Scottie Scheffler Wins the First Round of the FedExCup Playoffs

Scottie Scheffler is back on top. The world No. 1 kicked off the FedExCup Playoffs with a dominant performance at TPC Southwind in Memphis, carding a final-round 66 (-4) to win with a total of 263 (-17). Si Woo Kim finished a full eight strokes behind him.

Scheffler, who started the day with a two-stroke lead, nearly derailed his Sunday right away on the third hole. His shot from the bunker looked set to result in a birdie, but it struck a sprinkler, crossed the green, and ended up in the water, forcing him to take a bogey. His lead was thus reduced to a single stroke. His response, however, was immediate: on the fifth hole, he placed his iron about three meters from the flag for a birdie, before sinking a long putt on the next hole. From that moment on, the tournament became a one-man show.

For Scheffler, this marks his 11th consecutive victory after leading after 54 holes and his 21st career win on the PGA Tour, all achieved since 2022. The title comes after nearly seven months without a win, despite a season marked by extraordinary consistency, with five second-place finishes and as many top-four finishes. His only previous victory in 2026 came at the American Express. “I felt a week like this was coming,” Scheffler said.

The victory earns him $3.6 million in prize money and an additional $23 million in bonuses for first place in the FedExCup, a lead he has now secured until the BMW Championship. In fact, no one can catch him anymore. Ten of his 21 PGA Tour titles have also come with a lead of at least four strokes.

Sam Burns, a close friend of Scheffler’s and his playing partner in the final group, finished with a 73, slipping to a tie for third place with Alex Noren, who shot a 69. “I don’t think it would have made a difference if I’d played well,” Burns admitted. “It would have been impossible to beat him today anyway.”

Second place went to Si Woo Kim, Scheffler’s neighbor in Dallas, who, with a 68, achieved his best-ever world ranking, climbing to 13th place. Sungjae Im, meanwhile, tied for fifth and earned a spot in the BMW Championship in St. Louis, keeping alive his streak of appearances at the TOUR Championship, where he has competed every year since 2019. No such luck, however, for Keith Mitchell and Jordan Spieth; the latter was eliminated after a bogey on the 15th hole caused by an approach shot that landed in the water.

The victory also holds symbolic significance for Scheffler. TPC Southwind was, in fact, the course where he had played the most tournaments without winning—seven in total—while the FedEx St. Jude Championship was the only playoff event still missing from his list of victories. Now both gaps have been filled.

After finishing second at the 3M Open, the two weeks spent at home helped the world No. 1 regain his rhythm and feel for the game. With two wins and five second-place finishes in 2026, Scheffler has thus bolstered his bid to claim the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year title for the fifth consecutive time. With only two tournaments remaining in the season, the world No. 1 sent a very clear message to everyone in Memphis: beating him will once again require something extraordinary.