to do it since… Scottie Scheffler on the 2025 Byron Nelson.
Scheffler, who didn’t win a event till 2022, simply handed McIlroy for second on the all-time cash listing.
That final one’s not a joke. Scheffler can be a million and alter from Tiger Woods’ cash listing document.
It certain is the precise period to be fairly constant at golf. As a result of even while you don’t get that trophy, second and third pay out handsomely too.
