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Golf fans react to Scottie Scheffler’s response to a reporter who asked him why he shanked a bunker shot en route to FedEx Cup victory.

A golf reporter was left red-raced when Scottie Scheffler responded to his question about why he shanked a bunker shot at the Tour Championship on Sunday.

Despite his shocking wedge malfunction that led to a bogey on the short par-4 8th, Scheffler dusted himself down on the back nine and sprinted away for a deserved victory that saw him crowned FedEx Cup champion.

Scottie Scheffler wins 2024 Tour Championship, earns FedEx Cup title

READ: Shane Lowry surges but Scottie Scheffler still in control at East Lake

It was a win that banked him $25m too.

When pressed for comment on how it happened, the World No.1 talked things through in the most Scheffler way possible.

“I shanked it,” he replied.

The reporter said: “Why did you shank it?”

Scheffler then mocked the reporter’s question:

“So there’s a — the club, there’s this straight part of the face and then over here is the hosel, and on that one specifically I caught too much of that part of the face. That’s why it went to the right. It’s shaped kind of — a little curve.

“If I hit the straight part it’s going to go that way, and then if I hit this part it’s going to come towards you.”

The reporter said: “I know the season, thanks.”

Golf fans were loving Scheffler’s response.

Some thought the question was ridiculous.

‘Ask stupid questions get stupid answers,” tweeted Barstool Sports.

‘Scottie wasn’t having it,” commented one PGA Tour fan.

‘Love that reply from Scottie,” wrote another.

Others thought Scheffler’s reply was educational.

‘Honestly that answer was pretty informative haha’, tweeted one fan.
‘Thanks for clarification of a shank, Scottie,” commented another

Here’s a look at the Scheffler shank: 

Despite the shank on 8, which marked a third bogey in his last four holes, Scheffler proceeded to birdie the next three holes to take full control of the tournament once again.

He then poured home an eagle on the par-5 14th to seal the deal.

Scheffler finished four shots clear of Collin Morikawa on 30-under par.

The win marks Scheffler’s seven official title on the PGA Tour this season and an eighth overall following his Olympic gold medal in Paris.

Scottie Scheffler birdied four of his last five holes to ensure he takes a five-shot lead into the final round of the Tour Championship on a day when Shane Lowry posted the tie low score.

Collin Morikawa is the only player within nine shots of the world number one having also finished strongly with three birdies in the last four holes at East Lake for a 67.

Scheffler’s third round 66 leaves him within touching distance of the 25 million dollars FedEx Cup prize having missed out after leading into the season-ending tournament last year.

Shane Lowry feels the pressure as Scottie Scheffler creeps up the Open  leaderboard- "He's one person

READ: [VIDEO] ‘I give shots to my friends every day at home, but my friends are not like him’: Shane Lowry on chasing Scottie Scheffler

He also had a six-shot lead heading into the final round two years ago but was overhauled by Rory McIlroy.

“I feel like I’ve done a lot of stuff well and played solid, so I’m looking forward to the challenge of trying to finish off the tournament tomorrow,” he said.

The strongest finish came from Sahith Theegala, who jumped into third place – four behind Morikawa – with five straight birdies to finish his round, part of a run of seven birdies and a bogey in his last eight holes en route to a 66.

Theegala recovered from a double bogey six on the third hole after he called a two-stroke penalty on himself for feeling he clipped the sand in a bunker during his backswing.

“Pretty sure I breached the rules, so I’m paying the price for it, and I feel good about it,” Theegala said.

Xander Schauffelle slipped back to fourth on 16-under-par with a 71, while Lowry jumped up to eighth – a further three strokes back – as he equalled the lowest round of the day with a 65 along with Viktor Hovland.

McIlroy is tied for 10th, 15 strokes off the pace, after adding a 68 to his opening rounds of 69.

LIV Golf League player Ian Poulter posted a cryptic message as PGA Tour Jay Monahan delivered an update on PIF talks.

