FedExCup Playoffs: Scottie Scheffler produces stunning round of 61 at FedEx St Jude Championship as Rory McIlroy toils
Scottie Scheffler hits second round 61 at FedEx St Jude Championship, moving him to 11 under par and into three-shot lead; poor finish sees Rory McIlroy well back; watch third round of the FedEx St Jude Championship live on Sky Sports Golf from 4pm on Saturday
Friday 14 August 2026 23:57, UK
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler produced a stunning second-round 61 at the FedEx St Jude Championship as Rory McIlroy toiled again.
Scheffler charged in 54 feet of putts to birdie six of his first seven holes, and then closed with three consecutive birdies to total a nine-under 61 and three-shot lead at the turn of the PGA Tour's playoff opener.
It was a striking turnaround for a player who admitted his patience was tested during the opening round in Memphis with 33 putts and too many missed opportunities.
"Yesterday [Thursday] was a day in which I felt like I played better than my score, but also early in the round I was out of the fairway a lot," Scheffler said.
"It could have been a day in which my score could have definitely been worse, and it definitely could have been a lot better. But today was a day in which I felt I got a lot out of the round."
McIlroy, who endured an opening day to forget sitting on four over, failed to turn things around on the second day either as a poor finish saw him bogey the 17th and 18th holes to remain on four over, some 15 shots behind Scheffler.
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Meanwhile, Scotland's Robert MacIntyre pulled out of the event, citing a knee injury after a woeful opening round saw him sit on 12 over par.
How do the FedExCup Playoffs work?
All season long, players have earned points based on how they have performed in PGA Tour events, with extra points available for the signature events and majors.
Only the top 70 in the standings have reached the FedEx St Jude Championship (August 13-16), with just the top 50 then progressing to the BMW Championship (August 20-23) and then only the top 30 making it to the finale, The Tour Championship (August 27-30).
Winners of the first two play-off events earn 750 points apiece - the same as The Players and the majors - before the points reset to zero ahead of the Tour Championship.
In the closing event, all players begin at even par, with the starting-strokes model based on FedExCup placings at that point axed in 2025.
The winner of the Tour Championship becomes FedExCup champion for 2026, earning $10m (£7.4m) and a five-year PGA Tour exemption.
Live coverage of the first event of the PGA Tour's FedExCup Playoffs, the FedEx St. Jude Championship, continues at 4pm on Saturday. Watch live on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event or stream with no contract.
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