Who is Scottie Scheffler’s Fill-In Caddie Brad Payne at the St. Jude Championship? originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has arrived for the final round at the 2025 St. Jude Championship, but he doesn’t seem to have a familiar face by his side. Scheffler’s longtime caddie, Ted Scott, has reportedly stepped away from the caddie duties for the final round specifically due to personal reasons.
Instead, fans spotted Brad Payne on the bag. While some might be unfamiliar with the fill-in caddie, Payne is a well-respected figure in the golf community with a unique background.
Who is PGA Tour Chaplain Brad Payne?
Payne isn’t a full-time caddie. However, he did serve as a full-time caddie for PGA Tour pro Paul Stankowski. Payne now serves as chaplain to PGA Tour players through his College Golf Fellowship. The main objective of the organization is to help college and professional golfers become fully devoted to Christ. Having grown up in a small town in Southern California, Payne played college golf at Pepperdine University in Malibu.
Payne first gained public attention after his appearance on the YouTube documentary “Scottie ’24” where he played a key role as Scheffler’s mental coach. Payne had his own competitive golf career prior to joining the PGA Tour staff. He also spent time in ministry work, particularly in sports chaplaincy.
This isn’t the first time Payne has filled in for Ted Scott. Back during the 2024 PGA Championship, Scott departed Valhalla Golf Club before the third round to attend his daughter’s graduation. Though Scheffler failed to win the major alongside Payne, the temporary duo has another shot at winning together as the World No. 1 heads into the final round of the St. Jude Championship two strokes behind leader Tommy Fleetwood.
Related: You Won’t Believe the Last Time Scottie Scheffler Paid for a Round of Golf
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Read the full article here