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Scottie Scheffler is all but a lock to take home his first FedEx Cup — but all it takes is a bad weekend to screw it all up.
And that's why the reigning Olympic gold medalist (and Masters champion) isn't too fond of the PGA Tour's current playoff format.
"I talked about it the last few years. I think it's silly," he says.
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Scottie Scheffler lines up a putt on the 1st hole during the second round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Pinehurst No. 2. (Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Scheffler knows all too well that one bad tournament can ruin it all. In both 2022 and 2023, he began the Tour Championship at East Lake at 10-under, thanks to his previous performances. But bad final rounds in both tournaments kept him from being named the FedEx Cup Champion.
The Top 70 golfers are in the first leg of the playoffs. The top 50 will go to the second tournament, and the Tour Championship will host the top 30, in which the leaderboard kicks off with a strokes-based system based on everyone's performances throughout the season. In all likelihood, Scheffler will begin the tournament with a two-stroke lead at 10-under, but again, one bad weekend could cost him.
"Hypothetically, we get to East Lake, and my neck flares up, and it doesn't heal the way it did at The Players. I finish 30th in the FedEx Cup because I had to withdraw from the last tournament? Is that really the season-long race? No, it is what it is."
Scottie Scheffler of the United States plays his shot from the 12th tee during the final round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 19, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
"It's a fun tournament," Scheffler said. "I don't really consider it the season-long race like I think the way it's called. But you've got to figure out a way to strike a balance between it being a good TV product and it still being a season-long race. Right now, I don't know exactly how the ratings are or anything like that, but I know for a fact you can't really quite call it the season-long race when it comes down to one stroke play tournament on the same golf course each year."
Rory McIlroy, a three-time FedEx Cup champ, joked that he likes the format, because it's the only way somebody can catch Scheffler in the standings. He has a nearly 2,000-point lead over Xander Schauffele (5,993 to 4,057), and more than twice as many points McIlroy has (2,545).
Scottie Scheffler of the United States walks the 18th fairway during the final round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 19, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
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McIlroy, though, did admit it may not be the "fairest reflection of who's been the best player of the year."
"But I think at this point, we're not in for totally fair. We're in for entertainment and for trying to put on the best product we possibly can," McIlroy said.
The playoffs begin on Thursday with the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis at TPC Southwind.
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