Scottie Scheffler holds two-shot lead with one round to play at FedEx St Jude C’ship

Even with his lofty status in the golf world in recent years, Scottie Scheffler will be in a bit of a different situation compared to most tournaments in 2026 for the final round of the FedEx St Jude Championship.

He is the front runner after shooting a two-under 68 to maintain the lead on Aug 15 in Memphis, Tennessee, as he aims for his first victory since January.

“Strategy is still the same, just go out there and execute,” the 30-year-old said. “This is a golf course where that’s really all it comes down to.

“I’ll just do my best to go out there tomorrow and be committed and try and execute.”

The American moved to 13-under 197 for a two-stroke lead on compatriot Sam Burns and South Korea’s Im Sung-jae at TPC Southwind, where the opening event of the FedEx Cup play-offs is taking place.

Burns, also 30, rose into contention with a bogey-free 62 that included three consecutive birdies at one point.

“You feel like this golf course you get in the fairway a bunch and you feel like you can make a bunch of birdies,” he said.

“You get in the rough and you feel like you’re scrambling for par.”

Im, who was Scheffler’s playing partner on Aug 15, posted 67. For the second round in the tournament, Im had a better score than Scheffler.

“I was watching him playing a lot of good shots and learnt a lot,” the 28-year-old said. “Hopefully, I can keep it going.”

This is the first of three tournaments in the PGA Tour’s post-season. The top 50 players in terms of season-long points advanced to the Aug 20-23 BMW Championship. Scheffler entered this week atop the points standings.

Scheffler has not won since his first tournament – The American Express – of the season, but remains the world No. 1 as he has produced 11 top-10 finishes.

His first bogey of the third round came on the fourth hole, and he did not post his first birdie of the day until hole No. 8.

The American had another bogey at No. 17 after his approach shot went into a bunker, so he has dealt with a pair of bogeys in both the second and third rounds.

He will be paired with Burns, whom he considers a close friend, on Aug 16.

“It’s always a little weird just because I want him to have success so much and I think he wants the same for me,” Scheffler said.

“Tomorrow we’ll go out there and play our game and see where things finish up at the end of the day.”

Burns knows what to expect.

“Scottie is obviously playing great, as he always does,” he said. “He’s not going to lay down.

“He’s going to play great tomorrow. So you’re going to have to go out there and put a really good round together and see if you can catch him.”

Jake Knapp (67) of the US and England’s Tommy Fleetwood (68) are tied for fourth place at eight under.

“I’ve got one more day,” said the 35-year-old Fleetwood, who was two under through seven holes on Aug 15.

“If we can get off to another fast start, that would be great.”

American Brian Harman (69), South Korea’s Kim Si-woo (65), Swede Alex Noren (66) and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (67) are all at seven under.

Harman is outside the top 50 going into Aug 16, so he still needs to make headway. He said his worst putting round of the tournament came on Aug 15.

“It has been a tough year, hasn’t been awesome,” he said.

“It’s just been kind of one thing or the other. I feel like I’m playing some good golf. Hopefully, it will pop tomorrow. If not, get an extra week at home with the family,” he added.

Viktor Hovland briefly caught up to Scheffler before a horrendous stretch that resulted in a 72. He tumbled to a tie for 10th place at six under.

The Norwegian played the ninth to 15th holes in five over – and that came with a birdie on No. 11. Two wayward shots on the par-four 12th resulted in a pair of penalty strokes and he carded six on the hole.

American Jordan Spieth, who was a first-round co-leader, also shot 72 on Aug 15. He is at four under and tied for 19th. REUTERS