The world’s No.1-ranked athlete in golf, Scottie Scheffler, is catching up with Tiger Woods when it comes to one of the most incredible records set by the sport’s GOAT.
Scheffler won some of the sport’s most prestigious competitions in 2024, taking home a total of nine trophies, including The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass, and the Olympics at Le Golf National in Paris. His dominance is underlined by key statistical data points including first out of all players on the PGA Tour when it comes to strokes gained, approach play — he leads when it comes to shots from 100-125 yards, and 150-175 yards, and putting average.
Woods, in his best years, also made it a habit to claim the sport’s top honors for his own while crushing metrics like driving and margin of victory.
Sheffler, though, is catching up to Woods in one key area.
When the Official World Golf Rankings were updated on Monday, Scheffler had held the No.1 spot atop the leaderboard for the 82nd consecutive week. Previously, he was tied fourth for the longest run at No.1 of all time but he’s now leaped past Britain’s former great Nick Faldo. The only golfers who have been No.1 for longer are now Tiger Woods, who achieved the feat twice — once having held top spot for 264 weeks, and once holding the ranking for 281 weeks.
The other golfer was Greg Norman, who Scheffler could leapfrog in months.
This is because, at 82 consecutive weeks, Scheffler needs to hold the No.1 spot for another 14 weeks to tie Norman. If he holds it for 15 weeks, he pulls ahead of Norman and is officially only second to a peak-form Woods.
Even with a calamitous start to 2025, and utter dominance from the current world No.2, Xander Schauffele, it’s unlikely that Scheffler would fall from No.1 because of the sheer amount of ranking points that separate him already from Schauffele. As far as catching Woods, Scheffler would need to retain the No.1 spot for another 3.5 years, at the very least, which would require repeat years like the one he just enjoyed in 2024.
One of the few areas Scheffler could improve in the months and years ahead is his putting, and he recently unveiled a new claw-style grip for shorter putts. Woods himself, impressed by Scheffler, believes 2025 could be one of Scheffler’s best.
“I mean, you see that around the short game and his trajectory control into the greens. If he has consistent weeks or consistent times on the greens, he’s gonna finish the top 10 every week and then he’s gonna pick off a lot.”
The 2025 PGA Tour begins at The Sentry on December 30 and, though there are weekly events going forward from that date, there are marquee competitions to win on February 3 at the Waste Management Open in Phoenix, Arizona, together with the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 3, and THE PLAYERS Championship on March 10 — three tournaments Scheffler has won before.
The Hero World Challenge, an unofficial PGA Tour event hosted by Woods, tees off today at Albany, featuring 20 players from the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Woods isn’t playing this year, but as a host, he is there. And as always, the event kicked off with a pro-am and the customary press conference. During media interactions, Scheffler gave us a little peek behind the scenes. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t all business.
The PGA Tour feels like it’s on fire these days, doesn’t it? New formats, that ongoing merger saga, the snail’s pace of play debates, and so much more. Pretty much anyone in the golf world has something to say about it. And it makes sense—big changes can feel like a lot when one season’s ending and another is gearing up. So, when you get two big names like former World No. 1 Tiger Woods and current No. 1 Scottie Scheffler met on the course, they were not knee-deep in these hot topics. They talked about their kids.
“Talked about his kids,” Scheffler said with a grin. “It’s really exciting, when you ask somebody about their kids, they always get so excited and that’s really fun for me to be able to do with people because they get so excited and it’s fun to share what’s going on. Tiger’s the same way, he always gets excited when he gets to talk about his kids.”
If you’ve followed Woods even a little, you know how much he adores his kids, Charlie and Sam. It’s the kind of thing that melts even the toughest hearts in the golf world. So did he give some parenting advice to first-time dad Scheffler? “There was no advice. If I did, I’m sure neither of us would probably want to be sharing it publicly,” revealed the #1.
We’ve all seen Woods’ love for his kids. Whether it’s Charlie’s golf swing or Sam’s proud moments, his passion as a dad is undeniable. “I just love being with them and seeing what they’re doing, what they’re capable of doing—the joys, just the shifts of interest. It’s just fun. We have a great time together,” Woods shared back in 2011, and it still rings true.
Well, its not like they only talked about their kids. They talked about the ongoing matters of the golf world as well. “I think most of the time we just talk about money and how the purses need to be bigger,” Scheffler said. “Today we really grinded on the Ryder Cup and how it’s just such BS that we’ve never gotten paid. Tiger was really frustrated; he feels like he hasn’t made enough money in his career. I feel the same way; I feel like last year I didn’t get paid 4 enough for what I did. Mostly that, just a bunch of griping.”
