Scheffler wins FedEx St. Jude Championship by eight shots, Spieth and Lowry eliminated from playoffs

Scheffler ends seven-month drought

Scottie Scheffler captured the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Sunday at TPC Southwind in Memphis, closing with a 4-under 66 to finish at 17-under 263, eight shots clear of runner-up Si Woo Kim. The margin was the largest in the 68-year history of the tournament at TPC Southwind, surpassing John Cook's seven-shot win in 1996. It was Scheffler's second victory of 2026 and his first since The American Express in January, ending a near seven-month gap that was the longest between wins for him since 2023.

The world number one's only moment of concern came on the par-5 third hole. A bunker shot that would have settled near the pin instead landed on a sprinkler head, bounced through the green and into the water, forcing him to get up and down for bogey. His lead shrank to one shot over Sungjae Im. Scheffler then made consecutive birdies on the fifth and sixth holes to pull away, carding five birdies and just one bogey in the final round. It was his second career win by at least eight strokes, tying Ernie Els, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson for second-most on the PGA Tour in the last 40 years. Tiger Woods has 10 such wins.

“Statistics are one thing, but being able to win golf tournaments is another, and this is a lot better feeling than having statistically another good week.”

Scheffler collected $3.6 million from the prize fund and clinched an additional $23 million in bonus money for being No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings through next week's BMW Championship, with no one able to catch him. The victory was the 21st of his PGA Tour career, with 10 of those wins coming by four shots or more. Si Woo Kim finished second at 9-under, with Sam Burns and Alex Noren tied for third at 8-under. Burns, who played alongside Scheffler in the final group and took double bogey on the par-5 third, said afterward that he did not think it would have mattered if he had played well. The 2026 season has seen Scheffler miss only one cut, finish in the top 10 at 10 tournaments, and place second at the Masters.

Im plays his way in, Spieth and Lowry miss out

Sungjae Im was the only golfer to play his way into the FedEx Cup top 50, moving from 53rd to 40th in points despite a final-round 75 that left him tied for fifth at 7-under. Keith Mitchell, who entered the week 49th, fell two spots to 51st after tying for 34th at 1-under, becoming the one player to drop out. Matt McCarty slipped from 48th to the 50th and final qualifying spot.

Jordan Spieth started the week at No. 54 and needed a solo 23rd finish to have a mathematical chance. After opening with rounds of 65 and 69, he managed a 2-over 72 on Saturday and an even-par 70 on Sunday, settling for a tie for 19th at 4-under and finishing 52nd in points. Spieth was 2 under through 10 holes on Sunday before recording three bogeys and one birdie from holes 11 through 15.

Scheffler17

Si Woo Kim9

Noren8

Burns8

Clark7

Im7

Scheffler

17 under par

Si Woo Kim

9 under par

Noren

8 under par

Burns

8 under par

Clark

7 under par

Im

7 under par

Data from the article text

“I needed to be almost flawless (Sunday). When the wind was blowing, it's a hard golf course.”

Shane Lowry, who entered the week ranked 62nd, needed to break into the top 50 to qualify for the BMW Championship. He carded a final-round 70 to finish 2-over for the tournament, tied for 52nd, and was eliminated.

McIlroy struggles in Memphis

Rory McIlroy finished 66th, 25 strokes behind Scheffler, with an 8-over total that left him ahead of just two players in the 68-man field. The Northern Irishman, who won his second Masters title earlier this season, had not played competitively since the Open Championship in July. He failed to record a single round under par across four days and ranked 62nd out of 68 players for strokes gained tee to green.

McIlroy, who is 13th in the season-long standings, started his final round with a six on the par-four opening hole. He managed four birdies across a seven-hole stretch on the back nine but finished with successive bogeys.

“I'm so far away from where I need to be to even feel like I have a chance. I've just got to keep working and hope it turns around a little bit.”