Scottie Scheffler closed out the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind on Sunday, 16 August 2026, finishing 17 under par to claim his first PGA Tour title since January. Rory McIlroy, playing his first competitive event since the Open Championship in July, limped to a tie for 66th place at eight over par, 25 shots adrift of the winner in the opening leg of the FedExCup play-offs.
McIlroy has already secured a place in the 30-man field for the season-ending Tour Championship regardless of his performance in Memphis, but the manner of his finish raised fresh questions about his readiness for the remaining play-off events.
How did Scheffler dominate at TPC Southwind?
The world number one never trailed after building a three-shot cushion with a course-record-equalling 9-under 61 in the second round, according to CBS Sports. He carried a two-shot advantage over playing partner Sam Burns and South Korea's Im Sung-jae into the final round, as reported by Sky Sports, and closed with a four-under 66 to outscore Burns by seven strokes on the closing day.
Only Justin Rose, who carded a six-under 64 to finish level par for the week, bettered Scheffler's Sunday round. The American briefly stumbled when an early bogey saw his ball splash out of a bunker, strike a sprinkler head and roll into the water, but he recovered to seal victory with room to spare. Sam Burns signed for a three-over 73 to finish tied for third alongside Sweden's Alex Noren, with U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark and Im a shot further back.
"I've had some close calls this year. It is always challenging playing with one of my best friends but I wanted to do my best," said Scheffler.
"I think I've been really consistent. That's what I'm most proud of. It's nice for it to pay off this week, this is a lot better feeling than having a statistically good week."
Scheffler's victory ended a drought stretching back to his win at the American Express Open on 27 January and came with him already leading the FedExCup standings on 4,124 points before the week began, according to USA Today.
Why is McIlroy concerned about his form?
McIlroy, who won his second Masters title earlier this season, had gone without competitive action since July and struggled to find rhythm across all four rounds, never once carding a score under par. He ranked 62nd out of 68 players in the field for strokes gained from tee to green, underlining how far his ball-striking had slipped.
"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," said McIlroy.
"Obviously didn't come in here with a ton of reps, (it) almost felt like the more the week went on the more I felt lost with my golf swing a little bit."
"I guess [it was] nice to shake the rust off a little bit but I'm going to have to work pretty hard between now and next Thursday to feel like I have any sort of golf game to compete next week."
"To me it's more about the execution of what I'm doing right now, and the execution wasn't there this week."
There were some brighter moments, including a stretch of four birdies in seven holes on the back nine during his final round, though he bookended the day with a bogey and opened with a six on the par-four first.
How did the week unfold for McIlroy?
McIlroy's struggles were evident from the outset. He and Scheffler were paired together for a 9:30 a.m. ET tee time in the opening round, as noted by the PGA Tour, and the pair had entered the week as the only two players in the field carrying single-digit betting odds, according to the Golf Channel. By the midpoint of the tournament McIlroy sat tied for 62nd after a level-par 70 left him on four under, per Sky Sports. His position worsened further heading into the final round, when he was tied for 67th on six over, 19 shots off the lead.
Because the tournament carried no cut, McIlroy was able to play all four rounds despite the wide margin, a format detail confirmed by Sky Sports's coverage of the event. The $20 million purse at TPC Southwind, reported by CBS Sports, was drawn from a field of the top 70 players in the FedExCup standings, according to a playoff schedule breakdown. The course itself, a par-70 layout measuring 7,288 yards, was the site of Scheffler's record-tying 61.
What happens next in the FedExCup play-offs?
Attention now turns to the BMW Championship, the second leg of the three-event play-off series, which will be contested at Bellerive Country Club in St Louis next week among the top 50 players in the FedExCup standings. The PGA Tour confirms that the series will conclude, as it does every year, at East Lake in Atlanta, where the leading 30 players will compete for a share of the $40 million prize fund at the season-ending Tour Championship.
McIlroy, currently 13th in the season-long standings, said he faces a demanding week of practice before Bellerive if he is to have any realistic chance of a fourth FedExCup title.
Key Facts
- Scottie Scheffler won the FedEx St. Jude Championship at 17 under par, his first PGA Tour victory since 27 January.
- Scheffler equalled the TPC Southwind course record with a second-round 61, according to CBS Sports.
- Rory McIlroy finished tied for 66th at eight over, ranking 62nd of 68 players for strokes gained tee-to-green.
- The tournament, held 13-16 August 2026, carried a $20 million purse and featured no cut.
- The BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club in St Louis is next, ahead of the season finale at East Lake.
