TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 27, 2026

Scottie Scheffler

East Lake Golf Club

Press Conference

Q. Scottie, what do you feel like you did best today?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I felt like I hit a lot of fairways, gave myself a lot of opportunities. I didn't really -- outside of the 1st hole, I wasn't really battling for par very much. That's always good around this place. Every time you miss a fairway out here, you're going to be struggling for par.

Gave myself some opportunities and was able to make a couple birdies there at the end to shoot 5.

Q. Wondering, you've seen this course before, reno, past, now. Wonder how it's growing in. Do you feel like balls are reacting a certain way, or do you feel like it's kind of settled at this point?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I'd say for the most part it's settled. I think today was a day in which a lot of the pins were on some spines. Like 10th hole is a good example. The pin was basically just on a crest. If you land just short and into the green, it's going to spin. If you land it on the pin, it's going to bounce forward.

Little stuff like that might give it the appearance that stuff hasn't quite settled. I think for the most part it has. It's just the grain has a significant effect on how the ball is going to react when it hits the green. A lot of the pins today were pretty close to where those changes in the grain were.

Q. What do you consider a good, makable birdie chance? Is there a range? I'm sure some 50-footers you're happy to get it down there too. What do you consider makable?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: You're always trying to make it, right? There's a certain length where -- it also depends on slopes and stuff like that. Like, for instance, my putt on 11 today was probably 25 feet, but I considered that one a makable birdie chance. It's up the hill, breaking right to left, pretty planar putt.

Then I had one from a similar distance on the 4th hole that was up and over a little hump and downhill pretty quick and double breaking. That one is one you're just trying to get the speed right, and if it happens to go in, that's a good thing. There's a lot of factors that go into that.

Q. How do you measure a good day of ball striking? Do you need to look at a number, or can you feel it?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I can feel it. I can feel it when my swing's in a good spot. That's really how I judge it. The numbers can change depending on -- if you're only going to look at strokes gained on approach, there's some days where I haven't hit that great, but I had maybe one or two balls in the rough but I hit close to the hole and all of a sudden you gain a bunch of shots. The numbers sometimes can play tricks, but I usually try to trust my feel as much as I can.

Q. Feel good about gripping the club after last week obviously?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, hands are all good, totally back to normal. I have a couple ulcers still in my throat, but I feel way better than last week. I'm talking and eating and drinking normally.

Fitzy was laughing, I played with him 1st tee last week, and he said, "Man, I thought I pissed you off or something. You didn't talk to me for two days."

I was like, "No, man, I just couldn't speak."

Q. Does this feel like any other tournament to you? Or if it doesn't, how is it different?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It's got a different feel. There's a lot less guys. The TOUR Championship is always at this golf course, so that changes a little bit. I think when you get here, you know you've had a really good season.

To be able to get to this tournament and be one of 30 guys, it really speaks volumes to the season you had. I think there's a different feeling just for those reasons, a few less guys.

Q. It still has a marathon feel to it, though, doesn't it?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: What do you mean?

Q. In terms of Thursday to Sunday. Don't really do anything stupid today, just kind of keep yourself there?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I try to do something stupid pretty much every day. I try to avoid stupidity for the most part. I'm not that good at it.

Q. Did you do anything stupid today besides this?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Did I do anything stupid today? I hit a putt on 12 that I ran like 6 feet past the hole from like 15 feet. That was pretty stupid. But I made the come-backer, so that was nice.