Woods feeling that he has not made enough money would come as a shocker to many. He is the richest golfer with the most amount earned from the Tour. Scheffler made the most this year, nearly $29.2 million from tournaments. Sure, Woods is one of the greatest golfers of all time, but it’s the bond he shares with Sam and Charlie that shows how great a dad he really is.
We all love Woods on the course, but if you ask him, his favorite role is definitely being a dad. Through all the highs and lows—majors won, injuries, comebacks—his bond with his kids, Sam and Charlie, has been the real constant. And honestly, it’s a side of Woods that’s just as impressive as his golf game.
By the time Charlie and Sam were toddlers, Woods’s world got pretty messy with a very public scandal and divorce in 2010. But even in the middle of all that chaos, he put his kids first. In a 2015 interview with TIME, he admitted he was upfront with them in the simplest way: ‘Guys, the reason why we’re not in the same house, why we don’t live under the same roof, Mommy and Daddy, is because Daddy made some mistakes.’ It wasn’t flashy or complicated—just an honest dad trying to explain a tough situation.
Sam has been cheering her dad on since she was six months old, and in December 2023, she even caddied for him during the PNC Championship. Meanwhile, Charlie is shaping up to be a mini version of his dad. The two first competed together in the 2020 PNC Championship, and fans couldn’t help but notice their eerily similar mannerisms. Even Charlie’s coach sees the resemblance, both in his game and his demeanor.
The Hero World Challenge has revealed its line-up, with Scottie Scheffler leading the charge. However, the notable absence of Tiger Woods is hard to ignore.
Woods’ absence from the Hero World Challenge is especially conspicuous as he is the host of the event. The tournament is part of the PGA Tour schedule, but being an unofficial event, players do not earn FedEx Cup points or official funds.
The 2024 edition of the event boasts a total prize fund of $4.5 million (£3.5m), with the winner set to bag $1 million (£770k). Despite this, the tournament often attracts the biggest names in golf, although on this occasion, Woods will not be participating.
At present, the confirmed competitors include Scheffler, Ludvig Aberg, Patrick Cantlay, Wyndham Clark, Hideki Matsuyama, Sam Burns, Brian Harman, Sahith Theegala, Tony Finau, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim, Aaron Rai, Billy Horschel, Keegan Bradley, Russell Henley, Matthieu Pavon and Bob MacIntyre. Three additional exemption spots are yet to be announced.
There is a chance that Woods could be awarded one of these exemption spots to compete in the Hero World Challenge, aligning with his plans for the rest of the year.
The 48 year old golf legend’s schedule has hit an unforeseen snag after he announced another setback with his health, pausing his participation in the Hero World Challenge and the PNC Championship due to recent back surgery.
Woods took to social media in mid-September to inform fans about his latest medical procedure aimed at tackling severe discomfort that hindered his 2024 season, fraught with injury bouts. Conducted by Dr. Sheeraz Quereshi, the operation is reported to be a success.
In his statement, Woods said: “The surgery went smoothly, and I’m hopeful this will help alleviate the back spasms and pain I was experiencing throughout most of the 2024 season,” and continued, “I look forward to tackling this rehab and preparing myself to get back to normal life activities, including golf.”
Undergoing his sixth back surgery, expectations are high for Woods to make a strong return in 2025, particularly with the anticipation surrounding his involvement in The Golf League, his partnership with Rory McIlroy aiming to compete with LIV Golf.
Despite potential risks of recurring pain that previously plagued him, as Woods confided to Golfweek in December 2023 regarding his challenges during competitions, fans remain optimistic about his recovery and presence at the Hero World Challenge come December.
Woods bluntly described the pain endured from last year’s competitions with a single word, “Everywhere,” when pressed about where he felt soreness. He further explained: “My leg, my back, my neck. Just from playing and hitting shots, trying to hold off shots. It’s just different at game speed, too. Game speed is a lot different than at-home speed.”
Despite dealing with discomfort during the Hero World Challenge in 2023, Woods maintained optimism about participating in at least one tournament each month throughout 2024. However, his plans hit a snag in July when he announced he would take the rest of the year off for recovery, admitting his initial schedule was perhaps overambitious.
Reflecting on the challenges, Woods admitted, “I thought I could play a little bit more earlier in the year. I think I was a little bit too optimistic,” He ruefully added, “At the end of last year, it was tough, and I haven’t played a whole lot. I think that, as the year has gone on, I have gotten better. I just wish I could have played a little bit more, but I’ve been saving it for the majors just in case I do something pretty major and then take myself out of it.”
Golf sensation Scottie Scheffler has reached out with words of encouragement to Rory McIlroy following another disappointing finish for the Northern Irish golfer.