Ian Poulter posted a cryptic message as PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan delivered an ‘update’ on peace talks with LIV Golf’s financiers.

Monahan spoke to reporters before the Tour Championship where the most pressing topic was how discussions are going with the breakaway tour’s financial backers.

Ian Poulter to appeal against PGA Tour ban of LIV Golf players | The  Independent

RELATED: Jay Monahan provides concerning update on ‘complex’ PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger

The PGA Tour commissioner offered little of substance, but he insisted that negotiations between the North American circuit and the Saudi PIF continue to move forward.

Monahan stressed the Tour was not going to negotiate in public and there is no set deadline for a deal to be ratified that would ‘bring the best players in the world back together’.

Poulter was a keen observer to Monahan’s news conference and reacted in real time on his Instagram stories.

The European Ryder Cup legend wrote: “I just have to laugh and sigh at the same time. Sad.

“I wonder if anyone will have the balls to question it or pull it apart.

“I bet they don’t. Let’s wait and see. IYKYK.”

“Or are the puppets going to be puppets? I wonder.”

Poulter added that ‘none of them’ have the [sic] to actually do their jobs.”

Ian Poulter's response

The Englishman was among the first wave of golfers to join LIV Golf in 2022.

He has consistently criticised the PGA Tour, Monahan and former DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley.

It’s not just Poulter who is appears to be at his wit’s end.

A frustrated Rory McIlroy also complained about the lack of progress that has been made after his opening round at the season finale at East Lake.

“I think anyone that cares about golf, I think has to be frustrated,” the 35-year-old said.

“I think anyone that cares about the PGA Tour has to be frustrated because we’re—we, the royal we, we’re not putting forward the absolute best product that we can.”

McIlroy said the Tour needs its villains back.

“I just think it’s gone on long enough,” he added.

“We’ve got to try to, I mean, I think everyone is trying to find a solution.

“It’s just a solution is hard to get to.”

PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger talks continue, however, Commissioner Jay Monahan has admitted thrashing out a deal has been complex and will take time to complete

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan has admitted that long-running merger talks with LIV Golf are proving to be very complex with no deadline for a deal set.

The PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and PIF, the Saudi backers of LIV Golf, signed a framework agreement on June 6, 2023, which would bring more than $1 billion of investment. However, the deadline for that agreement expired Dec. 31.

The PGA Tour drew a line in the sand. Greg Norman fired back. Now what?

READ: [VIDEO] ‘I give shots to my friends every day at home, but my friends are not like him’: Shane Lowry on chasing Scottie Scheffler 

Negotiations continue and PGA Tour Commissioner Monahan provided an update on Wednesday at a news conference ahead of this week’s Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.

“You look at where we are right now, we’re in regular dialogue, we have the right people at the table with the right mindset,” he said. “I see that in all these conversations on both sides, that creates optimism about the future and our ability to come together.”

“At the same time, these conversations are complex, they’re going to take time,” he conceded. “They have taken time and they will continue to take time.

“When I sit here today, I think the most important thing is our obligation to fans, players and partners is to focus on what we control, which we’re doing as I outlined and continue to carry this momentum forward. I’m not going to negotiate details in public or disclose details or specifics, but all I can say is that conversations continue and they’re productive.”

Following the deadline passing at the end of last year, the PGA announced it had received a huge investment. The Tour was handed $1.5 billion in investment, with up to $3 billion available, thanks to Sports Group to form PGA Tour Enterprises.

The consortium includes Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and Fenway Sports Group owner John W. Henry, who owns Premier League side Liverpool, as well as the Boston Red Sox, the Pittsburgh Penguins, The Boston Globe, and RFK Racing. PGA Tour Enterprises chairman Joe Gorder and Henry are at the forefront of negotiations with the Saudis, and they’ve been joined on a transactional subcommittee by Tiger Woods and Adam Scott.

