Scottie Scheffler is the winner of the 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship. He carded a score of -17 to notch the victory at the first event of the FedExCup playoffs on Sunday, Aug. 16 at TPC Southwind in Memphis.
Fans sprinted over to the green on the last hole to watch the world No. 1's final shot. He barely missed the rim and then tapped the ball in for par. Scheffler's wife and two children were standing in the shade cheering him on and after he finished the hole, they ran around the crowd to give him a hug.
This is only Scheffler's second win this season after topping the leaderboard at the American Express back in January.
"It's always challenging, I think, playing with one of my best friends, both trying to win," Scheffler, who played with Sam
Burns on Sunday, said on the CBS broadcast after the St. Jude win. "He's had his fair share of close calls this year as well. Going into today, I just wanted to try and do my best, just try and execute."
Despite his lack of wins, Scheffler is still the leader of the FedExCup standings based off overall performance throughout the PGA Tour.
"Just staying consistent, staying in it each week, that's what I'm most proud of," he continued. "... Statistics are one thing, but being able to win golf tournaments is another, and this is a lot better feeling than having statistically a good week."
Scheffler, the 2024 FedExCup winner, surged in the second round and tied the course record with a score of 61. He shot to the top of the leaderboard with a score of 11-under.
He hit a hiccup early on the last day of the tournament when his ball hit a sprinkler head and rolled into the water on the third hole, leading to a bogey. But the former Texas Longhorn rebounded with five birdies.
"I'm like, 'When is this going to stop happening?'" he said of hitting the sprinkler and his previous late woes this season. "But did a good job of staying in it and bouncing back from that and was able to kind of relax the last few holes coming down the stretch."
Burns hit a bogey on the final hole to leave Si Woo Kim standing alone in second place with a score of 9-under.
After the first round, five players were tied at the top. Robert MacIntyre withdrewfrom the tournament after carding a +12 through 18 holes.
What does the St. Jude Championship win mean?
With the St. Jude Championship win, Scheffler gets 750 FedExCup points, bringing his total at the top of the leaderboard to 4,873 points. He advances to the BMW Championship, which he won last year, at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis next weekend.
This win adds to his legacy as one of the PGA Tour's greats. He has won four majors, and, at 30 years old, becomes the third-youngest player to win 21 PGA Tour tournaments since 1960 behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
He leads the top 50 golfers who advance to the next tournament based on FedExCup standings. After that competition, the top 30 players will face off in the TOUR Championship a week later with the FedExCup on the line.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Scottie Scheffler wins 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship. Here's what it means
