Scottie Scheffler Dominates in Memphis to Win the 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship

Scottie Scheffler delivered a timely reminder of why he remains the benchmark on the PGA Tour, producing a commanding performance to win the 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis.

The opening event of the FedExCup Playoffs brought together the leading players from the regular season, with places in the top 50 – and progression to the BMW Championship – on the line. But by Sunday afternoon, the battle for the trophy had turned into a Scheffler procession.

The American closed with a four-under-par 66 to finish the tournament at 17-under, an incredible eight shots clear of runner-up Si Woo Kim. It was Scheffler's second PGA Tour victory of 2026 and the 21st Tour title of his career.

Scheffler Finds His Winning Touch Again

It may sound strange to describe a season containing numerous high finishes as frustrating, but Scheffler had endured more near misses than he would have wanted in 2026.

He had finished runner-up five times during the season and arrived in Memphis with only one victory to his name for the year. For a player who has set such extraordinary standards in recent seasons, converting another opportunity into a trophy was becoming increasingly important.

At TPC Southwind, there would be no mistake.

Scheffler entered Sunday's final round holding a two-shot advantage and quickly demonstrated that anyone hoping to catch him would need something special.

There was one early moment of drama. At the third hole, Scheffler's bunker shot struck a sprinkler head and ricocheted into the water, eventually resulting in a bogey. It was the sort of unfortunate break that could easily have unsettled a player with a chasing pack waiting to pounce.

Instead, Scheffler responded like a champion.

Birdies at the fifth and sixth immediately restored his momentum before three further birdies on the back nine transformed what had looked like a potentially competitive final round into a runaway victory. His closing 66 took him to 17-under and completed the largest winning margin in the long history of the tournament at TPC Southwind.

Eight Shots Clear

While Scheffler continued to pull away, the players behind him struggled to generate the charge required to put him under pressure.

Si Woo Kim eventually emerged as the closest challenger, finishing alone in second place at nine-under, eight strokes behind the champion.

Sam Burns looked set to take second place before a bogey at the 18th dropped him into a tie for third alongside Alex Noren.

Tommy Fleetwood was another player who began the final round with hopes of challenging Scheffler. The Englishman reached the turn level par for his round, but four bogeys on the back nine sent him tumbling down the leaderboard. He eventually finished tied seventh at six-under.

As his rivals struggled in the demanding Memphis conditions, Scheffler simply kept finding fairways, hitting quality approaches and giving himself birdie opportunities.

By the closing holes, there was no longer any question about who would be lifting the trophy.

Another Landmark for Scheffler

Victory also delivered another significant career milestone.

At just 30 years old, Scheffler became the third-youngest player to reach 21 PGA Tour victories, behind only two of the greatest players in the history of the game – Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.

The win also earned Scheffler 750 FedExCup points and a winner's cheque of $3.6 million from the tournament's $20 million purse.

More importantly, it moved him to the top of the FedExCup standings heading into the second playoff event.

After several close calls throughout 2026, Scheffler suddenly appears to have found his ruthless winning touch at exactly the right moment.

McIlroy Endures a Difficult Return

While Scheffler enjoyed one of his best weeks of the season, Rory McIlroy experienced a tournament he will want to forget.

Returning to competition following almost a month away after the Open Championship, McIlroy never looked comfortable at TPC Southwind.

Rounds of 74, 70, 72 and 72 left him eight-over for the championship and 66th in the 68-player field that completed the tournament. McIlroy admitted afterwards that his swing felt a long way from where he wanted it to be and acknowledged that his preparation for Memphis had been limited.

The good news for McIlroy is that his strong position coming into the playoffs means his season continues. He sits 13th in the FedExCup standings and comfortably advances to the BMW Championship.

With the Tour Championship still to come, there remains plenty of time for McIlroy to rediscover his best golf.

The Cruel Side of the FedExCup Playoffs

Away from the battle for the trophy, much of Sunday's drama surrounded the top-50 cut-off.

Only the leading 50 players in the FedExCup standings following Memphis qualified for the BMW Championship, meaning several seasons effectively came down to the final few holes at TPC Southwind.

One of the biggest winners was Sungjae Im.

Im arrived in Memphis 53rd in the standings and needed a strong week to continue his season. Despite closing with a two-over 74, his tied-fifth finish at seven-under was enough to propel him all the way to 40th, securing his place at the BMW Championship.

For Jordan Spieth, however, the outcome was very different.

Spieth began the tournament ranked 54th and put himself into contention after opening rounds of 65 and 69. But weekend rounds of 72 and 70 saw him finish tied 19th at four-under.

It wasn't quite enough.

Spieth ended the week 52nd in the FedExCup standings, bringing his 2026 PGA Tour season to an end.

Keith Mitchell suffered an equally painful exit. Starting the week 49th, Mitchell slipped to 51st, while Matt McCarty clung on to the 50th and final qualifying position.

Other notable players whose seasons ended in Memphis included Max Homa, Harris English, Corey Conners, Shane Lowry, Brian Harman and Jackson Koivun.

Scheffler Sends a Warning to the Rest of the PGA Tour

The FedExCup Playoffs are designed to reward players who produce their best golf when the pressure is at its greatest, and Scheffler could hardly have made a stronger opening statement.

An eight-shot victory against one of the strongest fields of the season is impressive enough. Doing it while carrying the pressure of being the player everyone expects to win makes the performance even more significant.

Scheffler has spent much of 2026 knocking on the door without quite converting as many opportunities as he would have liked. In Memphis, that door was emphatically kicked down.

His combination of elite ball-striking, patience and course management once again proved almost impossible to match.

Now the FedExCup Playoffs move to the BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club, where the field will be reduced from 50 players to the final 30 who qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship.

And after what happened at TPC Southwind, the rest of the field has been given a warning.

Scottie Scheffler is winning again – and he has found his best form at precisely the right time.