Scottie Scheffler bids to turn great regular season into FedEx Cup title

Scottie Scheffler finds himself in a unique position as he heads into the Tour Championship, facing a format that has sparked debate among players and fans alike. The “staggered scoring start” used to determine the FedEx Cup winner has been a point of contention, but Scheffler has consistently maintained that while the system may not be perfect, it ultimately boils down to playing your best golf when it matters most. As he prepares to compete for his first FedEx Cup title in Atlanta, Scheffler begins the tournament with a two-shot advantage over the field. “At the end of the day, if you play good enough golf, it will take care of itself,” Scheffler remarked on Tuesday.

There has been widespread discussion about whether a two-shot lead is sufficient to reflect the kind of season Scheffler has had. The World No. 1 has secured six tournament victories this season, including major wins at the Masters and the Players Championship, and even added an Olympic gold medal to his accolades, though the latter isn’t recognized as a PGA Tour event.

Starting the Tour Championship at 10 under par, Scheffler will tee off on Thursday with Xander Schauffele close behind at 8 under, despite Scheffler having earned over 1,000 more FedEx Cup points than Schauffele. Since the format was introduced in 2019, no player who started the Tour Championship with the lead has gone on to win the FedEx Cup. However, Scheffler, a proud Texan, compared this scenario to other American sports playoffs. “It’s like the Cowboys have had great regular seasons the last few years and left me heartbroken in the playoffs,” Scheffler said. “But golf is a different sport. There’s so many different voices and ways that you can do it. I’m not sitting here saying I have the crystal ball and I know what’s best.”

Scheffler drew another parallel to the Golden State Warriors, who set the record for the best regular season in NBA history but fell short in the Finals. “It happens,” he acknowledged.

When asked if he would be open to changes in the playoff format, especially if one of the PGA Tour’s new sponsors from the Strategic Sports Group proposed a radical idea, Scheffler offered a thoughtful response. “Golf is a funny game,” he said. “You’re not always going to — there’s no perfect system in order to play a golf tournament that’s the most entertaining product and also the product that gets the best player each time. A lot of times in golf the guy that plays the best may not even win that week. In terms of little bounces, it’s a fickle game. It’s a challenging sport. I’m open to suggestions. I do still think that 72 holes of stroke play is the best format for a golf tournament, but if a sponsor wants to come in and change it up a little bit, I love competing.”

Scheffler is coming off a challenging week where he finished tied for 33rd at the BMW Championship, marking only his second finish outside the top 10 since January. As he heads to East Lake Golf Club, he is focused on resetting and approaching the tournament like any other. “At the end of the day, I want to win the golf tournament we’re playing,” Scheffler emphasized, “and right now I have a two-stroke lead, and that’s pretty cool.”