Scottie Scheffler Leads FedEx St. Jude by 3 Shots After Record 61

Q: How does a modest opening round suddenly transform into a historic 61 to completely shatter the FedEx Cup leaderboard?

Scottie Scheffler’s jump from a solid opening round to a historic 61 was driven by the kind of complete performance that can flip a playoff leaderboard in a single afternoon. On Thursday, Scheffler said he played better than his score suggested, with too many missed chances and 33 putts. That left him within reach rather than in control. On Friday, the putts started falling immediately. He opened with five straight birdies, had six birdies in his first seven holes and finished with 11 birdies overall, a remarkable number on a demanding TPC Southwind layout. The statistics underline how dramatic the shift was. Scheffler made about 110 feet of putts, recorded 13 one-putts and gained 3.76 strokes on the greens, more than three shots better than his season putting average. His swing, by his own account, had felt strong for weeks, and once the putter matched his ball-striking, the modest first round turned into a course-record-tying 9-under 61. Just as important, he did not let mistakes halt the surge. He bogeyed the eighth and then answered with a birdie at the 10th. After finding water and making bogey at the 12th, he bounced back with a birdie at the 13th and then closed with three more on 15, 16 and 17. That combination of elite approach play, a red-hot putter and immediate recovery after errors is how Scheffler went from chasing the lead to holding a three-shot advantage at 11 under in the FedEx Cup playoff opener.

Q: Is Rory McIlroy's marathon pacing strategy a stroke of genius or a dangerous gamble ahead of the BMW Championship?

It is a calculated gamble, not a stroke of genius — and for now it looks more risky than rewarding. McIlroy has framed the FedExCup Playoffs as a “12-round event,” choosing to conserve energy through three hot, demanding weeks from Memphis to St. Louis to Atlanta. There is logic in that. He is already effectively secure for the Tour Championship, so unlike players fighting for the top 50 or top 30, he can afford to treat Memphis as a tune-up rather than a must-win. He also has a heavy global schedule after East Lake, which helps explain the long-view approach. But the danger is clear in his position at TPC Southwind. He is four over after two rounds, well off Scottie Scheffler’s pace and still showing signs of rust after limited PGA Tour action since the Masters. McIlroy himself said this week was partly about seeing where his game is, and the answer so far is that it is not yet sharp enough. In playoff golf, where momentum matters and elite fields punish slow starts, easing into form can quickly become costly. The no-cut format softens the immediate risk because he still gets two competitive rounds before the BMW Championship. That may ultimately be the real value of Memphis: live reps under pressure, not the leaderboard. If he sharpens up over the weekend and arrives in St. Louis fresher than rivals, the strategy could still be vindicated. Right now, though, it looks less like master planning and more like a bet that he can find top gear just in time.

3 articles · Updated · Commercial Appeal · Aug 14

Scottie Scheffler takes an 11-under total into the weekend at TPC Southwind after a second-round 9-under 61 gave him a three-shot cushion.
The world No. 1 surged with a course-record round, strengthening his bid for a second PGA Tour win of 2026 after his January victory at The American Express.
Sungjae Im and Viktor Hovland share second at 8-under, while Ludvig Aberg sits fourth at 7-under and a cluster including Jordan Spieth and Tommy Fleetwood is five back.
All 68 remaining players advance through the weekend, with Robert MacIntyre the lone withdrawal after opening with an 82.