“I think when you get into productive conversations, that enhances the likelihood of positive outcomes, and that enhances the spirit of those very conversations. I think that’s where things stand,” Monahan added.

The Tour Championship starts on Thursday and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler holds a two-shot advantage over No. 2 Xander Schauffele. Scheffler, 28, who has six Tour wins this year, including the Masters, also won Olympic gold in Paris. However, Since the 2019 format change, no player who has started the Tour Championship at the top of the leaderboard has gone on to win it.

Irish golfer starts seven shots behind the world number one at the Tour Championship, with a $25 million-winning FedEx Cup prize in sight

If not quite the promised land, Shane Lowry – finally – has reached the famed East Lake Golf Club in the suburbs of Atlanta where the megabucks Tour Championship closes the PGA Tour’s season. After years of effort, he gets to be a part of the great divvy-up.

“It’s almost embarrassing that I haven’t been here,” admitted Lowry, adding. “It’s always a goal at the start of the year and, thankfully, this year I got to achieve it.”

READ: Why Does Tiger Woods Never Gain Weight? Secret Reveal by the 15x Major Champion Himself

Lowry’s strong campaign stateside – highlighted, to date, by teaming-up with Rory McIlroy to win the Zurich Classic in New Orleans in a season which has yielded six top-10s – has the Offaly man placed in 13th of the 30-man field headed into the opening round of the Tour Championship and, like everyone, playing catch-up to world number one Scottie Scheffler as the tournament has a staggered reward system in play.

In Lowry’s case, he will start out seven shots behind Scheffler. In the case of Rory McIlroy, he will be six adrift.

“I give shots to my friends every day at home, but my friends are not Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele. I think, yeah, it is new, but a good start the first day and you’re back in the tournament … in my head I’m seeing it as like a five-round event that I’ve got three-under the first round and I’m seven back of the leader and I need to kind of pick away at that over the four days and see where it leaves me on Sunday,” explained Lowry of how he would approach the task of playing catch-up.

But it can be done. In 2022, McIlroy – in claiming a third FedEx Cup title – started the Tour Championship six shots behind Scheffler and won by one.

Indeed, Lowry’s long-time failure to reach East Lake could, ironically, be in his favour on finally managing to earn a place in the field. The course has undergone a remarkable transformation since Viktor Hovland triumphed a year ago, to the point that players have likened it to playing a brand new course.

“Everybody keeps saying how different it is, but it’s obviously just a new golf course for me, so I don’t really know anything different, which is great.

“It’s great to hear the lads moaning about it inside the locker room, and I’m happy with what I see. It’s going to play quite difficult. If you miss fairways you’re going to struggle to make pars, and it’s going to be hard to get the ball close to the pins.

“It’ll be interesting to see how it plays. But new golf courses always play really firm and fast, and that’s what this is doing. It’s in great shape. The chipping areas and the greens and everything about the place is in great shape. It should make for a great tournament,” said Lowry, who has expended a lot of energy in an exhausting schedule which has seen him play four straight weeks – Olympics, Wyndham, St Jude and BMW – with this tour finale making for a fifth.

Of that schedule, Lowry claimed: “I’m pretty tired, but I think I’ve managed myself pretty well over the last five weeks. I’m feeling okay. Look, my adrenaline [levels], if you can’t get up for a tournament like this and you can’t keep it going for four days on a week like this you’re in the wrong game, so I’ll be fine.”

The €89 million ($100m) pot of gold to be divvied up between the 30 players – with the winner getting the lion’s share (€22.3m/$25m) – would certainly provide the perfect antidote to any tiredness and Lowry’s upcoming schedule will continue to be demanding as he intends to shift course to Europe for a spell that takes in the Amgen Irish Open, the BMW PGA and the Spanish Open.