McIlroy’s quest for victory was thwarted yet again at the BMW PGA Championship where he was pipped to the post in a play-off.
Despite a valiant effort at Wentworth, McIlroy was bested by Billy Horschel’s stunning eagle putt last Sunday. The four-time major champion has been plagued by a series of narrow defeats, including a gut-wrenching setback at the US Open in June and another dropped lead at the Irish Open earlier this month.
The 35-year-old has openly acknowledged the challenge that these setbacks have posed after repeatedly falling at the final hurdle. Nonetheless, world number one Scheffler insists that McIlroy wasn’t defeated at Wentworth; it was simply Horschel’s moment of brilliance that proved the difference.
Speaking at a Presidents Cup press conference, Scheffler reflected on his own experiences: “I think I played a lot of solid tournaments, and it was nice to get some wins. I’ve had years in the past on tour where I’ve played pretty nice and I haven’t been able to win a bunch. Sometimes in this game the breaks go your way and sometimes they don’t.
“You know like Rory’s had some close calls. He has a playoff last week, and a guy eagles the final hole to beat him, and that’s kind of a tough deal.”
“He didn’t lose, he got beat. So that can happen,” Scheffler added. “Sometimes the breaks fall your way, like Tom Kim and I in the playoff at Travelers. He did birdie 18 to get in the playoff, but then he made a bogey on the playoff hole. Just little things like that sometimes can help.”
Scheffler’s remarks follow McIlroy’s reflections on his recent performances, where he expressed frustration despite his good form. “Look, it’s golf and I’m playing well. These things happen,” McIlroy admitted. “Two weeks in a row I’ve played well. Just not quite well enough. The game is testing me a little more than it has done in the past, but that’s fine.”
McIlroy is taking a breather following his Wentworth setback but looks forward to lifting his spirits by joining forces with his father Gerry at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship pro-am event in October. On the other hand, fresh from seven PGA Tour wins and an Olympic gold medal, Scheffler is eyeing victory at the Presidents Cup and suggested how better times could soon be ahead for McIlroy.
“Sometimes it’s an important putt or a little break here or there, and a lot of times this year I felt like I made the putts when I really needed to,” Scheffler recalled. “I made that 5-footer on 18 in Paris, made a bunch of putts on that back nine.”
“I made a putt to win the Memorial on the last hole. And back nine at the Masters, final round at The Players, I made a lot of putts that were not necessarily on 18 green, but a lot of putts that were important to keep momentum in the round going.”
“In years past, maybe sometimes those putts went in sometimes, but this year I felt like for the most part I made a lot of those putts when I needed to.”
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler will face off against LIV Golf duo Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in the first match between golf’s two rival tours.
The made-for-TV clash will take place in Las Vegas in December and will pit the PGA Tour’s two biggest stars against two of the most widely-known figures on LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed circuit founded in 2021.
First reported by Golfweek, McIlroy confirmed the face-off and said: ‘I’m thrilled to partner with Scottie in what promises to be an exciting duel against Bryson and Brooks in Vegas this December.
‘This isn’t just a contest between some of golf’s major champions; it’s an event designed to energize the fans. We’re all here to put on a great show and contribute to a goodwill event that brings the best together again.’
All three other players have also confirmed the match, which will be broadcast by TNT and follow on from their nine previous editions of The Match, a series of exhibition golf events that began in 2018 with Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson.
DeChambeau and Koepka were previously known for their hostile relationship and competed against each other in an earlier edition of The Match. Since both moving to LIV, they have seemingly reconciled their differences.
World No.3 McIlroy, meanwhile, will come face-to-face with DeChambeau for the first time properly since dramatically losing the US Open to the American back in June.
The Northern Irishman will team up alongside Scheffler who just collected a $25 million bonus for winning last week’s season-ending FedEx Cup.
The contest will not include prize money but all four players are reportedly set to receive an appearance fee.
Perhaps more notably, the clash hints at an easing in tensions between the two rival tours which still remain locked in talks over a potential merger after 15 months of negotiations.
Any potential deal could see Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls Premier League club Newcastle United as well as LIV, come onboard as co-owners of the PGA Tour alongside a US-based sports consortium.
However, at last week’s Tour Championship, the Tour’s commissioner Jay Monahan refused to provide a meaningful update, insisting negotiations were ‘complex’.
‘They’re going to take time. They have taken time, and they will continue to take time,’ he said.
‘But I’m not going to negotiate details in public or disclose details or specifics. All I can say is that conversations continue, and they’re productive.’
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.
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.”
Ask stupid questions get stupid answers @ForePlayPod
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
