Scottie Scheffler suggested that he was playing better in practice in the days leading into the FedEx St. Jude Championship than he had done all year before going on to win the first playoff event.
Scheffler produced one of the most impressive displays of his career at TPC Southwind this past week, with the world number one finishing eight shots clear of his closest rival.
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The 30-year-old went into the final round with one hand on the trophy, with a two-shot lead over good friend Sam Burns. In truth, there was little drama from the fifth hole onwards on Sunday.
Scheffler dropped a shot on the third hole after a terrible break from the bunker by the green. However, he then made five birdies in his next 13 holes to coast to his second victory of the season.
Scottie Scheffler credits his iron game and putting after winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship
Plenty was said about Scottie Scheffler’s incredible putting performance, as he gained 2.24 shots per round on the greens across the week, according to Data Golf.
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However, no one was better with their approach play either. And speaking in his press conference after his victory, Scheffler lauded both aspects of his game.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
“A lot of ball striking. I gave myself a lot of looks. I wasn’t putting for par that often. I did my best to stay out of the hazards. Maybe only lost a couple balls in the hazards this week, which around this place isn’t so bad,” he said.
“I’d say iron play and putting was probably huge for me this week.”
What Scottie Scheffler found in practice in the days before heading to TPC Southwind
It was Scheffler’s first start since finishing second for a fifth time this season at the 3M Open last month.
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Much of the attention in Minnesota was, understandably, on Jackson Koivun securing a maiden PGA Tour victory. But Scheffler issued another reminder of how well he has played in 2026 at TPC Twin Cities.
It seems that something has recently clicked for the four-time major champion, as he was asked to explain how he had prepared behind the scenes ahead of the first FedEx Cup playoff event.
“Yeah, I went home, got a few days of rest, got some practice in. I felt like I found something kind of just getting my hands on the club,” he said.
“I had a really good kind of prep week coming in, probably the best I played at home over the course of this year. I didn’t really feel like I needed to be on the range hitting balls. I just went out and played pretty much all weekend. I didn’t really spend much time practicing. I was just getting out playing, competing.
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“I played well, and I felt like a good week was coming. It was nice to come in here feeling like I’m playing well and to show up and kind of do it.”
A lot of players would have panicked had they put together a season like Scheffler’s. While there is no question that finishing second five times – and winning at the start of the year – is incredibly impressive, some would have wondered what they needed to change to get across the line.
The likes of Sam Burns and Si-woo Kim have given themselves so many opportunities to win this year without getting across the line.
However, Scheffler did not panic. He made winning in Memphis look easy. It was clearly a long time coming, with the final pieces coming together in the last few weeks.
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