“I’ve just done three weeks away from my family, my kids. I’m about to do another good run going back to Europe. That’s probably the most difficult part for me. It’s nothing to do with the fatigue levels and the getting up for golf, but when you’re FaceTiming your kids and they’re asking you when you’re going to be home and it’s not going to be for another three weekends, that always gets hard.

“But it is what it is; that’s what we have to do. Going back to play the Irish Open and Wentworth is going to be two big tournaments for me. The Irish Open means a lot to me, and Wentworth, I’ve done quite well there in the past and I really love the tournament.

“Going back and playing in those and then Madrid the week after, I have a big stint away, but after that I’ll have some time off. I’ll have plenty of time off this winter to get ready for 2025. But I have still a lot of golf to play.”

And, in money terms, none as big as this week.

Tour Championship

Purse: €89 million (€22.3m to the winner)

Where: Atlanta, Georgia, USA

The course: East Lake Golf Club – 7,490 yards par 71 – has been home to the Tour Championship since it was introduced in 2007 and, of course, was the home course of the legendary Bobby Jones. Some things have changed since Viktor Hovland triumphed last year, however. Andrew Green – who has established quite a reputation as a course architect/renovator – was commissioned to bring the course back to how it was in Jones’ day and used aerial photographs from 1949 along with archival photographs to do so. The project took just 10 months to complete and also features new grasses on fairways and greens while the 14th has been extended to a par 5.

“It’s basically a new golf course from what it was before. It’s not really at all the same. The greens, since they’re new, are extremely firm, which I think makes it more challenging. It’ll be tough to access some of the hole locations. I think we’ll have a bit to learn in terms of golf course set-up,” claimed Scottie Scheffler of his first impressions of the remake.

The field: The end game of the season and of the FedEx Cup playoffs leaves just 30 players remaining for the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup titles. Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, begins with a head start on everyone. Scheffler is 10 under before hitting a ball, with Xander Schauffele on eight under and Hideki Matsuyama on seven under … Rory McIlroy is playing catchup from four under, while Shane Lowry starts on three under.

Quote-Unquote: “If last year was a nine out of 10, I’d probably say we’re still at a five, four out of 10 right now. I know I can still shoot good numbers, but it just feels like it’s a little bit more hard work. It’s tougher for me to kind of string the good rounds together day by day.” – defending champion Viktor Hovland comparing his game with 12 months ago.

Irish in the field: Rory McIlroy – a three-time winner of the FedEx Cup – is paired with Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Aberg (Thursday, 6.38pm Irish time); Shane Lowry, competing in the Tour Championship for the first time, is paired with Adam Scott (5.49pm).

Betting: Most of the time, Scottie Scheffler doesn’t require a head-start to get the job done. So, with a two-stroke lead from the off over Xander Schauffele and all of 10 on a quintet of players that includes Justin Thomas, it is no wonder to find the Olympic gold medallist installed as the red hot 11-10 favourite with Schauffele at 23-10 … still, it may be worth looking at Sam Burns – available at 33-1 – who starts out six back.

On TV: Live coverage on Sky Sports+ from 4.15pm and on Sky Sports Golf from 6pm.

Tiger Woods has rarely looked more ripped than now.

Conventional wisdom says prolonged rests tend to show on the physique. Yet, Woods has rarely shown a dad bod despite having multiple surgeries and staying away from the green. While his impressive training regimen is one reason, the 15-time major champion has a tendency to lose weight.

Tiger Woods once revealed that he tends to lose weight every time he hits the greens. Four rounds of Golf means a loss of three to four pounds of his body mass. So, no matter, how much he eats, or whatever he eats, Woods never looks out of shape.

Tiger Woods PGA Championship

READ: Tiger Woods’ ex-wife Elin Nordegren was ‘deeply unimpressed’ by golf legend’s attempt to woo her

In a chat with Bleacher Report, Tiger Woods said, “I tend to lose weight when I play. Every time I play I lose three to four pounds per tournament.” But it’s not just weight. Six hours of golf per day is enervating. According to multiple studies, playing a round of 18-hole golf burns 900-1200 calories. For pros, the number is presumably on the higher side.

This is why Woods prefers to eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches to maintain his energy level. Studies show that two pieces of whole wheat bread with two spoons of butter have 17 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, and 402 nutrient-dense calories.

It’s absolutely not the latest vegan trend. Contrarily, Golf’s love affair with peanut butter sandwiches is quite old.  Even Al Geiberger dedicated his PGA Championship victory to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. That was in 1966.

As far as Tiger Woods is concerned, he is a fan. Not just on the greens. But a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a go-to snack for the 15-time major winner at home as well. He even shared a recipe a few years back.

Tiger Woods’s peanut butter and sandwich is as simple as you can ask for. No extra spread. Toast two whole wheat breads. Two tablespoons of all-natural almond butter goes over them. Add half a banana slice to the piece. Then add raw unfiltered honey on top of it and bingo. Now you have Tiger Woods’s favorite snack.

In more recent times, Woods has given insight into his entire diet plans. His usual breakfast is egg white, omelet, and veggies. Whereas, salads, lean meats, and seafood are his go-to for lunch. Tiger Woods gets his carbs from mostly fruits, green vegetables, and sports drinks. But whatever he eats, he makes sure to shed all the extra calories on the greens.

Tiger Woods’ pursuit of his ex-wife Elin Nordegren is chronicled in a new book by author James Patterson, who claims the golfer was ‘deeply unimpressive’ in his attempts to woo her

James Patterson’s latest book delves into the intriguing courtship of Tiger Woods and his ex-wife Elin Nordegren, revealing how the golf legend pursued her in a rather unconventional manner.

Woods, who has been a household name since he burst onto the scene as a teenage golfing sensation, had his personal life, including his marriage to Nordegren, widely followed. The pair met when Nordegren was working as an Au Pair for golfer Jesper Parnevik at the age of 21 in 2001.

Who Is Tiger Woods' Ex-Wife? All About Elin Nordegren

READ: Tiger Woods ex-wife Elin Nordegren sent X-rated message to waitress after discovering affair

Patterson recounts that Woods, then 25, was immediately smitten with the Swedish nanny but too bashful to ask her out himself. Instead, he had someone from his team approach her, a move that initially left Nordegren less than impressed.

“That’s the way he’s lived his life,” Patterson told the Daily Mail, comparing Woods’ approach to getting a wife to ordering room service. “Whatever Woods needed, whether it was room service or a wife, his first instinct was to say, ‘Let’s get a manager to do that’.”

Despite having a boyfriend in Sweden at the time, Nordegren eventually agreed to go on a date with Woods, leading to their marriage in 2004. Meanwhile, Woods was on his way to becoming one of the greatest golfers ever, with his 15 major titles trailing only behind the iconic Jack Nicklaus.

Woods, whose illustrious golfing career began in 1995, has not announced his retirement yet. He clinched his 14th major title in 2008 and then had to wait for 11 years before securing the next big win at the 2019 Masters tournament.

In the sporting season of 2024, he took part in all four major tournaments but only made it through the cut at the Masters. Following his much-celebrated 2019 triumph at Augusta, and due to grave leg injuries from a car accident in February 2021, Woods hasn’t managed to finish in the top 10 at any major event.

Before their public and messy split in 2010, Woods was married to Elin Nordegren. Woods’s alleged multiple affairs led to dramatic incidents, including one where Nordegren dialled an accused mistress from Woods’s own phone.

“After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person,” the golfer expressed when the couple separated in 2010.

On one occasion, Nordegren smashed the window of Woods’s SUV near their Florida residence. She is currently seeing former NFL tight end Jordan Cameron.

On July 15, 2024, “Tiger, Tiger: His Life, As It’s Never Been Told Before” by James Patterson was launched and swiftly scaled the New York Times bestseller list.

Elin Nordegren discovered her then-husband Tiger Woods had been unfaithful – and reportedly sent a brutal message to a waitress caught up in the scandal

Tiger Woods’ ex-wife Elin Nordegren reportedly sent a scathing message to one of his mistresses upon discovering his infidelity, an incident that is believed to have led to his notorious car crash in his front garden.

In the early hours of November 27 2009, police officers found Woods outside his home, lying on the ground next to his black Cadillac Escalade, which had smashed into a fire hydrant and then a tree.

Tiger Woods' ex-wife selling $49.5M Florida mansion

READ: “All the things I’ve been through are tough…”: Tiger Woods said he only had one life regret

It’s said that Nordegren, after finding out about her husband’s multiple affairs, chased him out of their house wielding a golf club and shattered his car windows. And a new revelation has come from Woods’ biographer James Patterson in an interview with the Daily Mail.

Patterson detailed how Nordegren discovered the truth about Woods’ extramarital activities despite his denials of allegations that were about to be made public by a magazine. She took matters into her own hands by contacting one of the women directly.

Nordegren, having checked Woods’ phone while he was asleep, called one of the women involved, stating: “I know everything,” and exchanged messages before confronting another mistress.

When the other woman inquired about the identity of the caller, Nordegren bluntly replied: “You know who this is, because you’re f****** my husband.”

After being woken up and confronted, Woods locked himself in the bathroom momentarily before dashing out of the house. He hopped into his Cadillac but crashed just 150 yards away, right outside his front garden in Windermere, Florida – a stone’s throw from Disney World and Universal Studios.

This incident marked the start of a downward spiral for Woods’ career, as he stepped back from golf and issued a statement that appeared to acknowledge his infidelity.

His statement read: “After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father and person.”

However, as this news broke, more women came forward to Nordegren and the press, including ‘an onslaught of porn stars, strippers, escorts and party girls’, leaving his then-wife feeling utterly ’embarrassed for having been so deceived’.

The couple would finalise their divorce less than a year later, in August 2010, with Nordegren securing a massive $100m (£75m) settlement and joint custody of their kids.

Despite an illustrious career in golf which many pro players can only dream of, Tiger Woods admitted he has one regret about his journey in particular.

Tiger Woods claimed he has just one regret in his life. From a prestigious 28-year pro golf career, the 48-year-old Californian has racked up almost every accolade since turning pro back in 1996 at the tender age of 20, winning 15 majors and 82 PGA Tour events.

And despite becoming the world’s youngest-ever Masters winner in 1997 after outperforming the likes of Tom Kite, Tommy Tolles and Tom Watson with a total score of -18, Woods said that he rues turning pro when he did. When probed on the toughest moment of his life by CBS Sports, the legend of the game said: “The only regret I have in life is not spending another year at Stanford, and I wish I would’ve had one more year.”

Tiger Woods, Nike Golf part ways; GOAT hints at 'next chapter' -  SBNation.com

READ: Scottie Scheffler shares injury update after wincing in pain at BMW Championship

The interviewer then probed: “Of all the things that’s happened to you?” To which Woods responded: “All the things and that’s all.” Arguably one of Woods’ biggest regrets in his lifetime would be his infidelity with ex-wife Elin Nordegren, with the pro having secret affairs with as many as 16 women during his marriage.

Through his affairs, Woods’ sponsorship deals with the likes of Nike, Gatorade and Gillette disappeared, with the star admitting: “I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did was not acceptable,” after his actions came to light.

With all things considered, Woods was probed further in his interview with CBS with: “Everything?” Woods continued: “All the things I’ve been through are tough, yes. They’ve been tough, but they’ve been great for me, but I wish I would’ve gone one more year at Stanford.”

Woods enrolled at the prestigious university in 1994 through a golf scholarship, winning the 40th Annual William H. Tucker Invitational in the September.

He chose economics for his major while studying over the next two years, while tearing it up on the golf courses with Stanford Men’s Golf team. Despite spending just two years at the university, Woods racked up an impressive 11 tournament wins – tying the record for most tournaments taken.

Speaking about his time at Stanford, Woods said: “I had such a great time playing golf at Stanford. Just all the practicing, playing and qualifying. It was always fun being around each other. What sets Stanford apart is the combination of quality athletics with an unmatched educational experience.

“Our Provost was Condeleeza Rice. My economics teacher was one of President Clinton’s advisors. You don’t see that at most schools. It was so intellectually stimulating to be challenged all the time. There was no way I could compete against some of those people. They were so smart. One kid had a photographic memory, and another built a computer from scratch.”

He added: “I really enjoyed being stimulated by the students and professors. Some were geniuses and others were Olympic athletes. It’s amazing how well-rounded they are. That’s what’s so cool about it. You must soak up that experience. It was one of the best times in my life.”

Despite regretting his decision to leave Stanford prematurely, the move ultimately paid off in the long run as Woods carved an incredible pro career after his initial Masters win of 1997. Fast forward to 2024 and the golfing great has four PGA Championships to his name, five Masters wins, three US Opens and three Open Championships.

He also has 82 PGA Tour wins in total, and has spent a whopping 683 weeks at World No.1 – more than any other pro golfer in history. While his last major win came in the form of his fifth Masters in 2019 – pipping the likes of Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson by a single stroke – Woods has shown no signs of slowing down, appearing at all four majors this year, albeit only making the cut at the Masters at Augusta in April.

Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1, was seen wincing in pain and holding his lower back after playing a shot at the BMW Championship. However, he has played down the injury.

Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top golfer, has reassured fans that he is “fine” despite wincing in pain from a back injury during the BMW Championship.

The golf star was seen grimacing and clutching his lower back after hitting his ball off the fairway with a 5-iron on the 17th at Castle Pines Golf Club. This sight alarmed PGA Tour and golf fans globally, as it echoed Tiger Woods’ frequent lower back grabs, which eventually derailed his career.

Scottie Scheffler tweaks back at BMW Championship: 'It's fine'

READ: Amanda Balionis reveals she was shaking over Tiger Woods interview

However, Scheffler downplayed his discomfort, attributing it to his back being more troublesome than usual on Thursday.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Scheffler said. “I woke up just a little sore this morning. I had trouble loosening it up. With it being a little bit tight, it was hard for me to get through it, and I was laboring most of the day to get through the ball.

“On 17, I was trying to hit a high draw, and that’s a shot where I’ve really got to use a big turn, big motion. I just felt it a little bit. But other than that, all good.”

Scheffler also stated that his recovery routine would remain unchanged, adding: “Maybe I hit a few too many balls yesterday or something. It was just a little sore. I’m sure I’ll get some ice on it and stuff. I’ll be totally fine [on Friday].”

The 28-year-old golfer managed to make par on the No. 17 hole, a result that left him frustrated given the par-5 challenge is seen as one of the easiest on the course. Scheffler was unable to get up and down from in front of the green and found himself almost 30 yards short of the hole, where he left his 5-iron.

He ended his round with a missed birdie putt on 18, finishing with a 1-under 69. The American is now five shots behind leader Keegan Bradley, who impressed as the 2025 Team USA Ryder Cup captain with a six-under round, leading the tournament by two ahead of competitors like Im Sung-Jae, Adam Scott, and others.

Scheffler is hoping to build on an already historic season. In 2024, he became the first player to secure six PGA Tour wins in a single year before July since Arnold Palmer, and he also added Olympic gold to his achievements in Paris.

If Scheffler clinches the BMW Championship, he will join Vijay Singh and Woods as the only golfers to have won seven or more tournaments in a single PGA Tour season in the modern era. Scheffler is set to tee off for his second round in Colorado on Friday, August 23.

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